Community Corner

Daytrips from Meriden: Hammo, R.J. Julia & the Madison Beach Hotel In Madison

Sounds like writer Amy Thomas loves our little quiet corner of the Connecticut coast. And what's not to love?

Amy Thomas, a writer for The New York Times Travel section, is having a renewed love affair with her home state of Connecticut.

And several businesses in Madison, Guilford, East Lyme, Stonington, and New Haven could stand to benefit.

After pointing out several great stops in New Haven, including the truly fabulous Claire's Corner Copia, Thomas goes on to talk about her favorite stretch, from Guilford to Old Saybrook.

Find out what's happening in Meridenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The stretch along Route 1 from Guilford to Old Saybrook is one of my favorites. Roll down the window, get a whiff of salty air and feel your tires ripple over the steel drawbridges that cross the inlets and marshlands. Canoes flit along tributaries, and cruisers and sailboats decorate the Sound. You may want to hit the state’s largest public beach, at Hammonasset State Park.

R. J. Julia in Madison, the Florence Griswold Museum in Lyme, the Hallmark Drive-in in Old Lyme, Abbott's Lobster in the Rough in Noank, The Place in Guilford, and Madison Beach Hotel in Madison are singled out for specific praise.

Find out what's happening in Meridenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Read the whole article on The New York Times. Madison is also singled out for praise by Yankee Magazine as one of the Best Beach Towns in New England.

Articles like this are a nice reminder, as if we needed one, that we're very lucky to live here. And if you're worried about the influx of New Yorkers and New Englanders that might ensue as a result of the articles, worry not. Think of it this way, their patronage will help our stores, restaurants, and hotels thrive during the summer. If you need to get away, maybe try Providence. At some point the summer will end, they'll all go home, and we'll have our fabulous towns to ourselves again.


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