Wingaersheek Beach – Gloucester, MA

Cape Cod is not the only place in Massachusetts with nice beaches. For someone coming from Connecticut, Wingeaersheek Beach on Cape Ann in Gloucester is easier to get to, easier to leave, less crowded, and just as picturesque as the Cape Cod beaches. Do not misunderstand me to believe that getting to Wingearsheek Beach is easy. There is still traffic to fight all the way, long lines, and limited parking. Even considering all that, it’s still more convenient than Cape Cod.

Wingearsheek Beach features white sand with plenty of space. The shore view includes a lighthouse, setting the scene as a quintessential New England beach. If you are used to the crowded Connecticut or western Rhode Island beaches, you will be satisfied with the extra space available at Wingaersheek. There are several large rocks at Wingearsheek. These rocks are arranged naturally rather than in a man-made jetty. Depending on the tide, these rocks are quite accessible for climbing, exploring, and lounging. The character of the beach in general is quite dependent on the tide. At low tide, several tidal pools form. The kids seem to love playing in these shallow pools. Several sand bars become available at low tide, and it is possible to walk quite a distance away from shore in relatively shallow water.

Wingearsheek Beach has a concession stand selling the usual beach fare. Bathrooms and showers are available.

The cost for parking is $25. This is high, but it’s in line with the typical cost of beach parking in the area.

If you go to Wingearsheek Beach, I suggest going early. The road in is a small 2-lane country road. Cars back up quickly. On busier days, the parking lot fills to capacity. Going early avoids the long bumper-to-bumper wait on the road in, and also avoids the risk of getting shut out.

My family and I had a fun day at Wingaersheek Beach.

The Intercontinental Hotel -- San Juan, Puerto Rico

Through fortunate circumstances, I have been able to spend the weekend at The Intercontinental Hotel and Resort in the Isla Verde section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I'm a regular traveler to Puerto Rico, coming here for work several times per year.  I typically stay at decent places, but I've never stayed anywhere like the San Juan Intercontinental.  It's the nicest hotel I've stayed at anywhere to date.

First off, it's right in the middle of the Isla Verde district of San Juan.  Along with Old San Juan and Condado, Isla Verde is one of the most desirable districts in San Juan.  Restaurants, shops, hotels line the streets.  The hotel is right on the beach.  As I type this, I am sitting under an umbrella with my feet in the sand.  There are outdoor restaurants serving food and drinks anywhere along the beach and around their large pool area.  The beach is the best beach in San Juan.  Blue water and no crowds.

When I arrived in my hotel last night after dark, I was floored by the view of the ocean and the city from my 11th floor room.  As I drove up the fancy garden entry way, spoke to the vallets, and entered the loby, I felt like this was a place for a wealthy business tycoon to stay, not a humble worker such as I.  However, I quickly was able to make myself at home, especially after enjoying dinner at their Japanese restaurant. 

Right at this moment, I am enjoying the warmth and scenery of this great hotel.  The only thing that could make it better would be if I was able to enjoy it with my family.

Note: If you go out in the evenings around Isla Verde, it helps to keep in mind that nightlife in Puerto Rico has a different schedule than in The States.  If you hit a spot at 10 PM.  It's likely to be dead.  People don't start coming out until after 11 and mid-night.  Bars stay open as late as they want, so last call is not an issue. 

Devil’s Hopyard State Park – East Haddam, CT

A Shared Landscape A Guide & History of Connecticut's State Parks & Forests


The primary attraction of Devil’s Hopyard State Park is Chapman Falls, which falls over 60 feet along a rocky trail. Chapman Falls is just off the road near the south entrance of Devil’s Hopyard State Park.

In addition to the falls, Devil’s Hopyard State Park features fishing holes, picnicking, camping, and several hiking trails. My family and I took the orange trail, which starts just after the covered bridge in the picnic area. The trail makes an approximately 2 mile loop with a scenic overlook at the halfway point. The overlook gives a nice vista view of the valley below. The trail goes through the woods. It is easy hiking. There are only a few hills and some medium boulders to negotiate. My 5-year old son made it with no problems.

One bonus: While driving around exploring the park we saw several deer. I don’t remember the exact count, but something like 4 or 5 sets of deer.

The state link to the park is below:
http://www.ct.gov/Dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325188

Lake Compounce Amusement Park -- Bristol, CT

I’m not a big amusement park guy. I usually call places like amusement parks “artificial thrills”. This is opposed to “real” thrills like hiking, biking, boating, fishing, etc. I have a low tolerance for rude people, waiting in line, and crowds in general. However, I’ve changed my thinking a bit this summer.


My wife bought season passes for the whole family to Lake Compounce Amusement Park. I’ve determined that when it comes to amusement parks, a season pass is the way to go. When dishing out the excessive cash to buy tickets for the day, there is often that feeling of being rushed – trying to do everything to “get your money’s worth”. The season pass ends that issue. You can go to the park as often as you want, for as long or as short of a time period, without any worries. With the season pass you can wait and pick your days. You can avoid the busiest days.

The advantage of the season pass was evident this past Independence Day holiday. We went to the park just for the fireworks display, and left right after. Incidentally, the fireworks display from inside the park was one of the best displays I have seen. In past years I have sat at a nearby parking lot outside the park. Many of the fireworks are low to the ground, so you don’t get nearly the effect outside the park as inside. We brought a blanket and sat right on the beach at the edge of the lake. We could not have been any closer. The fireworks came from all directions. It was an impressive, well designed, and well executed display.

The following day, with temperatures well over 90 degrees F, the kids cooled off in the water park.


I personally prefer Lake Compounce to other larger amusement parks. The smaller size makes it easier to manage. Plus, the proximity to my home ensures the season passes will get good use.

In addition to the logistical advantages of the season pass, there is the monetary advantage. The season pass cost $80. Regular admission to the park is $35. Do the math and the pass is paying for itself after the 2nd visit. Additionally, the pass gives 10% off food, buy-one-get-one pizza deals, buddy days, and special season-pass-only days.

More information can be found at the following link:
http://www.lakecompounce.com/lake-compounce-season-pass.php

Weekend in New Hampshire: No Electricity, No Plumbing, No Problems

A pig is an occasion for a party. Cook a pig, and they will come.


Three generations of men (me, my father, my son) traveled to New Hampshire to camp out, and eat a pig. Ironically, we ate a pig, and also ate like pigs.

Food, beer, family, friends, nice weather and the great outdoors made for a fun weekend.

Some people like to spend their money on fancy gear for camping. You can do that, but it really does not take too much to do a simple, and fun camping trip. Below is a list of recommended items to get started:

Tent – I’ve had a Coleman dome tent that’s been in use for over 10 years. It rained all night one night we were there and not a drop of water made it into the tent.

Cooler – Necessary to keep perishable food and drinks cold.

Sleeping bag – There are expensive models available, but those are generally not necessary for summer camping.

Flashlight

Pocket knife

That’s really all that’s needed for the simplest of trips. One other useful camping tool is an automobile. Aside from the obvious transportation, a car can provide light, power, mirrors, emergency shelter, a counter top, and a storage area.

Other items to consider:

Air mattress

Air mattress pump

Folding chairs

Camp stove

Insect repellant

Sun block

From there, everything else is pretty much optional. We almost always end up bringing too much food, but most of it just comes back with us and we eat it at home.

Turkey Acting Like Pheasant

Recently, while turkey hunting, I observed a turkey behavior I have never seen before. I was walking around a hedgerow between two fields. I had been calling for some time on the other side of the hedgerow, and had heard only a few very soft gobbles. I suspected there might be turkey on the other side, but no toms. As I came around the corner, I spooked a hen feeding in the grass. In all the previous times I have spooked a turkey, it either quickly ran or flew away. This turkey did neither. Instead of fleeing, this bird hunkered down in the grass. It curled its back and ducked down. It hid more like you typically see from pheasant rather than turkey. The whole bird was fully out of sight, including the head and neck. Based on the way the turkey used its wings, it reminded me of a turtle in the grass. This grass was not very tall. It was maybe 6 or 8 inches in height. Even still, that turkey disappeared in that grass. If I had not seen it, I would have walked right past it. Even if I got relatively close, I would have been likely to think it was a rock. I just stood and waited. Eventually the bird flushed and flew to safety of a tree.


I was not aware that turkey hid like this in the middle of fields. I thought this was interesting behavior that I had never seen before. I guess every day in the field is an opportunity to learn something.

Turkey Hunting Tip #8: Locator Calls – Owl vs. Crow Calls

When turkey hunting, it’s preferable to locate turkeys with a call other than a hen call if possible. For this purpose, the two most popular calls are the owl call and the crow call. Both are typically available at stores that sell turkey calls.  I've heard different theories regarding why turkeys gobble to a crow or owl call.  I won't get into the reasons why they respond with a gobble, but just trust me that they do respond to these locator calls.


I’ve read some articles in popular hunting magazines discussing the superiority of one over the other. From experience, I can tell you that in Connecticut, turkeys will gobble a response to both an owl and crow locator call. I have successfully used both calls to locate turkeys in Connecticut.

If I had to pick only one, I would go with the crow call. The crow call is louder. Additionally, real crows are actively calling throughout the day. I’ve been told that an owl call can also be used all day long, but real owls shut up during daylight. I like my calling techniques to mimic nature as much as possible. My method is to use the owl call first thing in the morning. Crows are usually quite during the early morning hours. Once I hear the first real crow call, I switch from owl to crow locator. However, throughout the day I may switch back and forth between the two if I’m not having good luck with my crow call as the day goes on. With that in mind, I’ve used a crow call before sun up and an owl call in the heat of the day to locate turkeys. Regardless, the above method has been the most successful more of the time for me.

Turkey Hunting Tip #7: Patience

Saying that hunting requires patience is certainly not some great new revelation. Every one who has ever spent any significant time hunting any game animal knows that patience is a key requirement for a successful hunter. It’s perhaps a seemingly obvious statement to say that hunting requires patience. However, it’s so fundamental to successful hunting that it is worth repeating.

Before the game at a professional sporting event what do you see? You see some of the most skilled players in the world working on their fundamentals. You see them practicing some of the same drills that are done by young kids just starting out in sports. Even though these people are the best in the world at what they do, and they play nearly every day, they still work on their fundamentals. Additionally, when you see a mistake or error, more often than not it’s due to breakdown in some of the basic fundamental skills rather than some high-level skill. If you watch baseball games regularly, you will eventually see an infielder misplay an otherwise routine ground ball. Often the reason for this misplay is that the infielder does not square his body to the ball and get in front of it. He might get a little lackadaisical and try to play it to the side, or maybe take his eye off the ball for a split second. These are lessons that this Major League infielder learned as a 5-year old in little league baseball. Yet, these are still areas that have room for improvement. This is how developing the skill of patience is to a hunter. Every experienced hunter knows they need to be patient, but it’s a skill that is never totally mastered, and must be worked on constantly.

I would not consider myself an old-timer, but I have significant experience in the woods. Even still, when the excitement of the hunt is underway, I struggle to maintain my patience. On one recent turkey hunt I displayed great patience, and over eagerness all at the same time. I spend 2 ½ hours calling a tom across a large field. That 2 ½ hours included about 45 minutes in which the tom was behind some grasses and bushes where I could not see him, and since he was not gobbling I could not hear him either. I displayed great patience to sit with the turkey close by, but having no confirmation either visually or audibly of his presence. Of course, during those 45 minutes I was questioning myself. I was questioning whether sitting tight was the right move (or non-move in this case). I was questioning whether the tom was still there, or had he ducked into the woods. I was questioning whether he had moved to an adjacent field, and by waiting I was missing my chance. All these things went through my mind, but I knew that by sitting tight, regardless of how difficult that might be under those circumstances, I had the best chance to land the bird. Yes, he may have ducked into the woods, but if that was the case there was nothing moving from my location would have done. However, if he did happen to still be there, moving would have certainly given away my position and that turkey would have ran off like the road runner in the cartoons. Turns out, I sat tight, and eventually that turkey made his way towards the middle of the field where I was able to see him. Turkeys have a different sense of time than humans. He was on turkey time, taking his sweet time, not human time. Now, that was my example of patience. In that same hunt I was also over eager. When the turkey got close to my position, I started getting nervous that he would duck into the woods, and I fired earlier than I should have. I underestimated my distance and the turkey was out of range. I should have held my position and waited for him to get closer. Yes, he may have ducked into the woods, but by waiting I would have given myself some chance to better my position. As it turned out, I fired and put myself in a situation in which I had no chance of getting the bird. If I had waited, perhaps I had a 50% chance of him ducking into the woods, and a 50% chance of him coming closer within range. Even though it was a coin flip, it was still significantly better than the 0% move I made by firing too early. The fact that I was so patient earlier in the hunt, made it that much more infuriating that I was not patient later in the hunt. Many swear words were spoken to myself after blowing it with that bird.

Patience is sometimes difficult to execute in the field when your heart is thumping. It’s a hunting skill that’s developed over time. Using patience will help you play the percentages, and make you a better hunter.

Turkey Hunting Tip #6: Use Decoys to Estimate Distance

I missed a turkey this spring because I underestimated how far he was from my position. Unfortunately for me, since this bird was in an open field I did not have the luxury of setting up decoys, or pacing off some landmarks to help estimate distance. However, if possible, it’s a good idea to pace off some landmarks from your set up spot to help you estimate distance when that tom comes strutting in. Even with turkey loads, it’s my recommendation that you want your bird to be within 40 yards before taking a shot. If no easy landmarks are available, use your decoys to help estimate distance. After setting up your decoys, be sure to count the paces back to where you are sitting. I like to have my decoys about 20 yards from my position, but depending on circumstances I may have them from 15 to 25 yards away. Knowing the distance from your decoys can be useful to help you estimate your distance before taking that shot. Good luck.

Early Turkey Season Observation: Less Gobbling

I spent 3 days in the woods during the first week of the 2010 Connecticut spring turkey season. One observation I made is that there is less gobbling than normal so far in 2010. I don’t mean that the turkeys are not there. What I mean is that turkeys that are there are tending to keep quiet. I have heard some gobbles. I heard one respond to an owl call at first light. I also had one reluctantly respond to some blind calling I was doing. However, in general, gobbling seems to be down. This makes it more difficult to locate turkeys.


Consider this example:

One recent morning, I spotted a gobbler in a field. He was following a hen moving down the field, so I set up some 500 yards or so down field and made some soft calls. I called to this gobbler for 2 ½ hours as he slowly made his way down to my area. During this time he strutted, flapped his wings, bobbed his head, and did everything short of a ballroom dance, but at no time did he gobble. We spent 2 ½ hours calling and strutting and not one gobble. I ended up not bagging this gobbler, but when I got up to collect my decoys, I say another tom that was just out of my sight over the other side of a small hill. He was also coming to my stand without a single gobble.

I’m not sure why I’m observing less gobbling. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the season started one week earlier than in past years. Perhaps the weather patterns have something to do with it. Regardless of the reason, this has added another level of challenge to my turkey hunting in 2010.  Keep your eyes open.