Race to the Sea

It was a broiler of a day when the sun finally came out in the early afternoon, so even though it was late, we decided to go down to Sound View Beach in Old Lyme, Connecticut. We managed to get most of our tasks for the day done, packed up a hasty cooler and were on the road by 1:30-ish. We encountered light traffic and relatively light crowds and had our toes in the ocean by three o'clock.



Sound View is kind of different from the other public beaches in the area as many people park their boats close to the beach (outside the swimming area) and come to shore to have a drink at the two bars that are right on the beach. Both bars have big patios and live bands on most weekends.

The beach is also really a little village of rental cottages rather than a state park.

My cousin and his parents used to come here for a week every year when I was growing up. One year I stayed with them. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I remember having a conniption fit on the back stairs of their rental cottage with a screaming case of home-sickness that no one could abate. I came to my senses a short time later as they made me realize there was absolutely no way they were going to drive me back up to Massachusetts in the middle of their vacation. They consoled me with a night out at the local arcade, my cousin benefited greatly from my misery.

That memory came to me as I layed there after a swim in the warm Long Island Sound water. I dozed off thinking about that and other stupid stuff I did as a kid. I woke up as the evening breeze started to blow in from the sea. Refreshed, relaxed. Thats what the beach is for.

We got there late, stayed late, and packed up as the sun was setting...