Trifter

Higgins Beach, Maine, Web Cam

Higgins Beach was first homesteaded by a family named Higgins in the 1700’s. It was not until the early 1900’s that the community became a haven for summer vacationers. Watch the Atlantic Ocean waves come rolling onto Higgins Beach on this Maine web cam sponsored by Higgins Beach Properties. The web cam refreshes every five to ten seconds. You may spot an occasional beachcomber walking along the beach during low tide. The site also has a link to current weather conditions for the area.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, Web Cam

Hampton Beach Village District is another example of an early summer vacation destination. Founded in 1907, the district is part of the larger city of Hampton, New Hampshire. A good time to do some people watching on this web cam is during the busy hot summer weekends and during the annual Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. The nationally known Festival is held the weekend after Labor Day. This web cam is a live stream of the beach and road in front of The La Bec Rouge Upper Deck On Hampton Beach. There is a note on this web site that the web cam may be best seen with Internet Explorer.

Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, Web Cam

The sandy island that came to be known as Martha’s Vineyard was given that name in 1602 by the exploration crew led by Englishman Bartholomew Gosnold in honor of his daughter and the abundant grapevines that grew on the island. The island was settled in 1642 and for a time had a vibrant whaling, fishing, and farming community before evolving into its current vacation site. This web cam is on the cupola deck of the Mansion House in Martha’s Vineyard. The web cam refreshes every 30 seconds, giving the visitor a view of the marina.

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Web Cam

The Coast Guard Air Station was established here in 1970 but the community of Cape Cod dates back to the Wampanoag tribe which originally lived on the sandy spit of land. The Pilgrims chose to settle in the area across the bay instead of at Cape Cod because of the sandy soil. Cape Cod was settled eventually and the first villages were incorporated in 1639. The Cape Cod Coast Guard web cam refreshes every 30 seconds and gives a nice view of the sandy beach and ocean waves. Also on this site is a weather report for Eastham, Massachusetts, a wave watch, and weather for the Nantucket buoy.

Narragansett, Rhode Island, Web Cam

Narragansett was the name of the Native American people who originally populated this seacoast area. In 1658, the first parcels of land were sold. Unlike the seacoast cities mentioned earlier in this article, Narragansett had a thriving economy based, not on fishing or whaling, but on the export of agricultural produce grown on the tracts of farmland. Tourism came in the mid to late 1800’s. The Narragansett web cam updates every 10 seconds and gives a nice view of the surf. Warm Winds Surf Shop sponsors this web cam and on favorable days you may even see some surfers swimming out to catch a wave. This site gives a surf report and a four day forecast.

Mystic, Connecticut, Web Cams

Mystic, Connecticut, is divided by the river of the same name. The city of Mystic claims 1654 as the year it was founded. The name Mystic came from the Pequot Native American word describing a big river with waves created by wind or tides. This site has four web cams sponsored by different Mystic businesses (Steamboat Inn, Whaler’s Inn, and S&P Oyster Company). Each of these live stream web cams can be controlled by the site visitor. The shots include Mystic’s main street, a northern and southern view of the Mystic River, and a view of the drawbridge over the river, a very busy thoroughfare.

New York City, New York, Web Cam

Any visit to the northeastern United States should include a short visit to the Big Apple, New York City. The now busy harbor was first explored in 1524 by the Italian explorer Giovanna Di Verrazzano. It was not until the early 1600’s after Henry Hudson explored the area that Dutch settlers established themselves in their “New Amsterdam”. Now we know “New Amsterdam as New York City. This web cam on the Orion Building provides a neat overhead view of part of New York City and updates every 30 seconds. From it you can see a very small Statue of Liberty in the upper left side and the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel in the center of the screen.

Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, Web Cam

Monmouth Beach was bought by Eliakim Wardell in 1668 and stayed in the Wardell family until 1842. The town of Monmouth Beach was established in 1906. This web cam shows surf, beach, and nothing else except an occasional ship on the horizon. The view refreshes in under a minute.

Ocean City, Maryland, Web Cam

Ocean City is built on a barrier island, but until the mid-1800″s, was visited only by fishermen. The first inn on the island was built by Isaac Coffin in 1869 and since then Ocean City has been a vacationer’s destination. A Boardwalk and an amusement park were added in the early 1900’s. This web cam, sponsored by The Kite Loft, shows the Boardwalk and beach. The view refreshes every five seconds to provide lots of opportunities for people watching.

Each of these nine web cams provides the armchair Internet traveler with a different view of the northeastern United States without having to spend a penny for gasoline or lodging fees.