House Hunting (Be Vewwy Vewwy Quiet!)

Places to stay in Branford seem to be exhausted. Moldy smells in the basements, entire buildings consumed by mildew, critters in the walls (descended from the mice that used to infest Ben Franklin's underwear drawer, no doubt, and feeling snobbish about it), or some combination of the above. I am now looking eastward: Guilford, Madison, Clinton. All three have a reputation for being able to kill a man with sheer boredom---which still beats hours going back and forth over the Bridge of Death.

Coworker informs me that Madison is inhabited by Republicans (i.e., Ivy League types with country club memberships and suede elbow patches (and who tend to vote either Democrat or commie)), and Clinton by Democrats (i.e., the New England version of good old boys (who vote either Republican or Militia, depending on who seems most likely to deal harshly with the hated Tories)). (I think my coworker misunderstands the whole politics thing.) Clinton has more reasonable rents.

Road called Boston Post Road connects everything; it most likely does go all the way to Boston, and probably used to carry mail, back in the day. I-95 runs more or less parallel to BPR. It would make a good couple weeks' walking vacation (except, no sidewalks!) to make one's way up the coast along the old post road. It's maybe 70 miles from New Haven to Rhode Island. 15--20 miles/day, assuming that one only carries a credit card and a change of clothes, leaves time to take in the beaches along the way. If there isn't a bunch of locals with Kentucky rifles hiding behind the trees keeping strangers out, anyway.

Towns

I have decided to break my lease and move to this side of the Bridge of Death, if only I can find a place. 30--40 minutes each way over the bridge, more when (not if) there are car crashes along the way, and the occasional 50-minute drive when 95 is getting worked on. Which is often. Branford is the obvious choice, but so far, no luck finding a place that isn't falling apart from mold and full of mice.

Some very pretty views in a small bay at the far end of Stony Creek, but so far, no place to rent. One of the real-estate types sent me a listing for a skerry out among the Thimble Islands (same bay): rock, a dock and a gazebo. Rent's cheap too: $1k/month. Multi-room tent from Cabellas can be had for a $k or two; tent stove for warmth, generator for watching Mythbusters... could almost see it. It only goes down to 10 on winter nights, after all. Probably not zoned for residential, though.