Connecticut, Rhode Island and more ferry trips from Long Island
A Fire Island ferry and other boats in the Great South Bay on Aug. 31, 2019. Credit: Danielle Silverman
When it’s time to get away, you have several options: bridge, tunnel or boat. Setting out by sea, of course, is by far the more romantic choice, especially when you’re looking for a quick one-day getaway.
Here are day trip ideas for “vacations” that start once you set foot on a Long Island ferry:
FIRE ISLAND
A Fire Island ferry and other boats in the Great South Bay on Aug. 31, 2019. Credit: Danielle Silverman
With no cars, Fire Island offers visitors a different mindset just a 25-minute ferry ride away. Eight communities can be accessed from Bay Shore ferries: Kismet, Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Dunewood, Atlantique, Ocean Beach, Seaview and Ocean Bay Park. From Sayville, catch the ferries to Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, Sailors Haven and Sunken Forest. LGBTQ communities are centered in Cherry Grove and The Pines. Most other hamlets have their own identities, from insular to family-friendly. Most beaches of Fire Island National Seashore are accessible to the public and are considered to be among the most pristine beaches in New York. A favorite with day-trippers is Ocean Beach, which has a boutique hotel and plenty of restaurants and shops. Parking in Sayville is $11 per car per day Mon-Thur., $18 Fri.-Sun. Parking in Bay Shore is $12 per car per day Mon.-Thur., $20 Fri.-Sun. The Bay Shore ferry round trip is $25 per person, cash only; the Sayville Ferry round trip is $20 per person, cash or credit cards accepted.
More info: fireislandferries.com; sayvilleferry.com
NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, AND THE CASINOS
Ride the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport ferry with your car, and you’ve got options. A 20-minute drive from the Bridgeport Ferry Landing brings you to Norwalk, Connecticut, where you’ll find museums and restaurants.
At the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, you'll see live sharks, loggerhead turtles, seals, rays, jellyfish and a cast of other aquatic creatures — some you can touch, others best left behind glass. With a 4D theater, traveling exhibits and Marine Life Study cruises on Long Island Sound, you can spend all day learning about the region's maritime environment. Open daily, maritimeaquarium.org.
Railroad fans can visit “Signal Station 44,” which has been restored to create the SoNo Switch Tower Museum. Climb narrow iron stairs to the burnished third floor for a chance to pull the disengaged Armstrong levers — so named because you needed a strong arm — that once moved track switches on the mainline. Open weekends May-Oct., westctnrhs.org.
The award-winning Stepping Stones Museum for Children was built with an eye to what excites and stimulates a child’s mind. Geared toward children ages 10 and younger, this small but active center engages even the youngest crawlers. Open daily, steppingstonesmuseum.org.
Great Norwalk restaurants include Public Wine Bar (open daily) and the small but delectable Knot Norm’s (closed Mon. and Tues.).
If you’re the gambling kind, visit Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun. Beyond the tables and slots, there's a full schedule of entertainment, restaurants and plenty of hotel rooms should you want to make it an overnight getaway.
More info: 88844ferry.com
BLOCK ISLAND, RHODE ISLAND
Bring your bikes on the round-trip Viking Ferry from Montauk to Block Island — there’s a lot of ground to cover in a day, especially if headed to a remote beach or to the island’s two lighthouses. Hours Fri.-Sun. May 26-June 11, daily June 16-Sept. 11, Fri.-Mon. Sept. 15-Oct. 15. Fee $45, $30 ages 5-12, bikes $5, fares are one way when booked online. Parking $15 per day; reservations recommended.
The ferry leaves you off at Champlin's Marina in New Harbor. Get your bearings at Block Island Historical Museum and Gallery (closed Mon., admission $10, blockislandhistorical.org), stocked with artifacts from first settlers, photos of offshore boating disasters and plenty of island history. Then start with a 7-mile loop — south from Old Harbor to top sights including Southeast Lighthouse and the steep stairs down to Mohegan Bluffs beach. Most restaurants can be found right in Old Harbor, where you catch the ferry back home.
More info: vikingfleet.com
NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT
The Cross Sound Ferry passes by the Orient Point Lighthouse, off of Orient Point, known as the Coffee Pot, built in 1899. Credit: Randee Daddona
Take your car on the Cross Sound Ferry from Orient Point to New London ($65 each way for standard car and driver, discounted for advance reservations; fuel surcharge may be added).
Learn about the fate of the ship Amistad at the Custom House Maritime Museum (closed Mon.-Tue., nlmaritimesociety.org), where in 1839, the ship was towed after captive Africans aboard mutinied.
Across the Thames in Groton, find the world’s first nuclear-propelled submarine, USS Nautilus, berthed within the Submarine Force Library and Museum (closed Tue., ussnautilus.org). A free tour, complete with audio guide, takes you through the sub’s cramped quarters.
The Fort Trumbull State Park visitor’s center (open weekends, Memorial Day-late June, open Wed.-Sun., late June-Labor Day, portal.ct.gov) has interactive kiosks, allowing history buffs to build their own forts, and a real periscope through which you may detect submarines coming into or leaving the Thames River right outside.
New London also has the 70-year-old Lyman Allyn Art Museum (closed Mon., lymanallyn.org), featuring permanent collections "Tiffany in New London," explores the life and career of artist, designer, and glassmaker Louis Comfort Tiffany through the lens of New London.
For an authentic New London dining experience order the chowder, lobster rolls and crab fritters at Captain Scott's Lobster Dock. Plan a coffee break at Muddy Waters Café or head a bit out of town to On The Waterfront Restaurant (closed Mon.) for fresh seafood with Thames River views.
More info: longislandferry.com
