Northeastern Travels: Thimble Islands

Thimble Islands, CT

As I was lounging around the B& B, content to just take it easy and maybe hit East Wharf Beach one last time before having the hit the road tomorrow, the innkeeper urged me to do something quirky while I was in CT. She spoke about a collection of islands off the shoreline of Branford, CT. So, after packing up my bag that contained my journal, Bible, books and an extra pair of shoes, I headed east. I first stopped at Madison Chocolates to get a taste of their truffles and grab a sandwich. Prior to being able to feel free about my day's exploration, I stopped at the post office to mail a payment for my speeding ticket. It had to be postmarked by the 15th.

I then attempted to plug a destination into Garmin. To my dismay, the device did not recognize Thimble Islands or Town Dock. So, I directed the tool to find Branford, CT. I got to the town, but finding the dock was a different story. Eventally, the map helped me find the miniscule location. I parked and walked to the dock that was only big enough for three boats to load at one time. The Thimble Island cruise was a hidden secret about which only the locals seem to know.

The Timble Islands consist of about 100 islands. There are approximately 95 houses and 100 families living on the islands. All houses are only used in the summer. Wild Thimbleberries were prolific on the islands at one point, hence the name.

I boarded the boat with a group of retired tourists. Most of them stayed below, so I climbed the ladder to the upper deck and plopped down beside a New York couple. They have lived in New York for their life and never knew about the islands. The wife kept telling me that this is one of the best trips she has taken and I was lucky to happen upon it. It was fun and very unique. The only complaint I had was that the New York couple stood up and blocked the view the entire trip. Trying to manipulate shots around two bodies was an interesting trick.

Thimble Islands were used by the Mattabesec Indians to fish during the summer months. In 1614, Adrian Block discovered the islands. Colonists used the islands for sheep grazing, boatbuilding and granite quarrying. Eventually, by the late 1800's the islands became a popular summer destination for city folks. Now all the islands are privately owned. Some are large enough to contain about 25 houses. Others are only big enough for one house or a seagull breeding ground.

All of the islands have interesting names, but I cannot seem to connect my pictures with the names.

One island is known as Little Pumpkin Island because the islanders held a pumpkin growing contest in the mid-1900s The one island is credited with providing the smallest pumpkin.

Mother-in-Law island has an interesting story. A couple was married on one of the bigger islands. They then rowed over to a smaller island for their honeymoon night. The bride's mother felt it necessary to row over and check on them. While on the island, she fell asleep. The newly married couple took her boat and theirs and left her on the island.

Gazebo Island is so small that the owner was not permitted to build a house. He did get permission to build a gazebo. In the summer's, he docked a houseboat to his island so he could live by the island. The island is now for sale.

Money Island has the reputation of being the home of Captain Kidd. It is said that he hid his treasure on the islands. From Money Island, he had a great vantage point of Long Island Sound and boarded every boat to take their gold and silver.

See the sites listed below for additional information.

Wheeler Island

Cut-in-Two East

Cut-in-Two West (Once occupied by Tom Thumb of circus fame)

Little Governor's Island

Seagull Breeding Ground The gray chicks in the foreground are a couple of months old. This island used to house a Victorian house until the hurricane of 1938.