I finally did it! I finally saw where Debra grew up.
Debra and I went to Connecticut this past Sunday so I could see her old stomping grounds now that we’ve moved back to the East Coast. We took a beautiful drive up I-95 from New York City to Ledyard, CT. The fall colors are in full swing and there was one picturesque bridge in particular that we went over and saw a riverbank filled with the most beautiful reds, oranges and yellows.
Ledyard and Gales Ferry were really out there in the middle of nowhere. We decided it was a bit like Eaton Rapids in that regard—right down to the 20-30 minutes you had to drive to get to a decent place to buy clothes. 
It was fun driving through her childhood with her. She showed me everything. From her house on Robin Hood Drive (located right off Friar Tuck Lane in Sherwood Forest, of course) where she lived until she was in 2nd or 3rd grade (where she met one of her bridesmaids, Tara, at the ripe old age of 3 on the HUGE hill between their houses) to her high school (which has replaced a big field in the front with a big addition, more parking and several new tennis courts) to her house on Seabury Avenue (which has been denuded of trees by recent residents, though it does have a nice Madonna in the front lawn now). Deb has some pictures she’ll post for her family and friends who knew what those places looked like “back then”…
After we toured her hometowns, we went to Mystic. We drove by the Mystic Pizza of movie fame but didn’t stop. We had much more touristy stuff to do—like check out Old Mistick Village where we did a little bit of shopping. You can never have too many tchotchkes from tourist traps! Probably my favorite part, though, was eating dinner at the restaurant where Debra used to be a busboy, the Seamen’s Inne. We had some of the best Lobster Bisque we’ve ever had.
The trip was a bit ambitious for one day with the drive to and from the area each taking 2 and half hours or more. Mom, if you thought Chicago and San Francisco driving was crazy—just wait to get out here! 
Wednesday | October 27, 2004 at 9:22 am
I’m a bit teary eyed at the moment and there aren’t even any pictures yet. For some reason Seamen’s Inne and the lobster bisque is what really did it. We had some really special times at the Seaport. Seafood in Iowa just can’t compare with seafood by the ocean.
Wednesday | October 27, 2004 at 11:07 am
Sometimes you have to stretch a day and take the ambitious trip. When we lived in Grand Rapids and I needed a lot of emotional refreshment, one day we went from there all the way up to the tip of the Mission Peninsula north of Traverse City, and back mostly in the dark. It was good, even without any personal-history connection.
So what you two did was even better, I think, stretching a day to connect with Debra’s “old stomping grounds”.
Does one ever really stomp in such places?
Wednesday | October 27, 2004 at 9:19 pm
They cut down the trees??? How can that be?? I must see some pictures of the way it is now!!!