SCENIC SUMMER TIME DRIVE #8: Connecticut/Merritt Parkway
The most suburban of our ten scenic summer drives, the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut provides a welcome alternative to I-95, where giant trucks bearing down on smaller vehicles and frequent traffic snarls can make summer time driving a miserable experience.
Stretching for only 37 miles, from Greenwich at the New York State border, through wealthy Fairfield County, to Milford, the Merritt Parkway is a delightful alternative for drivers en route to tour coastal New England.
Completed in 1940, the Merritt Parkway features a mature landscape adorned with stately elm and white pine trees and flourishing stands of rhododendrons. In each season -- summer time, when everything's in bloom; fall, with its resplendent foliage; winter, when a blanket of white descends; and spring, when tender green buds emerge -- the Merritt Parkway weaves a ribbon of beauty through southern Connecticut.
What makes the Merritt Parkway especially outstanding are the 68 original and charming bridges that traverse it.
Designed by architect George L. Dunkelberger, every overpass is different -- and it's great fun to be on the lookout and discern their different styles and sculptural elements.
Towns along the way include Stamford, home to an historical society and museum; commuter suburbs Darien and Westport; Norwalk, with its Maritime Center and Aquarium; Fairfield, which has Jennings Beach on the Long Island Sound; Bridgeport; and Stratford. Merritt Parkway terminates near Boothe Memorial Park and Museum in Milford. From there, one may continue a journey north to New England on Route 1 or I-95.
SCENIC SUMMER TIME DRIVE #9: Maine/Acadia Byway
Summer is prime time to tour Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor on Maine's rugged Mount Desert Island. Twining through the park, 40-mile-long Acadia Byway offers vistas of classic Maine: rocky shorelines and craggy mountains, pristine lakes and thick forests. Extensive hiking trails invite you to leave the car and explore the island on foot in summer.
Do start your exploration at the Visitor's Center at the beginning of the byway. There you can get hiking guides and other tourism materials. If you want to go whale-watching this summer, find information on ferry schedules and rates here.
Taking afternoon tea and popovers with strawberry jam at Jordan Pond House is a summer time tradition that dates back to the 19th century.
Served outdoors on the lawn, Jordan Pond's tea time ritual takes place in a gracious setting overlooking water and mountains -- and it's especially romantic.
Don't miss Bar Harbor, a charming small town that comes alive in summer. It's the heart of the island's culture, shopping, and dining. At casual restaurants as well as formal dining rooms, the lobster's nonpareil, and you can savor it in innumerable ways. Lodging choices are plentiful (but do reserve before you arrive; summer is the busy season).
Other points of interest for summer visitors include Northeast and Southwest Harbors, where sailboats glide under sunny skies. There are only a few beaches with sand soft enough to lead visitors to swim in the ocean in when it warms in late summer time; the aptly named Sand Beach is one. If you have an extra day or two, visit Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, and Maine's Cranberry Islands.
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Note: The National Scenic Byways Program recognizes highways that are outstanding examples of our nation's beauty, history, culture, and recreational experience by designating them as All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways. The roads featured were designated by the Secretary of Transportation from nominations submitted by the states and federal land management agencies. These designations provide a compass for people from all over the world to explore America's treasured open roads.
