Long Island Trip

LM works regularly for local car dealers, moving cars between dealerships and sometimes bringing cars here for customers who purchase on line. When he got a call last week to pick-up a car on eastern Long Island, NY, he knew there was only one co-driver he wanted to share that trip. Seeing it was a work holiday for me, here was his chance to finally show me one of his favorite places...the North Fork of eastern LI. We set out from his house just after 4 am on Monday morning. This is the sun coming up at Cape Cod Kia as we picked up the car we would drive to the island ferry in New London, CT, to take us across LI Sound to Orient Point.
We planned to take this ferry but after arriving early, they put us on the freight boat.....
Waiting to depart, and set out on the Thames River which leads to LI Sound....beautiful morning of what would be a record-breaking hot day on LI

Just leaving the dock - looking back on New London
Just across from our departure point, is the Electric Boat Company, submarine division
As we were pulling out, two tug boats were about to launch a submarine which had probably been in for repairs. Very interesting and intense moments as the tugs worked, tooted and moved the sub.
The smaller boat is a Coast Guard boat which had guns exposed on deck as it guarded the launch process.
We moved along pretty quickly and there were beautiful sites along the banks


An unusual lighthouse in the background
Another pretty lighthouse....this is a very rocky area
After an hour or so, approaching Orient Pt, LI
LM's been extolling the beauty of eastern LI to me forever, so I was thrilled to finally see it. It is mostly agricultural with the loveliest little villages, acres and acres of sunflowers in bloom, quaint farm stands and inviting inns, and then there are the vineyards and sod farms. Really lovely! We were on a mission so had to keep going but scenes like this whetted my appetite for the 3-day, non-working stay we have coming up in Southold, NY (just next to Orient Pt) on Sept 11-13. We'll be staying at the beautiful Shorecrest Inn, which we got a glimpse of this trip. On that trip we will see much more and be able to explore backroads and get down to have a look at The Hamptons area on the southeast part of LI.
We continued west to Port Jefferson, NY to pick-up the Saab which I would drive back. Being the last day of a holiday weekend, the traffic was very heavy, and we had a long wait at the Port Jefferson ferry to get back across to CT....VERY LONG....in 98 degree heat. It was an adventure, to say the least. Upon finding we had to wait at least 4 hours, we parked and walked in the broiling sun to find a place for lunch and some AC. We lucked upon this beautiful restaurant, and had a very delightful 2 hrs. My brain being fogged in by the heat, I forgot to take a photo of the beautiful Seafood Salade Nicoise I enjoyed, not to mention the dessert overwhich I lingered on every tiny spoonful: sweet cornmeal cake with local blueberries and peaches, accented by homemade vanilla honey gelato!! LM had a beautiful lobster roll accompanied by heavenly fries, and enjoyed a sorbet assortment...peach, watermelon and blackberry. Mmmmmmmmm. As I waited in a line for the ladies room, a sweet woman asked me if she could confide in me for a minute (we'd exchanged smiles and compliments on the food). She told me that she was there with her family and her best friend from childhood, whom she'd just been told, has only few weeks to live. She just needed to tell someone before returning to the table. We hugged and shared comforting thoughts. You just never know when you smile at someone, where it will lead.
Finally, we tore ourselves away from the lovely restaurant and its cooling AC, and made the long walk in blistering heat, to the car and make the try at getting on another ferry....getting there was so hard as the traffic in this tiny town was overwhelming and we had to circle through many tiny little streets to get into the ferry line. FINALLY, they let us on....
Here we are lined up about to drive on to the ferry, but not before another 1 hr wait.
We were safely back on Cape Cod by 10:30 Sunday night and although it was long and very hot, we had such fun. Everything with LM is an adventure and fun.
Now we cannot wait to go back for our 3 day B & B stay on Long Island in September...we saw the Inn and it is BEAUTIFUL.
Today we are going to a seaside reunion of LM's foster family who raised him from the age of 5. Should be fun. He has one foster sister left and they remain close as they live here in Hyannisport. He was so lucky to be taken in by that family.
Big news for me anyway....I bought a new car yesterday. My dearly loved 2004 Kia Spectra is nearing 71,000 miles, making a few noises and in need of a timing belt, so when I had the chance to buy a beautiful slightly used Toyota Camry at a good price from one of the dealers he drives for, we jumped at it. Pictures forthcoming.......it's a pretty silvery green!