Aces High Campground, East Lyme CT

Fishing, Reading, Lounging, Kayaking, Wineries, Breweries, Waterfalls, Summer Thunderstorms and Beach Days – there certainly wasn’t a shortage of things to do and see while we spent a week exploring around East Lyme Connecticut.

We stayed at an amazing RV resort just a few minutes from the beach called Aces High Campground. We had a back in site right next to a large fishing pond where Kandace was able to hang her hammock chair from a tree and I was able to fish just a few streps away from the camper.  It was an awesome set up that reminded me of what camping was like as a kid.  My family would go on weeklong trips to nearby fishing lakes just a couple hours away from the Bay Area where we would park the camper 50 feet from the lake and spend the days fishing for trout.  The lake at Aces High or fishing pond I should say is a catch and release pond offering a fun fishing experience that brought me back to my childhood.

The fish in this pond are used to being fed so once the bait hits the water the fish will attack.  The ponds are not too deep, and the bottoms are usually full of plant life so I would use a bobber to keep the hook off the bottom to prevent it from getting snagged.  What I quickly discovered was that there are several wily turtles that hang out near shore as the visitors usually feed them.  These little rascals have also figured out that if they can find a bobber a free meal isn’t too far away.  Whenever I would cast my line, the turtles would somehow hear or feel the vibrations of the bobber hitting the water.  They would pop their heads up out of the water, spot the bobber, swim to it then dive down for the bait. All of a sudden, I would see my bobber zigzagging all over the pond while the clever turtle would grab just enough worm so it could yank it off the hook for a satisfying lunch.  This sequence of events went on and on until I was eventually out of worms.  I caught a few fish, but the turtles won most of the battles and got their unfair share of the bait. The turtles were funny with lots of personality, so it was entertaining to say the least.

The pond was a descent size and was also a perfect spot to take the kayak and paddle around for a while.  It was a nice treat finally having a camping spot right next to the water where we could keep the kayak pumped up and launch it whenever we wanted.

When we were not at camp fishing, kayaking, or reading we were out exploring the area of East Lyme and beyond.  Here are some of the highlights that we enjoyed:

Lobster Rolls:

• On our first round of lobster roll taste testing in Maine and New Hampshire, we quickly learned that there was this rivalry between north and south New England. The north prefers their rolls cold with mayo, butter, or both. The south prefers their rolls hot with butter NO mayo!  The top lobster roll recommended in Connecticut was Lobster Landing, so we had to check this place out. Not sure what the hype was about though, the roll was wet and soggy and fell apart when we ate it.  Feeling a bit duped and highly disappointed, we needed immediate redemption so we beelined it to Kim’s She Shore Shed Foodtruck in Old Saybrook.  Kim had reached out to us on TikTok when we posted our first lobster video and invited us to give her roll a try. Her food truck is not as popular or well known, but we decided to give it a try anyway.  Kim gets her lobster meat from Maine and stuffs it in a perfectly buttered roll that is soft on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside.  With just one bite we were happy we made the extra stop for this far superior roll.  Next time we find ourselves in CT and we are craving a lobster roll, you will most likely find us chowing down on a roll at Kim’s….

Niantic Bay Boardwalk and Hole in the Wall Beach:

• Hole in the Wall beach is one of the closest beaches to camp. It’s about a 10-to-15-minute drive and is located near an ice cream shop called “Gumdrops and Lollipops” so of course we had to get a scoop and a cone before we hit the beach.  As we have mentioned before, parking at beaches in the New England area from Connecticut all the way up to Maine is very expensive.  I guess when parking is so limited the high cost ($40-$50 for the day) keeps the parking lots and beaches from getting overcrowded.  Being from California, this just isn’t something we are used to as the beaches and the parking lots go on for miles.  Luckily for us the campground where we were staying had a parking pass that we were able to use, and we got to park for free!
• The beach is small, quiet, and peaceful. The weather and the water were warm which made for a nice afternoon relaxing in the sand.

Day Trip – Waterfall, Winery, Brewery and Cheese tasting

• Our first stop on a fun daytrip was to Devil’s Hopyard State Park, just a short 20-minute drive from Aces High campground. In the winter, the waterfall is flowing pretty good but with drought conditions in the northeast, the waterfall was down to a small trickle.

• After spending about an hour hiking around the waterfall, we made our way north and tasted some amazing cheddar cheeses at Cato Corner Farm, enjoyed a beer and an unbelievably delicious shrimp burger at Hop Culture Farms & Brewing Company, then finished off the day at Priam Vineyards where we bought a bottle of their rosé which recently took first place in a blind taste test in the Sonoma County East vs West wine competition.

Books, books, books, and more books!

• Every time we go to a new location, we usually spend a good amount of time feeding Kandace’s book addiction by searching out the local used bookstores. While we were in Niantic, we discovered the used bookstore mecca called “The Book Barn”. They have 3 stores in the area and their main location has both an indoor and outdoor section with thousands of books to sift through.  This place is so popular that they have an attendant just to direct traffic in their small lot with limited parking spaces.  While I waited in the truck for the next available parking spot, Kandace disappeared into the maze of bookshelves, and I wondered if I would ever see her again.   About an hour later, Kandace emerged with a huge grin on her face with the excitement of child going to Disneyland for the first time.  She was able to sell a few of the books she finished reading recently and then bought a couple that have been on her reading list for a while. Needless to say, she was a happy camper that day.

Cheers,

-Tiny Trailer Trips Crew