Mid- June through early September, boats leave at noon and 2:30 pm daily on two-hour cruises ($10), at 5 and 6 pm on one-hour cruises ($6). ESSEX Essex, the chief town of the region, was established in 1635 and is now well endowed with lovely Federal-period houses that are the legacy of rum and tobacco fortunes made in the 19th century. Essex today has the genteel, aristocratic air of self-conscious historical beauty evident in other fine old New England towns. Everything from landscaping to street sign age is scripted to look good, and it does. Coming into the town center from Cf 9, you'll eventually find yourself on . The social centerpiece of Essex is the 1776 Griswold Inn a hostelry since the time of the Revolutionary War (see Places to Stay, below). 'The Gris, ' as the natives call it, is today both an inn and a restaurant, and its taproom is the obvious place to meet the town folk. Sunday morning 'Hunt Breakfasts' are a renowned tradition dating to the War of 1812, when British soldiers occupying Essex demanded to be fed well and in quantity.
Down past The Gris at the eastern end of is the riverfront and the Connecticut River Museum next to Steamboat Dock. Its exhibits recount the history of the area. Included among them is a replica of the world's first submarine, the Turtle, a wooden barrel-like vessel built here by Yale student David Bushnell in 1776. Admission costs $4 for adults.S'I for seniors, $2 for children six to 12; it's open 10 am to 5 pm (closed Monday). North of The Gris along Ferry St is the Essex marina, crowded with yachts both huge and sleek. You can lunch here (see the Places to Eat section). One of the most enjoyable activities here is the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Ride on the Valley Railroad on the west side of Cf 9 from the main part of Essex.
An authentic coal-fired steam engine powers the train, which rumbles slowly north to the town of Deep River. There passengers may connect with a riverboat for a cruise on the Connecticut up to the Good speed Opera House and Cf 82 swing bridge before heading back down to Deep River and returning to Essex via a train. The roundtrip train ride takes about an hour, covering about 12 miles; with the riverboat ride, the complete excursion takes 21h hours. Trains leave the Railroad Ave station five times daily in summer, six times on weekends. Fall foliage runs are usually scheduled as well. Combination tickets for the train and riverboat cruise are $15; $10 for the train ride alone.
Children pay half-price. IVORYTON A mile west of Essex, on the west side of Cf 9, is the sleepy town of Ivoryton. Named for the African elephant tusks imported during the 19th century by the ComstockCheney piano manufacturers for use in making piano keys, it is also the home of Witch Hazel, a traditional folk medicine. Today, the ivory industry is long gone, and most people visit relaxed, quiet Ivoryton to dine at the Copper Beech Inn (see Places to Stay, below). CHESTER Yet another lovely, slow old river town is Chester, cupped in the valley of Pattaconk Brook. A general store, post office, library and a few shops pretty much account for all the activity in town. Most visitors come either for fine dining (see Places to Eat) or to browse in the antique shops and boutiques on the town's charming reet. HADLYME From Chester, a small car ferry crosses the Connecticut River to Hadlyme.
The trip takes just five minutes; the ferry which carries just eight cars is the second-oldest in continuous operation in the state, operating daily from April through mid- December. Crossing eastbound, the ferry drops you at the foot of Gillette Castle in East Haddam. EAST HADDAM East Haddam is the only town in Connecticut to span the river. Looming on one of the Seven Sisters hills above the east-bank ferry dock is Gillette Castle East Haddam, a turreted, 24-room rivers tone mansion that is one of Connecticut's curiosities. Built between 1914 and 1919 by eccentric actor William Gillette, it was modeled on the medieval castles of Germany's Rhineland. Gillette made his name and his considerable fortune on stage in the role of Sherlock Holmes. He created the part himself, based on the famous mystery series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In a sense, he made his castle/home part of the Holmes role as well:
An upstairs room replicates Conan Doyle's description of the sitting room at 22IB Baker St, London. Following Gillette's death in 1937, his dream house and its surrounding 117 acres were designated a Connecticut state park. The castle is open IO am to 5 pm Friday to Sunday from late May to early September. Admission costs $4 for adults, $2 for children six to 11. North of Gillette Castle, on the east bank of the river just south of the Cf 82 swing bridge, stands the Good speed Opera House a Victorian music hall renowned as the only theater in the country dedicated to both the preservation of old and the development of new American musicals. The shows Man oj La Mancha and Annie premiered at the Good speed before going on to national fame. The six-story, Victorianstyle theater, built in 1876, enjoyed a huge reputation before the Great Depression.
It was saved from demolition in 1959 by a group of concerned citizens, then refurbished and reopened in 1963. Its schedule of performances runs Wednesday to Sunday from April through December. 388 Lower Connecticut River Valley State Parks & Forests Connecticut Coast New Haven 389 Also in East Haddam is the Nathan Hale School house on behind St Stephen's Church in the center of town. Hale taught in this one-room building from 1773 to 1774 when it was called the Union School. He was a peripatetic pedagogue, and numerous other one-room Connecticut schoolhouses hear his name, and corresponding museum status. Hale is famous for his patriotic statement, 'I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country, ' as he was about to be hanged for treason by the British without trial. Today it is a museum of Hale family memorabilia and local history. The museum is open 2 to 4 pm weekends and holidays in summer.
