Now that summer has come to an end, students are looking for places to walk or drive to near home. Most establishments close early for the night and open in the morning, but some people don’t want to wait until 9AM to go out and have a meal with friends. Research from John Hopkins University found that teenagers naturally have a hard time falling asleep before 11PM.  Here’s what you do; First off, gather your friends who don’t mind not sleeping until morning. If your choice of transportation that night is walking, biking, or skating, limiting your bubble to Waterford and New London is a smart choice (you also save gas money by staying within these two towns). 

Before night actually falls, there are plenty of places in Waterford to go to with friends, this includes fast food, restaurants, beaches, shopping stores, etc… These places are a good way to kill time later on in the day before you go out for dinner or follow through with your night-out plans. Some examples of places to go are the Crystal Mall, the stores located at Hartford Turnpike, the Waterford Target, or even the stores in New London on North Frontage Road. 

If you’d prefer, spending the day at someone’s house is another simplistic way to kill time. Before going out later, take time to just relax and kick it back with your friends. Put on a movie or show, get some blankets, and grab a snack or two. There’s a lot of things to do before night falls and being lazy until then is just one of the many ways to spend that time. You could also always go to one of the many parks, basketball courts, or fields we have in Waterford. Elliot Childs here at WHS enjoys going to our “town hall sometimes to play basketball” with his friends. This happens to be right across the street from our school.

Once night hits, try grabbing some snacks from the 24 hour H&T over on the corner of Ocean Avenue in New London, then make your way to the New London City Pier by Main Street (which is downhill for those of you walking etc.) This spot is especially nice at night because of the streetlights and benches. If you’re looking to take it easy for a bit, take some pictures, or goof around, then this scenic area is perfect for you. Plus, on weekends the public is welcome there until later at night, with no definite set hours. 

Maria Dasilva, a senior here at Waterford High School exclaims she loves “taking long drives at night with the windows rolled down and the music being played super loud,” which can also be a fun experience to try while it’s nice outside. Connecticut has an 11PM driving curfew for teens, so be sure to end the driving portion of your night before then. In addition to just driving around, finding out where everyone is staying for the night is probably going to be one of the most important details of your night. It would be recommended that one house be chosen for the group to crash at, just to make transportation smoother and more efficient for the driver. 

If you’re more towards the town line of Waterford and New London, Denny’s in the Frontage Road Plaza in New London is open 24 hours as well. Considering it might be nice to split a hot meal (and the bill) with friends makes it affordable and fun for your late night outing. If you do some homework, there are some genuinely nice spots close to town that you can walk or drive to before the curfew for the night is up, and it doesn’t take much to make these plans come to life. With that being said, safe travels!