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?

A Visit to Hampton Coffee Company

If you are anything like me you like to start your day with a cup of coffee. I love waking up and inhaling a cup of iced coffee in the summer months even when I am on vacation. I share this love of coffee with one of my closest friends and usually when we hang out it includes stopping to get a cup somewhere. A couple of weeks ago at her suggestion we ventured to Water Mill, New York to try out a spot we had never been to before, Hampton Coffee Company.

Water Mill is located on the South Fork of Long Island in the Hamptons. It's only a five minute ride from Southampton if you head east on Montauk Highway. If you are heading to Sag Harbor, East Hampton or Montauk via Montauk Highway this location of the Hampton Coffee Company is situated in a spot that makes it a perfect pit stop for a quick pick-me-up.

Hampton Coffee Company has three locations that can be found in Westhampton, Southampton and Water Mill. According to its website (hamptoncoffeecompany.com) the Water Mill location was its first store and it opened over 20 years ago. The company brags that today it is Long Island's largest independent coffee roaster and like many places in the Hamptons lays claim to celebrity clientele.

The reason my friend and I chose to visit the Water Mill location was because of the outdoor dining options it offered and the convenient location right on Montauk Highway. This location does have a café too where you can dine on various dishes, but my friend and I opted for just simple drinks. We both got iced coffees that we added our own milk and sugar to after checking out.

To be quite honest the coffee was nothing special. As a Dunkin Donut enthusiast I did not find their coffee to be quite as good as the Dunkin I enjoy almost everyday, but I still would highly suggest stopping by the Hampton Coffee Company. The menu at the café offers some really tempting looking options and the atmosphere was so relaxing that I think its a cool place to check out if you are going to be traveling on Montauk Highway. While other places may offer better coffee they most likely do not offer outdoor seating that overlooks a winery.

Even if the coffee was not to die for the Hampton Coffee Company provided a nice location to get together with a friend and enjoy an afternoon of just having some coffee outdoors in beautiful weather. Whether you need a quick place to stop on your way farther out east or you just want to enjoy a small-town coffee shop, I would recommend checking out Hampton Coffee Company on your trip to the Hamptons.