New England trip

I'm thinking of taking a trip to Vermont in November before Thanksgiving. I've never been to Vermont, and my grandson lives there now. My daughter (his mother) doesn't think it will be convenient, and my husband isn't that thrilled by the idea, but I think my daughter has the wrong idea about the trip - thinking it would be like my mother's trip when she visited and stayed a month.

I'd like to work some lighthousing into the trip and revisit places we've lived or have a connection with. This is a tenative route and maybe you can tell me if there are other lighthouses that should be included.

Starting in Leonardtown Maryland where we live, I want to drive up to Milbourne right outside Philadelphia where my grandparents used to live, and I thought we might swing by Marcus Hook Rear Range light in Delaware on the way, and then go to see Turtle Rock on the way to visit my grandparents' graves in Abington, and possibly stay on the Navy base in Willow Grove

The next day go up via the Tappen Zee Bridge and visit Sleepy Hollow and spend the night in Hartford where my granddaughter and her husband live.

The following day we would drive up to Brandon Vermont where my grandson lives - I think we can get a condo up there for a week and tour around that area.

Then on the way back we would go through Sunapee down to Hanscom AFB - we lived for a summer in Lexington MA and we've never been back.

The next day I would go to Woods Hole where we used to spend every summer and see Nobska light and then across to Newport RI, and pass by the house where we used to live in Green RI. We would cross into CT and in New London take the ferry to Long Island. (I've never been to Long Island)

I thought we might see Fire Island while we were driving south on Long Island and then we would pass into NJ and go to my sister's house in Princeton.

From Princeton, we'd go back home.

What really good lighthouses am I missing that I can do without digressing too far.

Rosalie, if you are going to Long Island, you really shouldn't miss Montauk. Someone once said that if you only see one lighthouse in the US it should be Montauk. Of course if you have a day to spend there are a lot more. The township with the most lighthouses in the US is there. I am partial to Cedar Island if you have an hour or so to walk out the beach and back. Bob Scroope's directions for seeing lighthouses in Suffolk county are here. Directions

Two reasons to go to Montauk..

If you go to Fire Island and Montauk on the same day you only have to pay to park once.

You won't be paying to park in November. Check the websites for lighthouse hours so you're not disappointed. FI and M are two outstanding lhs, climbs and visits. Top ten in USA.

Thanks for the tip on Montauk. There were so many lighthouses on the map along the coast of Long Island that I just picked one almost at random - Fire Island was a place I'd heard of.

I wasn't thinking of climbing any of the lighthouses. Two reasons - a bout of bronchitis has reactivated my asthma and I only have about 85% lung function and I've had bad knees since 1969 when I wasn't obese. I've climbed Key West because I wanted to see if I could see the fort from there (and I couldn't - the pictures I saw that were taken from there must have had trees grow up that concealed it), and the one on Key Biscayne, but that's pretty short. When I got to the top of the Key West one there was a physician who arrived there after me and he looked quite concerned at my general appearance. And that was 3 or 4 years ago.

Montauk, you would climb on your own but FireIsland, you go up with a docent who stops at every other level and gives you a narrative(so you can catch your breath). They make it an easy climb even though it is a tall tower. The view from the top will give you a view all the way to NYC. You use to see the Twin Towers before 911.

Rosalie, they are both worth seeing even if you don't climb them. We have been to Fire Island twice now and not gotten to climb it. The first time it was closed down due to a storm and the second a group of school kids had it for the next 3 hours. By begging we managed to get into the bottom of the tower. Our second visit to Montauk we didn't even go up the hill to the station, but the views from the beaches and gift shop area were fantastic.

Rosalie:

Are you sure you want to go to Vermont in November? It snows there y'know.

Ellie

Most of the family will come down here the third weekend in October for the Oyster Festival. My grandson can't get leave in October because that is his busy season. So we can't leave until the last week in October at the earliest.

We used to live in western RI so I do know about the weather.

A good way to see the LI lights is to do the Long Island Lighthouse Challenge, as I recall, the first week-end in May???

Ellie

Usually by May we are looking to put the boat in the water and I'm leaving on a grandchild trip. I don't think I'm doing that this year (the next grandchild will only be 11 and I think 12 is about the minimum age). Also Bob isn't that enthusiastic, so maybe I will do this in the spring instead. But I don't think I'm up for any kind of challenge.