Thursday, April 23rd, at 10:30 a.m. at Manresa Island in Norwalk
On Thursday, April 23rd, the Wanderers will drive to Manresa Island in Norwalk and enjoy a guided tour of the interior of the former Norwalk Harbor Station power plant and a wandering on the property outside the power plant and along the waterfront.
This 125- acre property is in the process of being revitalized and transformed into what will be one of the Northeast’s most creative public parks — called Manresa Wilds — which is thanks to the generosity of Austin and Allison McChord. The first phase of the project, including walking trails and other amenities, is expected to open next year. This tour will include inspecting the main building’s enormous interior spaces which will be redesigned into exciting interior spaces, one of which is as large as Grand Central Station. Details regarding the scope of the project were presented by Austin McChord at the DMA meeting on March 25rd.
The tour of the interior of the power plant will include viewing much of the plant’s huge original machinery and equipment on different levels of the plant and walking on metal stair-ways some of which are steep. Wanderers will have the option of remaining on a lower level in the plant during part of the tour. While half of the Wanderers will tour the interior of the power plant for 45 minutes, the other half of the Wanderers will wander, including riding on ATV’s (golf carts), for 45 minutes on the property outside the power plant and along the waterfront. Then, the Wanderers that toured the interior of the power plant will wander on the property outside the power plant for 45 minutes and the Wanderers that wandered on the property outside the power plant will tour the interior of the power plant for 45 minutes. Based upon the 10:30 am start time for the tour and wandering, these activities will end at approximately 12:00 noon at which time the Wanderers will drive to have lunch at the Silver Star Diner at 210 Connecticut Avenue in Norwalk at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Anyone interested in participating in this tour and wandering should sign-up in advance at a DMA meeting in April. The size of our group has been limited by Manresa to 48 participants so, if interested, please sign up as soon as possible. Due to the anticipated popularity of this tour and wandering and the group size limitation, we unfortunately are not able to include the spouses of DMA members in this tour and wandering. Wanderers will be required by Manresa to sign a waiver of liability form prior to visiting the property. The waiver of liability form can be reviewed and needs to be signed electronically prior to this tour and wandering at the following email address: (https://app.hellosign.com/home/reusableLink?guid=2sMQ8vcR&in_person=1)
We will rendezvous at the DCA parking lot at 9:45 a.m. and then drive to the property as a caravan group. Those interested in car- pooling from Darien should plan to park their cars in the rear of the parking lot at the DCA. We will depart from the DCA parking lot by 10:00 a.m. and arrive at the power plant on Manresa Island by 10:25 a.m. as the tour and wandering will start promptly at 10:30 a.m.
If you don’t elect to rendezvous with the group at the DCA parking lot, you can use the Google Map address of “Manresa Island, Norwalk, CT” or set your WAZE, Google Maps or other GPS to “1 Longshore Avenue, Norwalk, CT” to get there. If you don’t use WAZE, Google Maps or other GPS, the easiest way to drive to Manresa Island is to take State Route 136 beginning on Tokeneke Road in Darien and staying on Route 136 through Rowayton and South Norwalk until making a right turn onto Woodward Avenue (which becomes Longshore Avenue) and then making a right turn onto Manresa Island Avenue (don’t turn right into the “Village Creek” private association). The entrance to Norwalk’s Manresa Island is located on the right side of Longshore Avenue where Longshore Avenue intersects Manresa Island Avenue. After making a right turn onto Manresa Island Avenue, there is a security gate at the entrance to Manresa Island where car occupants must check in before driving down Manresa Island Avenue and parking in a parking lot adjacent to the power plant.
Contact: Chet Cobb, Harry Bergen, Doug Bora or Robin Hogen.
Summary:
“On Thursday, April 23rd, forty-eight DMA members enjoyed a well-orchestrated tour of the well-preserved interior of the former Norwalk Harbor Station power plant and a motorized wandering on ATVs through the forested and marsh property outside the power plant and on the waterfront.
Highlights of the tour included a hands on viewing of the plant’s huge original turbines and other machinery and equipment on different levels of the plant and a steep climb on metal stairways to the roof of the plant to enjoy its magnificent views of Long Island Sound and nearby islands and coast. Alex Muniz of Manresa Wilds ably led these tours with assistance from DMA Members Doug Bora, Chet Cobb and Harry Bergen.
The wandering on Manresa Island also afforded the Wanderers the opportunity to walk along and enjoy picturesque views from the waterfront where a beach is planned and to explore on ATVs the island’s marsh and birch tree forests. DMA members Peter Ritchey and Robin Hogen ably guided the caravan of ATVs.
Many Wanderers met for lunch at the Silver Star Diner in Norwalk following the Manresa Island tour and wandering and happily shared observations about their visit to Manresa Island before returning to Darien.”
