Our first stop in New York was Saratoga Springs on 31st October. We were booked for a haunted hayride to give us a taste of Halloween culture but unfortunately the torrential rain put an end to that plan when it was cancelled. We do, however, have plenty of great photos we’ve been taking for weeks now of the Halloween displays we have seen in front of homes and properties as we’ve been driving past.
A ferry from Bridgeport, Connecticut got us to Port Jefferson, Long Island and we made our way to our Airbnb in Hampton Bays with spectacular views of the water. Not to be beaten by the brisk chill in the air we just layered on the socks and sweatshirts and settled onto the deck.
Setting out to explore we came across the Big Duck in Flanders, built in 1931 by a duck farmer to be used as a shop to sell ducks and duck eggs.
Further along on the North Fork of Long Island we found a couple of wineries, out of many, to visit including Sparkling Pointe, a winery specialising only in sparkling wines.
We made our way into Greenport where we wandered along the waterfront and through the village center, sampling the fresh seafood on offer along the way.
Two short ferry rides and a drive through Shelter Island brought us to Sag Harbor where we met up with friends Margaret and Alison. It has been 16 years since I saw Margaret and we had an fantastic catch up over gourmet tacos at K Pasa. We’re looking forward to meeting up again, next time in Australia!
Making the most of Long Island’s glorious blue skies, we drove along the South Fork and visited the lighthouse and museum at Montauk Point. Montauk Point is also known as “The End” as it is both the island and New York’s easternmost point. Montauk Light is the fourth-oldest active lighthouse in the United States and has been operational since 1797.
Long Island, thank you for the blue skies after our last few days of driving through rain and for turning on the sun for Sue’s last couple of days with us. We bid Sue goodbye as she leaves us tomorrow for warmer weather in Hawaii before heading home. And New York, we’ll see you back in Manhattan for Christmas!
P&S