Sep. 2 -- With her grandchildren just starting the new school year, June Long of New Jersey said she planned to make the most of her three-day visit to East Lyme on Labor Day weekend.
Long and family were out in downtown Niantic early on Monday and by noon, as promised, she was handing over ice cream cones to two eager grandsons before a walk on the nearby boardwalk.
"I'm just not sure how many more days like this we'll have to spend together before winter. I'm cherishing every minute," Long said.
Long was among a host of people to flock to the the towns, cities and beaches on the southeastern Connecticut shoreline on Monday intent on getting the most of what many consider to be the last summer weekend.
Long planned a late evening trip back home, hoping to avoid what AAA predicted to be record numbers of people on the roads over the weekend. AAA estimates a 9% jump in domestic travel with Monday afternoon one of the traveling times to avoid.
Congestion on the roadways translates to more work for state police. Preliminary statistics released by state police on Monday show that state police had responded to 3,884 calls for service since early Friday. Between Friday and Sunday, state police said they issued 412 speeding citations, responded to 268 accidents and made 18 drunken driving arrests.
Ivonne Santiago drove to the shoreline from Newington early Monday to join about 15 family members in a waterside picnic spot at Rocky Neck State Park. The savory smell of pinchos, or skewered chicken, wafted from the grill at their picnic spot through the park.
"We knew it wasn't going to be good weather but it's a great family day, kind of last hoorah for summer," Santiago said.
Vincent Agyei of East Hartford brought his sons Edmund, 15, and Jayden, 7, to Rocky Neck, a little late in the season for a first visit of the year but still a welcome day out. With his work schedule and the kids school starting, Agyei said he wasn't sure if he'd have another good time to visit the beach until next season.
"I love this place," he said.
Rocky Neck was one of two state parks where lifeguards were still on duty this weekend, the other being Hammonassett Beach State Park. This is the last weekend for lifeguards, however. No lifeguards will be on duty at any swimming areas after Monday, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
DEEP said in a statement last week that it had staffed eight popular swimming areas during the summer swimming season during a national lifeguard shortage. Many of those lifeguards are now returning to school.
It may be the unofficial end of summer but Barbara Neff, executive director of the Downtown New London Association, said there is no shortage of events planned for the city in the weeks to come.
Neff acknowledged that the number of tourists coming into city does drop off after this weekend but said tourists to some extent are replaced by an influx of college students and their families.
New London, Neff said, is host to a number of events and festivals that will keep the city busy over the next several weeks. The biggest upcoming event is the Connecticut Heritage Maritime Festival. The event will be held on Saturday and Sunday at Fort Trumbull State Park and include visit by a number of vessels that include "America's Tall Ship," the U.S Coast Guard Eagle. The maritime festival comes on the same weekend as the Basque Festival in the downtown on Saturday.
On Sept. 21, there will be a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with live music and fireworks.