Tag Archives: Jamestown Connecticut

“What a long, strange trip it’s been…” nod to Grateful Dead

“Once there was a way to get back homeward”

We are headed home in a roundabout way.  We are a stone’s throw from Mystic Connecticut.  Remember Mystic Pizza???  The Movie??  We’ll have pizza at Mystic Pizza tomorrow and visit both Mystic and Westerly.  Ellen is excited to be visiting Mystic we will probably stay a day here.

This morning, our neighbors at Normandy Campground left and new neighbors arrived.  As I was packing in our hoses, a voice asked, “Where in California are you from”.  The voice belonged to our new neighbors who are from South Lake Tahoe.  They had left California on Sept. 17th, the same day we had left and traveled Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.  Pretty much the same as us.  I mentioned closing out campgrounds throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.  They too had the same experience.  They are on the road until mid January going down the coast to Florida to visit grandchildren.  It would have been fun chatting with them about details of our trips, but we had to be movin’ on.  Our lobster and steamed clams were waiting for us at the kitchen and we had to go.  Then we were heading south.

We were late to pick up our order. The steamers were good, but getting cold.  I had spent too much time talking .  The lobsters were delicious.  We ate at the outdoor pavilion and garnered some attention with our choice of food.  One family ordered lobster, but the kitchen had run out.  We saw a couple leave with the last lobsters as we ate ours.

As we left, Ellen called both Liz and Vanessa to see if there were plans to visit.   As much as we wanted to get together a second time, it was not going to work out. With a new baby, both parents are working lots of hours. Grandparents are helping out babysitting  3 month old  Jerell now that Vanessa is back to work. We drove on heading to Jamestown.

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The Jamestown Fire Department is Volunteer

We dropped by Jamestown to purchase an EZ-pass and to visit the town.  They’re available on line or in Rhode Island at Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge authority.  The authority closes at 2 pm and we had to rush to arrive before they closed.  We arrived twelve minutes before closing time.  The crew at the authority were very helpful and guided us through the process.  While we were there a fellow arrived a minute before the doors locked.  They lock automatically at 2 and the computer system goes off line.  After initially saying he arrived late and with some pleading, this fellow got his EZ Pass as well.  As a Rhode Island resident he tried to get one at AAA, but arrived late.  They closed at 1 pm and he hurried here.  The EZ Pass will be active in Rhode Island tomorrow and in the remaining states that use the system on Monday.  That’s  ok with us.

We went on to Jamestown.  We walked the town.  I tried to find a music shop to buy a guitar pick or two  The hardware store recommended the pharmacy and the pharmacy recommended the hardware store.

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an Inn in Jamestown

No guitar picks are to be had in Jamestown.  No espresso coffee at the coffee shop we stopped by either, though we do have a cheese danish and an apple turnover for later.

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There were a number of mansions for sale in Jamestown.  One sitting right on the coast was “affordable”, but only 3 br 2 ba and an acre.

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Not a Mansion and Not for Sale

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We drove on to Narragansett Beach, this is where I taught myself to surf.  The swell was still running on the beach and they were still hard to catch.  We watched a group of surfers taking runs at the swells.  Most had trouble dropping in.

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Surfing Narragansett Beach

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Jamestown is small and idyllic, but for me, I’d rather be at Narragansett bay.  There were a few homes (mansions really)  that I liked to drive by after thrashing myself “surfing”.  I could not find them!  There were plenty of very impressive homes along the waterfront, but there was one in particular that “was mine”.   I’m a bit sad that I could not find it.  Perhaps next time were in Rhode Island I’ll look a bit harder.

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We tool Rt 1 toward Mystic and not 95.  It is slower, but more revealing.  You get a feel for the towns as you pass through them rather than skirting by and never knowing they’re there.

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At Narragansett Beach, Rhode Island

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Alongside the Beach

We are camping in Mystic KOA, near Mystic Connecticut home of Mystic Pizza:

Mystic Pizza, the Pizza     Mystic Pizza, the Movie    Mystic KOA    nearby Westerly Connecticut

The campground is shutting off the water tomorrow morning.  I’ll be sure we’re disconnected.  I’d hate to have them run high pressure through their lines and blow our check valve out again!  Once was enough for us.