Old Saybrook Vacation Rental house

This house is a nice place to use for a Connecticut shore vacation. It is clean and comfortable. The 1.5 baths (plus outdoor shower) were great for our family of 5. The kitchen is well-equipped and we cooked most of our meals here. The sofas and beds were comfortable and we enjoyed use of the 2 TVs and DVD player as well as board games found in the closet. The room with 2 twin beds was snug, but fine for 2 children. There is plenty of storage space for clothing, etc. We managed to fill the back "porch" with beach gear, etc. The shaded eating area on the deck was also very nice. The owner provided good customer service that was not intrusive.

Travelers to CT should know that the shoreline is privately owned thus the need for the association beach access. While the association beach is close (1/2 block away), it is small and the serious beach goer will want to research other (public) beaches to plan day trips. The public beach in Old Saybrook (Harvey's Beach) is small but has nice sand and restrooms ($10 to park for the day with in/out privileges). You could also walk across sandbars at low tide from the association beach to Harvey's. Rocky Neck State Park also has a beautiful, long sandy beach.

Besides going to the beach, we also visited Gillette Castle (which makes for a nice day trip toward the "hills") and went shopping downtown and at the outlet mall in Clinton. Most shopping is nearby. The only large grocery store in the area is Stop N Shop and it is in Old Saybrook. The local farm stand also has wonderful fresh produce and excellent pies. The only restaurant we went to was "Rosemary and Sage" less than 5 minutes from the cottage and it was very good. It was a high quality Mediterranean/French restaurant with resort casual atmosphere. You would not feel out of place if you dressed up or arrived in a polo shirt & jeans.

Renters should be aware that this is not a "get away from it all" cottage as it is in a neighborhood with small lots and a back yard that is fenced on just 2 sides. While it's not a particularly noisy neighborhood and the street has only local traffic, you can hear the neighbors (and their dogs!) if you're both outside. Overall a comfortable and relaxing stay in a quaint CT seaside town.