The base of the Statue of Liberty is made of pink granite from Stony Creek, a village in Branford, and the quarries on the shore still cut stone today. Off the coast, the Thimble Islands, a scattering of more than a hundred small granite islands, some with a single house perched on the rock, dot the water of Long Island Sound. Boat tours from Stony Creek wind among them in summer, telling tales of pirates, millionaires and General Tom Thumb, the famous circus showman, who is said to have courted a woman on one of the islands.
Branford is an old New England town on the Connecticut shore, east of New Haven, with a green, white churches and colonial houses. The town centre is small and pleasant, with shops and restaurants around the green.
For a swim, Branford has town beaches on the Sound, with calm water and sandy shores. Some beaches are reserved for residents in summer, so check before you go. The water is warm by late July.
The riding on the Connecticut shore is pleasant, with Route 1 and the shore roads winding through the towns and along the water. I-95 is fast but often congested. The roads inland are quieter, with woods, stone walls and farms.
Fuel is easiest along Route 1. The Connecticut lobster roll is served hot with butter, not cold with mayonnaise as in Maine, and locals will happily argue that theirs is the only correct version. Order one at a shack near the water and decide for yourself.