Came by with the family a few weeks ago. Parking was easy since it was a week day. The beach was…read moreclean and bathrooms as well. We had fun and sat by the sand.

Not crowded clean CLEAR WATER leashed dog friendly soft sand…read moreThere was a wedding on the premises CT license plates are free

On memory alone this place scores a 5! Yes it is somewhat dirty with tons of goose crap. But I…read morebasically spent years 2-16 coming here all the time. The little play area of the park was so cool when I was 2-5. Then it was the lake I loved swimming in and where I learned how to swim (6-8). My mom would always yell to me not to go past my waist but I did any way. The trick is to go in almost to the waist and dive forward and go under and then swim back to waist length depth. She never knew, or, she probably did and figured she would let me think I was being clever. A little older I remember throwing my ninja turtle(s) into the "deep end" and trying to find them. So yah, if anyone finds him send me a message. When I was a little older I jumped off the docks and eventually, rode my bike off of it too (dumb "tweens"). There were always the basketball courts though those are in sad shape and when I was younger, the scary older boys looked imposing. Around the same time my friend and I would ride our bikes* to Rogers lake and/or kayak. Finally, from about 14-16 or 17 or so, I did crew and those are my last memories. I think I purposely flipped my boat deep in the water the last time I ever went on the lake. *Watch your bikes. Don't do what I did and "hide" it by some bush near the lake. Some good for nothing low life scum stole my Grey Gary Fisher bike and I never got it back, obviously (cops don't care). I wish karma strikes this loser back in whatever way is deemed appropriate by those who dole it out (perhaps some low life can steal his/her childs bike). Other than bike stealing low life losers, I suspect it was someone with the first name E, this is a safe place.

A playground near the beach with grass areas and trees, I mean what more could a kid ask for! There…read moreare multiple play areas for varying age groups. The park is in good condition, all new rubber mats along the bottom and trees surround the park so it's a beautiful spot to picnic that overlooks the water. During fall months there was no fee, I'm sure the summer it is packed here due to the beach. But if you have kids this is a fantastic place to spend a a few hours.

Fantastic beach! It's not huge, but it's still a decent size. Brought my 4 yr old here on a Sunday…read moreand had a great time! We arrived about 10:30 and there was plenty of space. The nice guy in parking told us it was $30 to park for nonresidents (assume that's both parking and pass, though not sure), but free parking was available a short distance up the road and entry fee would be just $10. We went with that even though it meant I would be carrying everything to the beach. The parking was really not far... maybe one wide city block. It's literally across the playground (which you can't cut to since it's part of the park and fenced in). Then you go down the hill which is all sidewalk (good when you have kiddos), and down to the paid parking and beach. Once you arrive to the parking, you go to the restroom building on the left and there's a sign that says "passes" on the right side. Go there to pay the $10 pass. There were some rules I wasn't aware of, so some tips: umbrellas need to be behind the cones. I believe the life guard said it was to keep the incoming tide from washing it out? The tide did come up a little during the day we were there. Also, no boogie boards allowed anywhere at the beaches with life guards. What I didn't know, was it was allowed at the private beach strip between the two public beaches. There are houses overlooking the private beach area, but everyone seems to use it or at least walk it to get from one public beach to the other. I'm sure if someone really didn't want you hanging out there, they'd tell you, but we seemed to be allowed. We also were just 2 people and not a party hanging out, so that probably helps. The water was warmish in the shallow waves but cooler once in. Water is pretty clear and some areas had more seaweed than others, but not bad. There are a ton of boat type shells and not much of others. The sand and waters are full of nice pebbles, stones, and larger stones. There is also a floating raft a short distance out (of both public beach areas) that you can swim to, although we did not since my daughter still doesn't swim well. The beach gets busy after noon, but it wasn't too bad. There are a couple outdoor showers by the bathrooms that worked really well. We didn't use the bathrooms so not sure how they were. I don't know if there's a concession stand; I didn't see one. But there was an ice cream truck that came by at the main beach. A nice playground is up the hill a little bit from the beach that we were going to visit, but decided to keep moving and go home. I'd definitely come here again. For $10 and a little hassle of carrying your things a short distance, it's a really pretty and clean beach, with nice views of sailboats on the water. The waves are gentle too, so it's good for little ones. Still watch them though bc as the day went on, the waves got a little bigger and has a good pull for small kiddos.

Beautiful park. If no one is at the booth when you arrive, scan the QR code near parking and pay…read moreonline. Plenty of picnic tables are scattered around the park and a few charcoal grills. Lots of port-a-john near the beaches and a building closer to parking. No swimming was allowed at the beaches. Plenty of fishing though. Nice place to walk and look for shells. The mansion gardens are small and beautiful. Lots of colorful plants. Graceful collonade. Definitely a nice spot for photos. Lots of pollenators enjoying the gardens too. Pathways through the park are a mix of paved and gravel. Watch out for goose poop when crossing through the fields. Pets are welcome on a leash and be sure to pick up after them. State parks are "carry in, carry out" so there are no trash bins. Be sure to bring your own trash bag to dispose of your trash at home.

A beautiful seaside park that was surprisingly busy on breezy November weekend. We walked around a…read morefew of the gardens which I imagine will be even more impressive in the spring and summer.

I really like this beach. It's cool for kids, has bathrooms, outdoor shower, and changing rooms…read more Plenty of parking, lifeguards, and even a food truck. The tide goes out really far, and leaves plenty of things to explore such as tide pools, and long sand bars that go out again very far. It does cost money to get in, but I think it's free after like 6pm. Only thing I wasn't a fan of is the swimming area. There are big patches of grasses growing right where you'd swim during high tide, and it makes the swimming area very small, and a few big rocks that should be moved and are dangerous. Very clean beach. Haven't seen really any trash or plastic. There are crabs to catch, and shells to find. They even let us drop off for free. It is considered one of the best beaches in Ct.

4 stars, nice (for ct!)…read more thats the way it is these days, when you summer in RI, you expect certain things, harvey beach is very different than what i typically experience. the flats! this is one of the neatest part of the beach, low tide you can walk out into the bay real far out, its surreal! high tide has a lot of grassy areas, again, kinda weird to me for a beach, but its still nice sand and clean water. there is also a lobster truck in the lot and bathrooms too. 15$ to park, which stung, but way better than say 16$! cost of doing business, this is a public beach, so if you can walk, save the moneys. sandy (danny?)

This is a decent park that my son and I found in Old Saybrook. It was probably beautiful when it…read morewas first built. It's definitely seen better days. Most of the playscape is made of plastic, that has been bleached out by the sun. The once vibrant reds, greens and yellows are now dulled. Some of the markings have worn off due to the years of play. There is ample parking for the park. You'll also find tennis courts, a baseball field and a splash pad in addition to the 2 playscapes. Unfortunately, the water is shut off to the splash pad at 3 pm. We had just missed it by minutes. There are two playscapes, one is good for ages 1-3, the other would be good for up to 7 or 8. It appears that the playscape was made with special needs children in mind. It offers one swing and a ramp to the larger playscape with a slide.

We came for the Halloween evening walk and it was so fun! We spent the whole evening here and it…read morewas incredible. Super family friendly and the free marshmallow toasting was the perfect way to end the evening! Thank you to the people running the show it was super smooth and so much to do! The petting zoo was a cute touch and great for my little who couldn't do the bounce houses yet :)

Is this place a bargain-- no. Is this place pretty awesome if your child loves dinosaurs-- yes!…read moreThis spot is about an hour away from me, but it's worth the drive to spend an afternoon here. I thought all the dinosaurs were super impressive and love how they setup the whole walking trail. There is a ton of shade, so even if you go when it's super hot you'll be fine! I appreciate all the ferns that they planted around, makes it feel "authentic" with all the dinos. For my dino obsessed five year old he loved seeing all the variety of dinosaurs and even some more obscure ones that he knew and you never see at spots like this. They did a great job of putting some dinosaurs into "scenes" and simply showcasing others with facts and more info. My son isn't into splash pads, but that splash pad looked like a ton of fun. The climbing area was also huge and looked like fun. My five year old stuck to walking around and going through the maze 15 times. The maze is simple, but fun and a nice addition to the park. What I like about this park is it's great for kids of all ages! Probably from at least 3-10 and even older if your child is super into dinosaurs or you are an adult who loves dinos!

"When she's walking by the river and the railway line She…read morecan still hear him whisper Let's go down to the waterline" (Dire Straits) Fort Saybrook Monument Park, mild January weather, and the adjacent waterfront combined to give us a wonderful time in Old Saybrook. The Park has a boardwalk and quite a few historical displays on the development, early industry and railroad heritage of the Saybrook Colony. You'll see some displays dedicated to Dutch explorer Adrian Block, one of the earliest European visitors to the area. Another display covers the Peqot War of 1636-38 when colonists from the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook colonies and allies from the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes joined forces to rout the Pequot tribe. As you head to the waterfront, there's a concrete path that takes you toward the marina and gorgeous Saybrook Point Resort. Check out the hand carved railroad tie poles along the marina! Walk in the other direction and you'll see a miniature golf course and a wood landing with some great photo opportunities to see some seagulls up close and personal, but be careful of the wood platform because some of the boards are missing and others are in disrepair and a state of failure. A boardwalk takes you over some marshland for nice photo opportunities and you can read about the fish and wildlife in the marsh. All in all, the Park and waterfront gave us a very enjoyable few hours to meander around, learn a few things, and enjoy the scenery.

Great park in Old Saybrook! Stopped by for a quick walk in the park with a friend and her baby. We…read moreloved the shady wooden pathway that looked over the marsh. We also loved the benches that overlook the water! My only complaint is I wish it were cleaner - lots of scattered trash all around, bummer!

Gillette Castle is a historic home and museum that was built in East Haddam, Connecticut in 1919…read more It was the home of the late American stage actor and playwright William Gillette. He is most well-known for portraying the famous literary character Sherlock Holmes: a role he assumed more than 1,300 times on stage, once in a silent film, and twice on the radio. Gillette's use of the deerstalker cap and calabash pipe became enduring symbols of the character. He had planned to build a retirement home in Long Island, but changed his mind when he saw the Seven Sisters cliffs while traversing the Connecticut River in his houseboat, Aunt Polly. He chose this location for his "castle", which he designed himself and dubbed "Seventh Sister". Taking nearly five years to complete, the 14,000-sq-ft castle featured a 3-story-plus-tower and 24 rooms. Gillette also built a 3-mile-long narrow gauge railroad around the property, which he was particularly fond of. Notable celebrities of the early 20th century visited the home, including Albert Einstein, Helen Hayes, and Charlie Chaplin. Gillette passed away in 1937 at the age of 83. The State of Connecticut purchased the property in 1943 and dubbed it "Gillette Castle". Today the residence and surrounding park receive 350,000 visitors annually. Every holiday season, the Friends of Gillette Castle volunteer organization decorate the castle and the grounds with festive Christmas decorations. Visitors can tour the massive home in all of its holiday splendor. My family and I loved exploring the interior of the castle. The gorgeous rooms are even more beautiful with all of the Christmas trees, wreaths, ornaments, nutcrackers and other various holiday accents. Of course, there were quite a few Sherlock Holmes artifacts scattered around as well. Mrs. Claus was also in attendance distributing cups of hot apple cider to visitors. We also really liked seeing the miniature locomotives at the Visitors' Center: some of the only remaining relics of Mr. Gillette's cherished miniature railroad.

Beautiful drive here this morning from Hartford to East Haddam, CT. It's late in the autumnal…read moreseason but still plenty of fall foliage in yellows oranges and reds to admire. We unfortunately could not visit the visitor's center or the inside of the castle because they are closed after early October for redecorating the interior for the winter holiday season. We explored the grounds along two nicely up-kept trails down to the Connecticut River's edge, with more deciduous trees as well as evergreens giving beautiful shade. It must be gorgeous when it snows here. If you're visiting there are several pretty areas with benches, perfect for a picnic.

A pop up shower shortened my visit, but otherwise it was an enjoyable experience. Some nice views,…read morealthough parking can be a little difficult. Overall a nice way to spend some time during the summer.

I really loved going for a walk on the Niantic Bay Boardwalk on a very warm November afternoon last…read moreweek. This boardwalk has access to the beach, where the sand is soft and beach is very clean. There are no dogs allowed at any time, not even currently when it's off season. This is unfortunate as my dog would love to go for a walk here, he loves people, and I'm sure they would all be happy to greet him. If you're counting your steps, this is the place to get them without much effort. I made 8000 steps according to my fitbit, and it wasnt even the whole boardwalk. It would also be a nice place for a bike ride, but they don't allow those either. There are plenty of benches if you need to sit for a bit. The dedication plaques with very sweet words add a special touch to this beautiful boardwalk.