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Part-Time Nutmegger: Seawolf in CT 2006

seawolf17 Oct 02 2006 05:39 PM

A few quick thoughts, now that I'm into week three of travel season through CT: * Why has the Duchess chain not expanded to Long Island? The place is unreal. I can't drive by without stopping. * Ralph Caponera, candidate for State Senate in the 9th District, either has an enormous number of supporters or has an enormous sign budget. I must have seen several hundred signs today. * Great sign outside a one-way exit to a church parking lot in Middletown: "THOU SHALT NOT ENTER." * Is there a radio station in the Hartford area that will give regular morning and afternoon traffic updates, a la 1010 WINS or CBS? I'd love that some days, especially on days like today when I'm racing to catch a ferry and guessed wrong (took 91 to 95, where there was traffic, instead of the Merritt). * Speaking of the PJ Ferry, I hate being on the bottom level. Gotta be on top, or pulled all the way through to the front. Love those trips. * Why don't they give you a newspaper when you stay in a hotel over the weekend? I know USA Today doesn't publish on weekends, but would it kill 'em to have a Hartford Courier or a New Haven Whatever available over the weekend?

sharpie Oct 02 2006 06:11 PM

Totally agree about the hotel newspaper thing. I was in Asheville, NC this weekend and hadda drive to find the crappy local paper so I can read up on the Mets which defeats the purpose of the crappy continental breakfast.

MFS62 Oct 03 2006 09:22 AM

* Why has the Duchess chain not expanded to Long Island? The place is unreal. I can't drive by without stopping. I told ya'. Did you try the chili dogs like I suggested? * Is there a radio station in the Hartford area that will give regular morning and afternoon traffic updates, a la 1010 WINS or CBS? Yes, WTIC I think its 1080 on your AM dial.(Ask at the hotel for the correct frequency) 107.9 FM gives traffic, too, but they are in lower CT and I'm not sure if they give full coverage to the Hartford area. Later

seawolf17 Oct 03 2006 04:18 PM

Thanks 62. I'll punch 'em both up this evening on my way to West Haven, see how it goes. * Visited the belly of the beast today, heading into UConn's backyard to visit EO Smith HS. I think I've decided my mission is going to be to break UConn's strangehold on the high school students of CT. * Saw an SUV with a "CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE" license plate today... with the driver talking on his cell phone. Isn't that illegal, Legislator? * Props to [url=http://www.kurumi.com/roads/index.html]Kurumi's House of Roadsdom[/url], which is a zany site dedicated to all things traffic. He has a really nice overview of the traffic landscape of Connecticut, which I always think of when I see the "Route A" sign south of Hartford.

cooby Oct 03 2006 04:19 PM

Go to Dinosaur Park!

Methead Oct 03 2006 06:02 PM

I don't get the whole Duchess thing. I guess I haven't lived in CT long enough. No way can I eat a Duchess hot dog when Super Duper Weenie is close by. As for CT roads, according to my grandfather, an ancestor of mine designed the Merritt Parkway landscaping. I forget the connection, I think it was his uncle or something.

seawolf17 Oct 06 2006 11:41 AM

Actual street name in Killingworth, CT: Roast Meat Hill Road. Eew.

MFS62 Oct 06 2006 12:16 PM

Methead wrote: As for CT roads, according to my grandfather, an ancestor of mine designed the Merritt Parkway landscaping. I forget the connection, I think it was his uncle or something. They'll never going to be able to widen the Merritt Parkway. And if there's any road that needs widening (if you don't believe me, just drive on it in rush hour) its the Merritt Parkway. (It is the northern extension of the Hutchinson River Parkway. On order to do that they would have to alter or replace the overpasses that support crossing roads. And each of them is different. They were designed by a group of Yale architecture students and since then have all been declared National Historical sites. Later

Willets Point Oct 06 2006 12:35 PM

Widening the Merrit would defeat it's purpose as a scenic parkway.

seawolf17 Oct 11 2006 03:00 PM

Something hippy-trippy going on in the Buckland Hills Mall area earlier this week. I saw a truck with a "DMB" license plate, then not fifteen seconds later, saw a car with a "B FLECK" plate.

Yancy Street Gang Oct 11 2006 03:11 PM

MFS62 wrote: They'll never going to be able to widen the Merritt Parkway. And if there's any road that needs widening (if you don't believe me, just drive on it in rush hour) its the Merritt Parkway. (It is the northern extension of the Hutchinson River Parkway. On order to do that they would have to alter or replace the overpasses that support crossing roads. And each of them is different. They were designed by a group of Yale architecture students and since then have all been declared National Historical sites. That was exactly the state of the Northern State Parkway on Long Island. Designed by Robert Moses, it had cute little unique bridges and large grassy areas between the eastbound and the westbound traffic. But it just wasn't getting the job done anymore, and many of those little bridges have been removed and replaced with more modern overpasses. It must have cost a fortune, but they went ahead and did it. ="Willets Point"]Widening the Merrit would defeat it's purpose as a scenic parkway. The Northern State isn't nearly as scenic as it used to be. It's just a regular highway like many others. People no longer take Sunday drives through the country. And when they do, they don't do it on the crowded highways. There's more of a need to move traffic efficiently than there is to provide scenery.

seawolf17 Nov 07 2006 11:48 AM

Why is there a Connecticut Welcome Center on I-95 in the Old Saybrook area? You're two-thirds of the way through the state. It's too late, folks. We're already thinking about Rhode Island. Or Mohegan Sun. Why is it that every time there's some dickhead tailgating you, and you move over and let them pass, they have a MFY logo sticker on their back window? I was heading down Black Rock Turnpike yesterday from Weston, thinking about Super Duper Weenie, when I passed Ole Mole, which is a great little Mexican place. I pulled into the lot, but whaddyknow? They're closed on Mondays. Good thing Super Duper Weenie is open all the time. Drove past [url=http://www.billmillerscastle.com/]Bill Miller's Castle[/url] in Branford yesterday also... what a neat place! Don't know what it's like inside, but the outside looks neat. On the STOP sign outside St Joseph HS in Trumbull, someone put letter stickers that say "HAMMER TIME" underneath.

Edgy DC Nov 07 2006 11:51 AM

Must. Have. Photo.

ScarletKnight41 Nov 07 2006 11:56 AM

seawolf17 wrote: Why is it that every time there's some dickhead tailgating you, and you move over and let them pass, they have a MFY logo sticker on their back window? That's just how they are. But you already know that, don't you?

RealityChuck Nov 07 2006 12:00 PM

seawolf17 wrote: * Saw an SUV with a "CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE" license plate today... with the driver talking on his cell phone. Isn't that illegal, Legislator? Not in Connecticut. Your New York roots are showing. :)

seawolf17 Nov 07 2006 12:32 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Must. Have. Photo. Next year, I'm taking my camera with me on the road. There are too many bizarre things that you see driving around.

soupcan Nov 07 2006 12:53 PM

RealityChuck wrote: ="seawolf17"]* Saw an SUV with a "CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE" license plate today... with the driver talking on his cell phone. Isn't that illegal, Legislator? Not in Connecticut. Your New York roots are showing. :) I'm pretty sure it is illegal. I know at least two people in my town that have been ticketed on more than one occasion for talkin' whilst drivin'.

Methead Nov 07 2006 01:17 PM

Ole Mole is a great place... right down the street from me, more or less. Get the San Miguel quesadilla. I like La Salsa too... their fish burrito is insane.

seawolf17 Nov 07 2006 02:09 PM

I've been to Ole Mole a few times; found it in the Zagat book, I think. I pulled into the lot, got out of the car, and walked into the falafel place next door by mistake. I looked around for a second, thought "Wow, this place has changed a lot in a few months," then realized my mistake. I was disappointed that Ole Mole was closed, but somehow, Super Duper Weenie always makes you feel better.

Iubitul Nov 07 2006 07:45 PM

RealityChuck wrote: ="seawolf17"]* Saw an SUV with a "CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE" license plate today... with the driver talking on his cell phone. Isn't that illegal, Legislator? Not in Connecticut. Your New York roots are showing. :) Yes, it is illegal.

Willets Point Nov 08 2006 03:47 PM

Have you ever passed Motel Hi-Ho on the Merritt? That one always makes me laugh. I have a photo somewhere.

Rockin' Doc Nov 08 2006 06:23 PM

What is it, some kind of miniature motel for dwarfs?

Iubitul Nov 08 2006 07:17 PM

Willets Point wrote: Have you ever passed Motel Hi-Ho on the Merritt? That one always makes me laugh. I have a photo somewhere. All the time - On the Merritt, it's a couple of exits past my company's Trumbull office going towards NY.

seawolf17 Nov 08 2006 07:49 PM

Saw it the other day. There really are some strange things in CT -- not the least of which is the bizarro "E.T." seat belt reminder sign.

SteveJRogers Nov 08 2006 08:12 PM

Hi-Ho is on the exit I took to get off for Fairfield University! Just get off and onto Black Rock Turnpike. Yeah I snickered every time I passed. Probably a No-Tell Motel, hence the name

SteveJRogers Nov 08 2006 08:16 PM

Heh, just checked the Yahoo travel site and its completely trashed! Sounds like something out of The Great Muppet Caper's "Happiness Hotel!" Pops: Oh there's no fire in the fireplace there's no carpet on the floor Don't try to order dinner, there's no kitchen anymore But if the road's been kind of bumpy and you need to rest a spell All: Well, welcome home, to Happiness Hotel....

Willets Point Dec 13 2006 12:15 PM

We are New Yorkers by day, Nutmeggers by night Knowing its so wrong, but feeling so right.

soupcan Dec 13 2006 12:41 PM

Make fun o' the Hi-Ho all you want but there was (still is?) an awesome Barazilian Barbeque restaurant in it.

seawolf17 Dec 13 2006 01:01 PM

I've been away from CT too long; I miss Super Duper Weenie. But I did recently discover that Walter's is still around, in Mamaroneck, NY. (There used to be one in Commack that we went to all the time in high school.)

soupcan Dec 13 2006 02:17 PM

The wings at Archie Moore's in Fairfield are worth a stop-in.

MFS62 Dec 13 2006 09:22 PM

Almost forgot this thread. The Hi-Ho story. There was a big construction magnate in CT named Dadario. At one time he owned the Bridgeport Jets of a minor football league, and it became a developmental team for Jets players who weren't good enough for the roster. Folks started saying "Hi-ho Dadario" when his trucks passed by. The name stuck. And he liked it. So, when he decided to open up a motel, he named it Hi-Ho. I heard this from a one-time co-worker who used to play for that football team. Later

SteveJRogers Dec 13 2006 10:34 PM

soupcan wrote: The wings at Archie Moore's in Fairfield are worth a stop-in. Just a little down the road on Route 1, great little pizza place called Mike's Pizza as well. While you are in Fairfield, go over to the Fairfield University campus, right on the other side of Alumni Hall when you go through the main entrance, it's tucked away in the corner, but it's a nice establishment called "The Levee" I do believe I was the Norm Peterson of that place during my time, even before they could serve me beers!

Willets Point Jan 17 2007 02:01 PM

Bump for the Constitution State.

seawolf17 Jan 17 2007 08:41 PM

I'll be starting travels again in CT next month some time. Spring's not as crazy as the fall with high school visits, though. I will say this: there seem to be a startling number of highly-recommended hot dog joints in the state of CT. I've been swinging through chowhound.com (HIGHLY recommended if you're looking for restaurant recommendations), because we've been researching places to host some events, and it seems like there are a half-dozen CT hot dog threads.