What to do & see in New London, CT area

[Arien]

Go toBook Barn in nearby Niantic, CT. It’s an old barn plus several smaller buildings crammed with books. All hardcovers or paperbacks are $4 and mass market paperbacks are $1. It’s all pretty well-organized with the exception of Hades, which is where they put all the un-filed materials. I don’t know anything else in the area besides this store but I think it’s worth the trip by itself. They also have another location downtown which is the domain of Frank, the fattest cat I’ve ever seen.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

@Bumbershoot

I only have a minute (trying to monitor the SDMB and do my job at the same time sucks!), but thanks for all the fine suggestions, people!

And Abbott’s looks like a must!

Wave “hi” if you get a chance!

[Bumbershoot]

@Robot_Arm

If you want to see it under sail, you might have to make some special arrangements. I’m sure it has an engine on board. They’re limited in the maneuvers they can make when sailing, and changing the angle of the yards during a turn takes a lot of work. For tight quarters, like coming in to the dock, I wouldn’t be surprised if they furl the sails (which is a job in itself) while they’re still at sea, and come into the harbor under power.

But call around and find out. Maybe they sail in just for the pomp and circumstance of it. The Academy probably has an information office, and I imagine the restaurants on the waterfront have seen the ship come and go a few times. The can tell you where to go and what you’ll see once you get there.

Bumbershoot, eh? You in Seattle, by any chance?

Good advice, Robot Arm. I’ll look into it. Just seeing a tall ship on the water would be cool, sails unfurled or not. And no, I’m not from Seattle. I’m originally from Indiana, live outside Albuquerque now. I visited Seattle once, but have not been to the festival. I took my username from a tune by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones (maybe they named it after the festival, I don’t know)- plus, a bumbershoot is sort of like a parachute, and I’m into skydiving. It made sense at the time, anyway!

Squiddy, it sucks that your uncle owns one of the best seafood places in the area, and you don’t care for seafood!

KSO and MichaelQReilly, a trip to Newport is tentatively scheduled- there’s a skydiving center there (one in Danielson, CT too) and I’m hoping to make a jump or two and add some states to my list. There probably won’t be time to do everything I want to do, however!

And MichaelQReilly, thanks for the Hartford suggestions, and the scenic drive on Rt. 1A sounds perfect.

KittenKat, thanks for the link, lots of good ideas there, and we’ll try to see the Aquarium too- I love that kind of thing.

Phlosphr, thanks for the tip about seeing all the old houses. Again, it’s something we just don’t see in New Mexico!

Count Blucher, that does indeed sound like a pretty pleasant evening! We’ll look into it.

Thanks, everybody! So much to see & do, so little time…

[Bumbershoot]

Oops, more replies since I started typing.

@IvoryTowerDenizen

Wave “hi” if you get a chance!

Will do, IvoryTowerDenizen!

Arien, the Book Barn looks great! I could browse for hours in a place like that- and spend all my money. Thanks!

[Moment_Slayer]

@Bumbershoot

I will be in CT from Sept. 22 through Sept. 28.

Thanks in advance for any ideas, suggestions, advice, etc.

Golf?? Two of my favorite courses (Lake of the Isle at Foxwoods Casino and Fox Hopyard) are in that area and a third in Groton (Shinecossett ?sp) that I haven’t had a chance to play.

A drive up the CT River to visit Gillette Castle is nice. We like picnic and walk the kids and dog there.

For food we love Bill’s seafood in Westbrook. Picnic tables on a deck, lobster on a paper plate, cold beer…perfect.

If you want to drive a little for the most sublime breakfast ever go to O’Rourke’s Diner in Middletown just off Rt 9. Brian O’Rourke is a top class chef serving fantastic food in a real diner. http://www.orourkesdiner.com/

In Hartford is the Mark Twain House for history and Black Eyed Sally’s for food and music. Many nights Black Eyed Sally’s has live music (http://www.blackeyedsallys.com/)

Have fun!

[Phlosphr]

@Bumbershoot

Oops, more replies since I started typing.

Will do, IvoryTowerDenizen!

Arien, the Book Barn looks great! I could browse for hours in a place like that- and spend all my money. Thanks!

The owner’s name is Randy…he is usually found taking in books right as you arrive in a place called Ellis Island. [he names all of his out buildings around the barn - there is another one called Hades, because it’s take what you can get…always different, usually in poor shape, but fun to browse. Every out building has a coffee pot, cookies, and a cat. There are couches and little nooks you can sit in all day long. I’ve done it several times.

His first edition collection is very nice. And yes, Frank is an anomoly…he’s a monster.

[MichaelQReilly]

@Arien

Go toBook Barn in nearby Niantic, CT. It’s an old barn plus several smaller buildings crammed with books. All hardcovers or paperbacks are $4 and mass market paperbacks are $1. It’s all pretty well-organized with the exception of Hades, which is where they put all the un-filed materials. I don’t know anything else in the area besides this store but I think it’s worth the trip by itself. They also have another location downtown which is the domain of Frank, the fattest cat I’ve ever seen.

Yeah, that place kicks ass. You could get lost in there.

[aruvqan]

@MichaelQReilly

Yeah, that place kicks ass. You could get lost in there.

I love that place, but it is seriously purgatorial for me, I am seriously allergic to dust and mildew, and I come out horking crap out of my lungs , eyes running with tears, nose running like a firehose and my skin itching enough that it feel like it is trying to crawl off me.

As you can tell, we dont do much with used book around here until mrAru has a chance to clean them up and get the dust and mold and mildew off.

i wonder if they still have the 12 volume set of 1001 arabian nights …

[Bumbershoot]

Moment Slayer, I’m not a golfer, and my dad doesn’t golf much anymore, but thanks for the suggestion. Gillette Castle looks very interesting, as do your other suggestions. Thanks!

More votes for the Book Barn, I see. I know my parents would really enjoy it (so would I). We’ll have to check it out.

Thanks, everyone!