Last week’s poll: Which clam chowder do you prefer?
Readers have spoken! New England’s creamy clam chowder was the clear favorite, earning 65% of the vote. Rhode Island’s clear chowder finished second with 30%, while Manhattan’s tomato-based version received 5% of the votes.
Ask a dozen people what they think is the best beach in the area and you’re likely to get 12 different answers. Ask why, and you’ll discover some folks want rolling waves and a bustling boardwalk. Others dream of calm water or finding a quiet spot to spread their towel. Some beaches become part of a family’s summer tradition passed down through generations.
The good news is that we don’t have to venture too far to discover some of New England’s greatest shoreline treasures.
What makes each beach special?
Misquamicut State Beach has hosted summer vacationers for more than 100 years and continues to be one of New England’s busiest ocean beaches. Named after the Narragansett word for “red fish” or “place of the red fish,” today’s beachfront features one of Rhode Island’s longest stretches of sandy shoreline, along with plenty of restaurants, shops and classic beach-town atmosphere.
Ocean Beach Park in New London has been fostering family memories since the late 1940s. Just like Misquamicut, it offers beautiful sandy coastline, but it’s also one of the only beaches in our region where you can swim in the ocean and a freshwater swimming pool all in the same park. Add a boardwalk, mini golf, amusement rides and some of Connecticut’s most iconic beaches and it’s no wonder why so many families visit year after year.
Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme offers beautiful beaches as well, but with a completely different feel. Along with its sandy coastline, the park boasts a picturesque salt marsh visited by dozens of species of birds. It’s one of our favorite bird watching spots along the shoreline and attracts nature lovers and beach goers alike. It’s also one of the few places along the Connecticut shoreline where you can spend the morning playing around in the waves and the afternoon hiking wooded trails and paddling through a tidal marsh.
Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison is quite different from Rocky Neck, but another favorite among shoreline visitors. At more than two miles long, Hammonasset Beach is Connecticut’s largest shoreline state park and sees well over a million visitors every year. Just like Rocky Neck, it features lots of sandy shoreline, and its name is derived from the Algonquian name for the Hammonasset people that once lived in the area: “where we dig holes in the ground.” Translation: It’s a great place to spend your summer digging your toes in the sand and soaking up some sun.
Now we know we can’t list everyone’s favorites, but whether your dream beach is above or hidden somewhere else along our beautiful shoreline, we want to hear about it.
