East Killingly, CT

Hallelujah! I started my trek back to civilization and managed to grab a couple states easily for my RV travel map. Rhode Island is easy to drive through with great scenery, good roads, and it is not very big.  It was an easy hop through it to Connecticutt. I stayed at Stateline Camping Resort which really is on the state line between Rhode Island  and Connecticutt. It is a C2C park and very nice. I warn you, as soon as you see the “Welcome to Connecticutt” sign on the right coming east on the 101, look to the left because it is right there! I am told that if you play on their playground, you are actually in Rhode Island though the park in in Connecticutt. LOL. I had a little fun walking back and forth between the two state “Welcome” signs one evening. Hey, I had to exercise anyway.

Stateline has a wonderful looking pool in an unusual design and I liked that they play music from the radio at the pool until closing. The restrooms were okay. It is only the second time in my travels that I have had not full sewer but rather a grey water only hookup which requires a garden hose and special holding tank cap. Better than nothing. Luckily, I picked those up at the last one in Michigan. 🙂 They have a lake though it is for fishing or row boating only. The sites are poorly signed and my site definitely did not match the map they provided so I had to get them to send someone down to show me how I was supposed to park my rig. Ah well, as a C2C park it was cheap to stay there and close enough to what I wanted to see in Groton, CT.

I zoomed on down the nearest highway to Groton to see the Submarine Force Museum and USS Nautilus which are right next to New London Submarine Naval Base. I am sooo glad I got this one in. The museum was excellent with great displays, lots of info you don’t get in school, 3 working periscopes you can view the local area with, and a tour of the world’s first nuclear submarine which was also the first to go to the North Pole (after several tries) and first to go “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea” according to Jules Verne. The Nautilus is bigger than the other sub I saw in Massachusetts . It did not make me feel the need to run through it like the other did. I liked the bunks which lift up to reveal storage for clothes etc. and have blue curtains for a little privacy. Would you believe it has a dishwasher onboard, nice china and silverware, milk dispenser, coffee available anytime, etc.? The electronics are also amazing in such a confined space.

Unfortunately, I lost my favorite hat I got on Mackinac Island in Michigan when a wind demon stole it and dumped it in the water. Being as this museum and sub are run by the Navy right next to a naval base with a boat constantly patrolling the harbor, I decided jumping in after it might not be a good idea. I am still really bummed about it. 🙁 Now I definitely have to go back to Mackinac. 🙂

For more pics click here.