Long Island Sojourn - Part 1

Sighing a huge breath of relief, we set out on Saturday morning at 7 am for our long awaited getaway weekend on the East End/North Fork of Long Island, NY. We drove to New London, Ct and boarded a huge car ferry which took us on the 1hour 20 minute jaunt across Long Island Sound to Orient Pt., NY. The day was picture perfect and we spent most of the trip on the outside deck enjoying the views and each other, and working hard to relax and leave behind the stress of the bathroom re-do and a lot of other weighty challenges.
As we left the dock in CT we passed by the US Coast Guard training ship, The Eagle. A magnificent sight on this glorious morning.
As we walked around the ship, we loved this view of its wake.
Arriving on LI we felt immediately transformed and once again in awe of the great beauty and peace in the tiny villages begging to be explored. We stopped and had our little picnic lunch, then made our way across to Shelter Island via a very cute little ferry from Greenport. There are just no words to express the unspoiled and charming beauty of Shelter Island. I really thought it would be a very beachy/touristy area. Instead, it is high forested land with amazing trees, and surely lovingly preserved old homes. Many are in the graceful old shingle style, they are most all hidden down long drives and gardens in their very quaint place. You get the feel of being back in the 50's. I managed to get a few photos but we are definitely planning a time when we can go back there to walk and check out more of the side roads.
This house was on a hill above the ferry dock. Below is the Shelter Island Beach Club.
Taken through the windshield, this is a sample of some of the many beautifully maintained old homes on the island
This wonderful building was in the center of a tiny village.
Being 9/11, this memorial by the Shelter Island FD was sobering, especially that we were in NY.
On the other side of the island we boarded a second ferry that took us to Sag Harbor on the South Fork, a bustling place but mired down in traffic. Still very old and a beautifully maintained seaside community. Huge yachts were moored and the town was teaming with crowds attending an arts festival. We kept going with the goal of touring some of Easthampton but the traffic held us up and we had to leave before we saw very much. Our check-in time at the Inn was quite strict and we did not want to be late. What we did see of Easthampton was so beautiful and what will always stick in our memory are the rows of amazing elm trees creating canopies above the streets. We will definitely plan a trip back there in the future.
I only managed one photo as we were busily finding our way.
After two return ferry rides, we were back on the North Fork and arrived right on time at our inn, The Inn at Shorecrest in Southold.
We were warmly greeted by the innkeeper and some incredible chocolate chip cookies, and quickly settled into our beautiful room for a little rest before launching a tour to find where we would have dinner. While LM took a shower, I walked to the private beach in the early evening sun, regrettably sans camera :(
We chose The Soundview Inn, just about 1/4 mile east of our inn (I think we both fell for the view!). We had some delicious flounder.
This shot was taken right from my dinner seat. It was a very beautiful evening and the Long Island Sound waters were very calm.
Next it was time to work off all the time spent in the car that day and do a little walking tour of downtown Greenport, NY. We both fell in love right away with its charms. Formerly a bustling whaling port, Greenport is now a popular tourist town, abuzz with busy restaurants and other attractions, the town was really humming. There was music everywhere, and we loved the open access to all the piers along the harbor. We picked out the spot where we would have dinner on Sunday night and made a reservation.
This great clock was in the village by a lovely open green area filled with families.
A beautiful carousel.
We were determined to get up close to this beautiful bird sculpture and were finally successful. It is right on the harbor and we had spotted it from the ferry on the way back from Shelter Island earlier in the day.
After our walk, we got back to the car and noticed we could hear wonderful music emanating from a nearby pub with an outdoor garden. We debated on going over for a drink but then decided to sit right there in the car and enjoy the music. We sang along for awhile and really enjoyed the concert. Soon we were looking at each other and realizing that a beautiful room with a comfy bed was calling our names, and we were back to the inn for a lovely evening and sleep.
Part II soon....I'm temporarily derailed by illness, again, and as soon as I digest more, I will be back with the story.