Preserve the 80s

I recently had a bit of a disappointment while driving on route 349, otherwise known as the Clarence B Sharp Memorial Highway in Groton.

I suppose I should first explain why I was there. Years ago, I read a website that discussed in great detail every numbered public route within Connecticut. As I was reading through the site, I eventually got to a section on route 349. Toward the end of the section, the author mentioned that at the southern terminus of the road, there was a sign that said ” END 349″. I found this to be highly impressive and knew that I had to see it for myself.

Though I’d planned to go there as soon as possible, I kept putting it off until last week (around 7 years after reading the site) I finally made it out to Groton to see the aforementioned sign. Eagerly, I got into my car and made the 30 minute trip to Groton, got off exit 87, and braced myself for what would surely be the most thrilling event of the year.

It took about 10 minutes to drive the entire length of 349 and the whole time I was filled with excited anticipation of the sign that awaited me at the road’s end. When I finally got there, I was in for a gut-wrenching shock – there was no END 349 sign to be found.

I pulled over and let the shock sink in for a moment. I began to think that maybe I had remembered the details incorrectly and maybe the END 349 sign was at the northern terminus rather than the southern one. I turned around to go back to the other end of 349 but sadly there was no such sign to be found. This was a crushing blow, but I cannot say the trip was a complete loss as it enabled me to stop at Norm’s Diner and have some of the best pancakes I’ve had in a while, but I’m still reeling a bit from the disappointment I experienced that day on route 349.