Land Shark Unlimited

This summer a new store opened in Greenport that offers a wide selection of merchandise relating to the village and the North Fork.

Greenport always had a little shop that offered shirts and other things that could let people know where you vacationed. The new Land Shark Unlimited however is double the size of the old store and offers more for both locals and tourists alike. I recently checked out the new store for the first time and was quite pleased with what I found. 

For starters, there are all sorts of tank tops, t-shirts and sweatshirts offered so no matter what your style is you will probably be able to find something that says either "Greenport" or "North Fork." All summer I had my eye on a long sleeve t-shirt in the window (the shop displays a lot of shirts in the window which helped to attract me in) and I finally went to buy it and I am glad I did! Although I will warn you now the store is a bit pricey.

Land Shark Unlimited also offers jewelry, signs to decorate your house with, bags and shot glasses, among a few other items. It is your typical souvenir store you would find in most beach towns which is why I think it is a must stop for those visiting. 

Unknown to me before I checked the store out, Land Shark Unlimited is actually a bit of a chain on Eastern Long Island. It also has locations in Montauk and Sag Harbor to provide goods for vacationers who visit the South Fork. 

You are not going to find the fanciest clothes or jewelry in Land Shark Unlimited, but you will find unique tokens of your Eastern Long Island vacation so I highly suggest checking it out! 

Mini Golf!

Eastern Long Island offers a lot of great golf courses for those who like to hit the greens on vacation. The area also offers a lot of mini golf courses for families and those not quite as experienced in the game.

On the North Fork in Greenport you will find Tic Toc Mini Golf at Drosssos' Motel. Located a little bit away from the main town, there is also an ice cream parlor and place to get fast food at Drossos'. The course is a little old and simple, but it still provides a lot of fun. I would recommend Drossos' more for those with younger children, but again anyone who enjoys playing mini golf can enjoy the course. There is also an arcade on the property to have a little fun at after you finish golfing.

Riverhead is home to a course for those looking to be challenged a bit more. Out East Family Fun's mini golf course has less obstacles than Drossos' and is much newer. I would recommend this course more for teens and adults and those who are more into the competition of mini golf than the entertainment of it.

Out East Family Fun is also home to batting cages, jumpshot basketball and inflatable waterslides so it is someplace you can spend a few hours at doing a variety of activities.

Those are unfortunately the only two mini golf courses on the East End I have experience playing at, but there are plenty of other places to enjoy a game too.

On Shelter Island there is Whale's Tale Ice Cream and Mini Golf. In Montauk there is Puff  'N' Putt Family Fun Center, which also offers boat rentals. Animal Kingdom Mini Golf is in Southampton.

Something that I think is cool about many of these mini golf courses is that they have other family entertainment on property also. So if you are looking for some fun, outdoor activities for a few hours I advise you head to the nearest mini golf course and play a round and check out some other fun things to do!

Finding a Restroom

In my travels around Eastern Long Island I naturally find myself looking for public restrooms at times, it's just a part of life!

Some towns on the East End have much easier access to restrooms than others and I would like to share my experiences with which towns have more convenient restrooms than others.

Starting on the North Fork and Greenport, Greenport has probably the easiest restrooms to find on all of the East End. The Greenport public restrooms are located right in the middle of town in Mitchell Park. Since Greenport is small to begin with, the restrooms are no more than a 5 minute walk from anywhere in town.

On Shelter Island the best place to find a public restroom is at the North and South Ferries. These restrooms are for ferry costumers only but since anyone traveling to the island has to arrive by ferry I assume that is most of you. Once you get off the ferry you can just pull over and park and head into the main building by the docks to find the restrooms. Unfortunately they are not convenient if you are walking around Shelter Island, but to be fair there is really no main spot on the island with a lot of shops to wander around anyway.

Moving to the South Fork, Southampton recently posed a problem for me trying to find a restroom. Since it is a walking village that has a lot of stores I figured there would be an obvious public restroom around, but alas there was not. I ended up asking someone in a store where one was and they actually pointed me to a restaurant that has a restroom open to all.

The Driver's Seat restaurant is located next door to Dash (the Kardashian's store) and although it is tough to tell from the outside it does offer restrooms for all. It is a little awkward that you have to wander in around those dining and ask where the restrooms are. The restrooms are downstairs and the waitresses are very nice about pointing them out however.

Westhampton Village has public restrooms, although they are a bit hard to find. If you are walking around the main village you have to go away from the center of town a bit but you should find them. And even if they are not the most convenient I applaud Westhampton for at least having public restrooms.

Montauk is another village with fairly easy to find restrooms. Since Montauk is right on the beach I found it is best to stop by one of the beach parking lots on the outskirt off town. In the parking lot there is a nice public restroom. Like Shelter Island it is not the most convenient place for those walking around town but it is still there.

I struggled at first to find public restrooms in Sag Harbor but that's because I was looking down Main Street. Sag Harbor does have public restrooms that are a little away from the main drag and are right on the water. They actually have a convenient parking lot right behind them.

Of course anywhere you go restaurants will have restrooms for those who ate there. So if you go somewhere to eat I suggest just using the restroom while you are there. The second best option is to always just ask!

Baseball in the Hamptons

If you are a sports worshipper like me your summer would be nowhere near complete without taking in some baseball in the sunshine. If you are sports worshipper who is traveling to Eastern Long Island this summer you are in luck because the area is home to the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League which offers some of the best summer collegiate ball in the country.

Just a quick background for those who do not know, most college baseball players spend their summers playing summer ball somewhere around the country. The most famous league that college ballplayers go to is the Cape Cod League in Massachusetts although it is far from the only league out there. The HCBL popped up just a few years ago and has quickly evolved to welcome top college players from schools all around the country.

The quality of ball in the HCBL is really high and this is coming from someone who has spent her life watching mostly just major league ball. I think the ballplayers end up impressing all the fans that come to watch with their flawless play.

Something that adds to the HCBL is the personal aspect of it all. The ballparks are mostly local high school fields so they are tiny and all the fans get an upfront view of the action. It's also easy for fans to interact with players after the games asking for autographs and such. I have seen first hand especially how much these ballplayers love kids and giving autographs and balls to their youngest fans.

Even if you are not a big sports worshipper I highly recommend checking out a HCBL game during your visit to the area because of how unique summer league baseball is. Keep in mind some of these players are well on their way to the majors as plenty of alumni of the league have been drafted in the past few seasons.

There are seven teams in the league so really anywhere you travel to on Eastern Long Island you are close to a team to check out. The teams are located in Peconic, Riverhead, Westhampton, Southampton, Sag Harbor, Montauk and on Shelter Island. If you want more information and to check out game schedules you can visit hamptonsbaseball.org.

High quality baseball featuring future major leaguers in beautiful summer weather, what more could you want on your vacation?

7 Things to Know About Montauk Point Lighthouse

When a lot of people think of the Hamptons these days the first images that come to mind have to do with living life luxuriously. The area after all has become world famous for being a summer playground for the rich and famous just a short hop away from Manhattan.

What many probably do not realize however is just how historic the area is. One of the most iconic sites of the Hamptons is the Montauk Point Lighthouse which has quite the history. To give all potential visitors a quick history lesson I present to you "7 Things to Know About Montauk Point Lighthouse."

1. It was the first lighthouse in New York State.
2. Its Construction was authorized by George Washington and the Second United States Congress in 1792.
3. It is the fourth-oldest active lighthouse in the United States.
4. It is a National Historic Landmark in honor of the role it played in American Maritime History.
5. Construction on it was completed in November 1796 after it was started earlier that year.
6. There are 137 steps to the top of the tower.
7. Its light flashes every five seconds and can be seen for 19 nautical miles.

A lighthouse in the Hamptons that was commissioned by George Washington himself, who would have thought! Just for those that do not know, Montauk Point Lighthouse also marks the easternmost point of Long Island so once you have reached it you cannot journey any further.

Montauk itself is a pretty stereotypical beach town but is still a cool place to check out with a lot of resorts if you want to stay the weekend. The lighthouse is easy to find because it is the end of the island and it is in a state park where you can wander around during the day.

More information on the lighthouse can be found at MontaukLighthouse.com, which is also where I got my seven facts. For lovebirds that really are interested in history and the lighthouse you can even have your wedding there!

There's your little piece of history in a Hamptons' beach town. Montauk as a whole is certainly worth checking out on Eastern Long Island and so is the lighthouse, which is historic and also a beautiful site to see!

Taking Time to Enjoy the Ride

A lot of the time we are so focused on where we are going that we do not take time to enjoy the journey to the destination.

I know, I sound like a corny quote book, but it is true and it relates to how one may spend their time on Eastern Long Island. This past week I had to drive all the way out to Montauk (the end of the South Fork) for business. I did not get to do anything in Montauk aside from the business I had to attend to so I did not get to enjoy the happening beach town. Knowing this though I was able to enjoy the trip by just taking in the sites on the way!

I traveled from Sag Harbor, which is roughly halfway through the Hamptons, out to Montauk surrounded by some of the most beautiful sites. Between the lush green landscape, beautiful houses and of course the beaches I really enjoyed the ride!

Usually when planning a trip we get so caught up in mapping out every minute of our day with something exciting to do that we miss out on fun things that are not as flashy, like just taking a car ride. There are so many beautiful sites on Eastern Long Island sometimes the best way to see a few is by just hopping in the car and driving!

Just like I sat back and enjoyed my ride out to Montauk I think you can sit back and just enjoy a simple ride around the East End. Forget about the destination for a bit and just enjoy the journey!