July 19-20, Chester, CT

We cruise up the Connecticut River about 6 miles to the Chester, Deep River and East Haddam areas and are staying at the Brewer Deep River Marina about a mile from the town of Deep River. Doris made the trip upriver on the boat while Rick Spears brought the car up from Old Lyme so we would have transportation to explore this pretty area. Nice to have a car for a few days. The Connecticut River seems much more rural than we expected.



There are large stretches of undeveloped shoreline and some smaller stretches of beautiful homes. The stretches of undeveloped shoreline are very pretty with rolling hills going right down to the water. Many large granite outcroppings are visible. Our Internet access at the Deep River Marina is spotty or non-existent and so we decide that without mobile Internet we rate this REALLY RURAL compared to the other places we have been.


We arrive at our marina and decide with the weather forecasting a storm by nightfall, we should do what we can before the storm. We tour the Gillette Castle in E. Haddam.




It was designed and built in the early 1900's by William Gillette, a famous actor who played the part of Sherlock Holmes to audiences all over the world. His idea was to make this appear as a castle ruin on a hill (as travellers have seen on the Rhine River in Germany; this castle ruin is on the hilly Connecticut River on a bluff and does remind travellers of the sights on the Rhine) and then make it completely modern inside with electricity, central heating and modern plumbing with full baths in each bedroom. We think he did what he intended. It was well worth seeing and were impressed with his theatrical touches. He used one set of mirrors to see when his guests were coming into the living room so he could make his "entrance" at the right time. He used another set of mirrors to watch his guests try to open the "trick" bar to get their second cocktail. He would fix his guests a drink, then close the bar and secretly lock it, excuse himself telling his guests to help themselves to another drink when they were ready and that he would be back soon, and then retire to watch from his hidden balcony using the appropriately placed mirrors. Albert Einstein and Samuel Clements were among his guests here. I wonder how they took the joke. The castle is now owned by the State and has been restored. Beautiful inside with all wood floors and ceilings and wood and sisal type matting on the walls.

Next, we take the car and tour Chester and Deep River. Favorite spots today are restaurant for lunch in Chester (lobster rolls were great) and the lush green countryside as we drive around. We stop in Deep River and a new friend recommends a dinner restaurant "Sage". He tells us that it is housed in an old factory (they made brushes in 1800's) that was built next to a waterfall so they could use the water for power. We go (it is raining hard now) and find a very nice setting and have a great dinner at "Sage" up the hill in Chester.


Next day we take a KOKOMO II on a scenic tour of the river and go up to E. Haddam (past the Gillette Castle on the hill) to see the Goodspeed Theater from the water and then cruise back to the marina. Beautiful River.





In the afternoon we head to Essex again and take the steam train ride (about 6 miles up and 6 back) in a RR car without windows. Dinner is at the Gelsten House Hotel in E Haddam next to the Goodspeed Theater and then to the theater for "High Button Shoes" a 1947 slapstick musical set in the 1920's. Several of the actors/actresses had starred on Broadway in productions of "Cats" and "Chorus Line" and were doing this production to keep busy. Cast was large and very strong. We were well entertained. Back to the boat for the last of the ice cream.