Savvy Sightseer - tips and insights for seasoned travelers!
Long Island Get-aways
Ideally situated on New York's east coast, Long Island has much to offer as well as easy access to New York City and mainland USA. Whether for a quick get-away or an overnight stay, find lots of fascinating and beautiful places to visit.
Disclaimer: I am not recommending or promoting any particular services, agencies or modes of transportation - just passing along some excursions I've taken.
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I'll be adding to this page and new opportunities come my way, so check back often for new ideas! Some of these require admission or local passes; some have special rates for seniors; be sure to check with each individually.
On Long Island and NYC
In no particular order, here are some potential destinations:
Camp Hero State Park, Montauk - mysterious and exotic?
Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale - once a sportsman's paradise, now a place for everyone
Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Great River - an estate for all seasons
Sagtikos Manor, West Bay Shore - an historic estate with roots in the late 1690s
Mercer Labs, NYC - a fantastic and immersive art experience in lights
Central Park, NYC - a park with lots of stories to tell! Central Park is considered by some to be a “museum without walls” or even “American’s first theme park” with the theme being nature!
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You can learn more about some of these destinations at one of my Long Island Programs: Parks with Stories to Tell (I and II), Central Park and Hey Long Island What's Up with That? (I and II).
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Click on the pictures for a closer look at these sights.
Beyond Long Island
Hop in your car or take a tour with the ferry or local bus companies to venture across the LI Sound for more to see and do for a day away!
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Here's some thoughts:
Thimble Islands, CT - Did pirates stash treasures along the shore?
Stockbridge, MA - Fall foliage at its best in a quaint town near Norman Rockwell's home and museum
Bear Mountain, NY - a leisurely cruise up the Hudson
Click on the pictures for a closer look at these sights.
Block Island, RI
Named for the Dutch explorer Adrian Block, who first recorded finding the little island in 1641, Block Island is a terrific quick getaway! Arrive from Orient Point, NY, by high speed ferry in just 90 minutes, then step back in time and take in the Victorian-era atmosphere. From the North Lighthouse and Settler's Rock (plaque lists names of original 16 families who came in 1661) to the South Lighthouse standing above the Mohegan Bluffs, the 7-mile long island has so much to see and enjoy. The Block Island Historical Society Museum in packed full of history and shipwreck stories. At the 1661 Farm & Gardens, a short walk from the ferry dock, a free menagerie enthralls young and old alike with a wide ranging collection of animals - including a zedonk (zebra-donkey), camel, kangaroo, ring-tailed lemur and many more on an open range. Stunningly preserved Victorian-like mansions are eye candy dotting the island.
Click on the pictures for a closer look at these sights.
For a listing of programs and places I'll be, check my Programs page.
