Sunset On the Sunrise

From Mick Melvin:

I like "finding" my backside subjects, but sometimes they are placed in my lap. A recent front page story in the Hartford Courant described an abandoned resort in Moodus, CT. I instantly had my subject. The article, along with a few pictures, gave me a good indication of what the place was like both in its heyday and what it has come to be today. When I arrived at Sunrise Resort, it was what I expected.



The resort is next to Machimoodus State Park, which has trails and a nice pond. It was pretty eerie walking the grounds of Sunrise. Once a vacation destination, it's like a ghost town. Most of the outside property, including a basketball court, shuffle board court, miniature golf course, playground set and kiddie swimming pool, are overgrown with high grass and weeds. The small amount of buildings, a few cabins and hotel/motel-like dwellings, were looking worn and unkempt.





The weathered resort was sold to the state of Connecticut for approximately $3 million in 2008. The property had been in decline and with the diminishing demand for summer resorts and the decline in the economy, the owners sold the resort. They hoped the state could utilize the land instead of selling to developers. Since the sale, little has been done with the property. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has used some of the garages for storage. Mostly local residents who walk their pets or take walks and hikes utilize the resort area.

It's a real shame to see this once-thriving resort in such a sad state. While researching the resort, I came upon a web site with people describing their times at the vacation spot. People talked of wonderful experiences of family fun. It reminded me of a place you went to in the summer and made lifetime friends.



Let's hope someone comes up with something for the site to generate more enjoyable memories. The latest possibilities for the site are a soccer camp or a cooking camp. I'll keep you posted.