Day-tripping
This month, we make our way through the charms of Lyme and Old Lyme
This month we make our way through the charms of Lyme and
Old Lyme
Lyme and Old Lyme, neighboring towns on the east side of the Connecticut River, were once a single town that separated from Saybrook in 1665. This municipality split apart again in 1855, when the southern half of Lyme became Old Lyme, and although they remain connected in some ways, each has its own character and holds a distinct appeal for travelers.
Old Lyme, with a population of about 7,600 people, is both a river town and a coastal town, with a string of small beaches on Long Island Sound. It has a walkable historic main street with a choice of shops and restaurants, and more than its share of artistic and cultural institutions. Lyme, home to about 2,300 people, is more agricultural and less developed, made up of villages and historic districts seemingly spared the passage of time.
Both towns evoke a certain nostalgia: Old Lyme for the days of artists’ salons and small-town simplicity, and Lyme for a former era when the Connecticut River bustled with shipping activity and small farms dominated the countryside. Together, they make up a perfectly balanced day trip that combines some of the best of what eastern Connecticut has to offer.
Old Lyme
Many people who have never set foot in Old Lyme are nevertheless familiar with its towering white church spire, its flowering fields, and its lazy river flowing between green banks. That’s because beginning in 1899, noted artists began to congregate at the home of Florence Griswold and to paint the beauty surrounding them. Miss Florence, as she was known, had begun taking in boarders when her wealthy family fell on hard times. Her house became the nexus of the Old Lyme Art Colony, hosting such American Impressionist stars as Henry Ward Ranger and Childe
Hassam. The Colony flourished for over 30 years, and more than 200 artists passed through the doors of what is now the Florence Griswold Museum.
Art infuses the town to this day, but Old Lyme isn’t all about museums. It also has miles of coastline, unspoiled historic buildings, and one of the prettiest downtowns in Connecticut.
To get a sense of all of it, get outside early before the crowds arrive. If you’re hungry, stop at Coffee’s Country Market (169 Boston Post Road) for some breakfast to take with you. Then swing by Sound View Beach (Hartford Avenue.) It’s small, and wedged between private beaches, but it provides more than enough room to breathe some fresh salty air and listen to the waves. It’s also fun to stroll along the short stretch of Hartford Avenue leading to the shore and take in the classic beachy atmosphere. If you come during the offseason, you might prefer White Sands Beach (Seaside Lane), Old Lyme’s pretty town beach, which requires a town parking pass in the summer.
A less popular but arguably more interesting spot along the water is Ferry Landing State Park. (Park at the DEEP Marine Headquarters, 333 Ferry Road.) Take a short stroll along the wooden fishing pier that extends over the Connecticut River and under an old railroad bridge, terminating at a raised viewing platform that’s an ideal spot to sit still and watch the world go by. There’s also a small grassy park and picnic area here.
Then, drive into town to see the Old Lyme the artists saw - and the art they created. Walk along Lyme Street and peruse antique stores and galleries, like the Cooley Gallery, housed in an old general store building (25 Lyme St.), which specializes in 19th and 20th century American art. The Old Lyme Historical Society offers a self-guided walking tour of Lyme Street (oldlymehistoricalsociety.org/walking-tour), but you can easily appreciate the area without guidance. It’s impossible to miss the venerable homes and buildings lining Lyme Street and its residential cross-streets, from the oftpainted First Congregational Church of Old Lyme (Lyme Street and Ferry Road), to the two historic inns, to the many attractive houses and commercial buildings constructed mostly between the 18th and early 20th centuries.
The most natural place to view some of the paintings inspired by Old Lyme is the Florence Griswold Museum (96 Lyme St.) The museum collections include American art from the 18th cen-
tury to the present day, with a local focus. The house, too, is a canvas, with numerous panels and doors covered in scenes painted by Colony artists. But you don’t even need to enter the museum buildings to take advantage of the trails that wind through the famously picturesque grounds. The museum has its own restaurant, Café Flo, with outdoor seating beside the Lieutenant River, and there’s a variety of other eateries nearby - many located along Lyme Street - if you’re looking for more choices.
And of course, there are more art museums. The Lyme Art Association (90 Lyme St.) grew out of exhibits held by the artists of the Old Lyme Art Colony, which proved so popular that by 1913, the artists had begun to plan for their own gallery, completed in 1921. Today, the bright and open gallery hosts juried exhibitions of representational art by local artists (and offers works for sale.) The Lyme Academy of Fine Arts (84 Lyme St.), a prestigious art school, hosts exhibitions of students’ and other local artists’ work in their two galleries. Studio 80+ (80-1 Lyme St.) has a free, outdoor gallery, called the Sculpture Grounds, where you can wander among more than 100 works of large-scale contemporary art arranged on 4.5 acres.
When you’re ready to move on, travel north on Route 156 to take a relaxing country drive through Lyme.
Lyme
While Old Lyme has long attracted city dwellers in search of small-town New England at its most picturesque, Lyme, just to the north, has remained virtually untouched by tourism. Though the lure of this rural town might be less obvious at first glance (except when the annual Hamburg Fair is on) there’s no less to see here if you take the time to seek it out. And if you enjoy driving along winding roads, discovering historic villages, and slowing down to appreciate naturally beautiful settings that haven’t changed much since the 17th century, you’ll find a trip to Lyme especially rewarding.
Follow Route 156 (also called Hamburg Road here) north towards the village of Hamburg. First, take a quick detour onto Elys Ferry Road. Follow the road to its end for a particularly serene Connecticut River vista. You can also make this detour a bit longer with a stop
at Sunset Hill Vineyard (5 Elys Ferry Road), a casual winery in a bucolic setting.
Then take Cove Road, which runs beside the placid waters of Hamburg Cove, back to Route 156 and the center of Hamburg. Here, you’ll pass the Lyme Public Hall and Local History Archives, built in 1887 (249 Hamburg Road); the H.L. Reynolds Co. General Store, established in 1859 (254 Hamburg Road); the rambling Lyme Grange Hall (Hamburg Road and Sterling City Road); and the 1814 First Congregational Church of Lyme, built high on a hill (1 Sterling City Road.)
Continue on Route 156 until you reach Old Hamburg Road, which leads to the Hamburg Bridge Historic District. At the intersection of Old Hamburg and Joshuatown roads, an arched bridge spans the Eight Mile River. It was built in 1936, but there has been a crossing here since 1759, when this was a busy commercial area. The remains of wharfs that once lined the river, along with the early 19th century homes facing the water on both banks, make up this small but idyllic district.
The visual appeal continues on Joshuatown Road, which twists and turns up and down the hills leading to Hadlyme. At the intersection with Ferry Road (Route 148), you’ll see the charming Hadlyme Public Hall (63 Ferry Road), built in 1911. If you want to pick up something to eat, turn right on Ferry Road to get to the sweetly old-fashioned Hadlyme Country Market; or turn left and follow Ferry Road along the riverbank past historic sites like the small Cove Cemetery. The road runs out at the Hadlyme Ferry Historic District, which consists of a cluster of Colonial and Federal
houses, a c. 1780 ferry house (or toll house for the ferry master), and ferry slip on the Connecticut River.
Another section of Lyme that’s worth a stop if you have more time is North Lyme. For a quick look at some scenic spots and historic properties, follow the loop created by Hamburg Road, past Lyme Town Hall (480 Hamburg Road); Mt. Archer Road; and MacIntosh Road. The area around Bill Hill Road and Town Woods Road, dotted with small farms and vintage homes, is equally pleasing, as is the sparsely populated northeast corner of town, where Grassy Hill Road runs into Gungy Road as it cuts through the woods. Look out for postcard-perfect rural scenes, like the Grassy Hill Congregational Church (371 Grassy Hill Road.)
As you drive around town, you’ll spot various trails and nature preserves owned by the Lyme Land Trust; these vary in size, but nearly all have trails that allow visitors to experience the town’s natural areas, some of which link up to larger trail systems.
If you’re looking for a larger picnic area, try the picnic area at Uncas Pond in Nehantic State Forest (enter from Keeny Road off Hamburg Road.) It’s a peaceful place to stop for a snack or a rest amidst the trees before wrapping up your trip and heading home.