Mystic Aquarium

Posted on August 21, 2016August 21, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Its still, as the weathermen say, HHH. High Pressure, Hot, Humid, 3 H’s. I like the heat but I will admit the humidity is starting to wear me out. The forecast was for a break in the humidity if not the heat so Nancy and I decided to take the kids to the Mystic Aquarium. I was thinking it would be inside so we’d avoid the oppressive outdoors anyway. I’ve never been to Mystic Aquarium so what did I know. I based my opinion on Boston’s Aquarium.

Anyway, quite a bit of Mystic Aquarium is outside and to my way of thinking some of the most unique and best exhibits.

Mystic

It’s not a bad drive to Connecticut and we made it right on time according to the On Star directions and that was with several minor traffic back ups.

The Beluga exhibit is right there when you first go through the entrance.

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I could have spent the whole visit there even though it was hot and humid. The whales are sometimes called the Canaries of the Sea because of the multiple vocalizations they can make. They did not disappoint us. They blew and chirped and stuck their heads out of the water.

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At the observation windows they seemed as fascinated by the humans as we were of them.

Beluga

Following the path toward the Penguin exhibit we passed the seals & Sea lions.

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Then it was decision time, right took us through the “Marsh” on a boardwalk and left took us to the Penguins. The kids made a bee line for the boardwalk and eagerly inspected the duckweed and plants for turtles and frogs.

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I really liked the boardwalk. We spotted quite a few creatures once we adjusted our eyes to finding them in the weeds.

Frog in Duckweed

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We had an audience of 3 little ducks too that added comic relief.

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Next up was the Budgie Tent.

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Those birds are always fun.

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There were cockatoos and other small birds native to Australia as well as the Budgies.

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By then It was time for a break and we hadn’t even gotten inside yet!

A Little River Cruise

Posted on August 24, 2014August 24, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I had to get out. Summer is almost over and I’ve done NOTHING! I know you’ve heard it all before but I really had to try to get out so I bought a ticket on the River Quest Lighthouse Cruise. River Quest runs cruises on the lower end of the Connecticut River. I’ve been on a couple of their Eagle Cruises.

It takes about 2 hours to get there but the cruises are always fun. relaxing and educational. The lighthouse cruise is only done once a year and it’s the only cruise that leaves the Connecticut River and ventures into the Long Island Sound.

So here are a few images from my day:

Good morning!

2 hours later there’s the Goodspeed Opera House!

A Eagle!

Look what happens when you do not get the proper permits!

Bass Fishing

My spare car is a Helicopter…how’d you like to commute with that?

Osprey

and more Osprey

One More Osprey

Oh those poor people who live along the river. (They are all either attorneys or car salesmen)

The rest of the poor people have boats.

I 95 just ahead.

Under I 95.

Let’s go to the town dock for a little fishing.

There’s the Acela train!

This little lighthouse is actually a room for rent.

There’s the first lighthouse.

Lighthouse one and two.

The breakwater lighthouse.

Now that’s what I call “Gone Fishing”

St. John’s Boys School for troubled youths.

Gillette Castle

Jet Skis on the river

Wave to the Becky Thatcher!

Heading back to the dock.

We’re back in Eagle Park. Time for lunch.

B & C follow A

Posted on September 14, 2013September 14, 2013 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

I have to do 2 letters here because unless I’ve gotten so old and senile that I’ve forgotten a state, there aren’t any that start with B. So I can cross all the “B” states off my list.

For the “C ” states I have 3, California, Colorado and Connecticut.

C is for California

Maybe. I’ve been to California. I was in LA and went to the Queen Mary.

It was back in the film days before digital. I mostly remember a lot of Smog.

But although I spent a week there I can’t say I “vacationed” and California is such a big state I’d have to say I barely scratched the surface.

I have to drive Highway 1

with it’s majestic ocean views. And Channel islands National Park is another “must”. And Yosemite

(that’s been in the news so much lately because of the huge wild fire that threatened.) There’s Monterey, San Fran and the Golden Gate Bridge

and don’t forget Disney was there before Florida. Nappa Valley or Sonoma, oh my , must go wine tasting, and the towering Redwood trees, can’t miss those, and that’s before we even think about the famous zoos (San Diego) , museums, arboretums..oh I could go on and on.

C is for Colorado

No, a resounding No. Colorado is a definite “must see”. Any state that could inspire the music of John Denver must have something special in the air. Rocky mountain high…watch for eagles, visit Sand Dunes National Park. Look for wildlife. There are mountain goats in those “hills”. Spectacular vistas await. We’ll drive up Pikes Peak, visit the mile high City of Denver. Maybe make a stop in Aspen/ Vale just to say I’ve been there, in the summer because I don’t ski!

Now I have all those wonderful John Denver songs running through my head, especially Rocky Mountain High.

C is for Connecticut

Yes. This is a neighbor state and although I haven’t “Vacationed” there I’ve spent enough time that I am rapidly crossing off many of the things on my list for that state. For example I spent a weekend at a spa in Old Saybrook, I’ve made another visit to Gillette Castle, I’ve ridden the Essex Steam Train

and the paddleboat Becky Thatcher.

I’ve made several boat trips on the Connecticut River, had lunch in the town of Essex CT. I’ve watched the ospry nesting on the swing bridge in Hamden, CT and photographed the Goodspeed Opera House over and over.

I froze while I watched bald eagles at the Shepaug Dam on the Housatonic River. It was the coldest day of the winter.

Still to go, Mystic Aquarium and that might very well be in the next few weeks.

I know for my long time followers that this may be familiar but we didn’t get much farther than this last time. (2011) So tally so far: 3 states visited 4 to go.

Always open to your suggestions and must see/ wanna see ideas! Keep ’em coming! 🙂

Haddam CT

Posted on April 21, 2013April 21, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Since my Riverquest cruise left from the boat dock at Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, I thought it might be worthwhile to check out this little town while I was here. It seems there’s something for everyone.

Sportsmen can go fishing on the Connecticut river or boaters can go boating.

Birders can take the Riverquest cruises and look for eagles and osprey and other birds of sea and shore.

Architecture buffs can lose themselves in the Village of East Haddam, filled with beautifully maintained historic homes and businesses.

The premier example is the Goodspeed Opera house still a fully functional theater located right on the river.

Engineers can marvel over the Haddam Swing Bridge, a steel, movable truss bridge composed of two main spans crossing the Connecticut River.

Of course East Haddam is home to the unique Gillette Castle and Gillette Castle State Park. Picnic, walk trails and explore the grounds. The intricate architecture and beautiful surroundings seem to appeal to all.

Nature is represented everywhere in East Haddam. There’s nothing like a sunset dinner while watching the world go by on the Connecticut River.

For a sleepy little town there’s plenty to do. Other attractions close by include Nathan Hale House and the oldest bell in America. ( housed in the belfry of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.)

The Nature Conservancy calls East Haddam “One of the last great places.” So take some time to drop in for a visit to a classic New England Village and surroundings.

Ospreys and Eagles …Oh My!

Posted on April 20, 2013April 20, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Time to head to the docks or should I say a dock. I’m heading out on an Eagle/Osprey cruise. I last went on one of these trips on a cold day in February 2011. Of course I picked the coldest day of the year to go at that time. https://aroundustyroads.com/2011/03/04/eagles-on-the-connecticut-river/

This time the weather seems a bit warmer even with the stiff breeze.

The cruise leaves from the dock at Eagle Landing State Park which is located in Haddam across the river from the Goodspeed Opera House.

I am always impressed by how personable and knowledgeable the crew of Riverquest is about the sights along the river and the birds that can be seen. They are the ones who first pointed out Gillette Castle and gave a thumbnail history. They also knew the ID and history of the impressive building that turned out to be St. John’s. Plus they have “eagle” eyes when it come to spotting birds!

Today the cruise is billed as an Eagle and Osprey tour and we certainly got to see Osprey. We also got off to a quick start with the eagles. Barely out from the dock 4 birds were spotted circling very high up. Binoculars came out and a discussion ensued but finally it was determined that there were 4, possibly 5 juvenile eagles soaring on the thermals.

Juvenile eagles are not as distinctive as their more mature counterparts. They start out brown and progress through stages as they age. An eagle expert can tell the age of a juvenile by how much “mottling” the feathers show. They don’t get the trademark white head until they are 5 years old.

We started watching Osprey right at the dock. A pair are trying to build a nest on the center tower of the swing bridge but are having a tough time because of the wind.

As we headed down the river it seemed like every buoy or marker had a pair of Osprey trying to build a nest. It was clear that there is a thriving population of Osprey on this section of the Connecticut River.

We also saw double crested cormorants, a peregrine falcon buzzed the bow of the boat, and even a red-shouldered hawk (as opposed to a red tail hawk) took to the thermals watching for prey. Common mergansers with their funny “bad hair day ” crest floated on the river while Black Backed gulls patrolled the skies.

We passed a mute swan and spotted a loon. And then we saw the large eagle nest on an island ahead of us. The captain brought the boat in as close as he could but even then it was pretty far away. At least it wasn’t hidden by leaves yet so we had a clear line of sight and there they were. Two adult eagles , fully mature, with their white heads gleaming in the afternoon sun. As one moved off the nest to a nearby tree we could just make out the head of a baby eagle above the edge of the nest.

The pictures aren’t great because of the distance but lack of pictures didn’t dampen the excitement of seeing these gorgeous birds in the wild.

All in all it was a successful and enjoyable trip down the Connecticut River and I will continue my quest for that iconic photo of an eagle in the wild. Maybe I’ll get a chance in Alaska!