Loading...
June 1, 2006 - Foray to the South ForkBA • The Suffolk Times • June 1, 2006 I- - " E.- I We never tire of visiting Montauk Point, and If you haven't visited the museum at the lighthouse, you are really missing a treat. Notice the rock foundation that rings this famous lighthouse, all In an attempt to keep the land from eroding away. Suffolk Times photos by Barbara Stoutenburgh Foray to the South Fork WE'D BEEN rrcrtrNG to get away for the past month or so and, unknown to me, Barbara had been doing some re- search on a "fun trip," so when she said "How about an overnight trip at Mon- tauk?" I jumped at the idea. Seems in the slow season hotels and motels have great package deals and she had found one that sounded too good to be true for two days and one night plus dinner and break- fast at local restaurants. I'd gotten most of the yard work done and Barba- ra had just about enough of paperwork to say "the rest could wait." We had made a previous commitment for Tuesday morning in Greenport, so we planned our getaway for right after that. There are two ways of getting to Montauk; one is by driving around, which means going west to Riverhead then heading east. The other way is to take the ferry to Shelter Island, cross the island and then take the South Ferry to the South Fork and head east. Seeing our appointment was in Greenport, it was natural to go by ferry. We pulled onto the ferry and were directed to move up front, which gave us a great view of Greenport. My, they've made the docks attractive, all spanking new. I can remember years ago when the old docks were loaded with visitors It was an outing we all looked forward to. You could stroll up and down the docks checking over the wide variety of boats and people. It would be great to see Greenport's waterfront come alive again with the docks full of boats Our day couldn't have been better. The sun was out in full force; the only drawback, if you could call it one, was a fierce wind out of the north. Once the ferry was tied up, we took up Route 114. The ride through Shelter Island is always pleasant. There's a feeling that people there take pride in their island and it shows in the trim lawns, quaint, well -kept homes, stately trees along the roadside, and just the uniqueness of the island. Along the road leading to the South Ferry were occasional horse chestnut trees in full bloom. Remem- ber when you were a kid how we were fascinated by the rich brown, leather -look- ing nuts of the horse chest- nut? The thing I remember about them was making make- believe smoking pipes for fun when we were kids We'd dig out the soft in- side, leaving the rich brown bowls that would have a stick attached to them to form the stem of our pipes Then we walked around showing off our pipes as they hung from our mouths It was only a short ride to the South Ferry and then, on the opposite side, we were off following Route 114. Even on the short ride I must have seen three or four cormorants flying low over the water. They were probably heading for Gardiners Island, where they nest by the hundreds These cormorants are real fish eaters, so much so that in some parts of the state there are programs trying to cut down their numbers Once on the south side, we traveled with caution, for this is notorious deer country. Even in broad daylight we saw a deer crossing the road, so if you travel this route be doubly alert to this possibility. Here we could see where the deer have eaten off all the greenery as high as they can reach. It's just like our place at home. Deer are truly a problem in more ways than one. We passed up browsing in Sag Har- bor and followed 114 over to East Hampton. It was along this long stretch of woods years ago I found a fresh road -killed grouse that again proved to me we do have ruffed grouse here on Long Island. What a wonderful wood- land bird. Focus ON NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh We passed through East Hampton and on to Amagansett, where we stopped at that wonderful roadside stand with such a great variety of food- stuffs. Here we bought two containers of delicious soups; one was ham and pea, the other squash and apple, which we took to one of the many tables out in the back. We sat and enjoyed the warn sun while we sipped our lunch. Then it was off to that long stretch of flat and straight road to Montauk. All along this sandy area were the bursts of white blossoming beach plums They were a little past their peak but never- theless they showed their love for this dry, sandy, dunelike area. To the north we could see that familiar old, tall radio tower that's withstood the test of time, including a few hurricanes It stands as a monu- ment to man's ability to create lasting structures Oh, yes, there has always been and still is an osprey nest about one -third the way up the structure. It wasn't long before we came to where the road split. We took the low road that parallels the ocean and passed by the state park campground where we have spent many a wonderful va- cation. Then we were there! What a spot. We sat out on the balcony away from that persistent wind and relaxed in a dream world of bright sun, warmth and vistas that dissolved in space. After a short catnap that revived us both, we were anxious to move, our destination the point and its famous lighthouse. So off we went. We had to stop at the entrance booth to the park- ing area, where the fee is $6, but if you are a resident of the state and over 65 there is no charge. We drove up to the upper parking lot to set up my 20 -power scope, but the wind was so furious it was difficult to focus on any- thing, and besides, my eyes were wa- tering from the wind. I'd have to quit. I did see lots of Bonaparte gulls far off, along with the usual black- backed and herring gulls. I folded up my tripod and scope and got back in the comfort of the car. I suggested we try the lee side of the point at the new Camp Hero State Park. Sure enough, when we got there it was calm and peaceful. Barbara took a few photos of the lighthouse with its ringed abutment of stone put there to slow down the erosion; so far, so good. If you do get to the light- house, it has a fine museum so I urge you to consider it. On our way back we checked out the restaurants that our motel package of- fered and decided on one down by the docks, where all the party boats come in. Needless to say, the meal was great and after walking around the docks we headed back to our motel, where we watched the sunset from our We Sat out on balcony to end the day. the balcony The next morning we watched an early cloudy and relaxed in sky give way to a mixture of a dream world clouds and brightness Final- of bright sun, ly the brightness took over, giving us another great day. warmth and Breakfast was also in- vistas that cluded in our package and dissolved in so off we went to the famous Pancake House in the village space. of Montauk. What a menu. What food. I never realized there were so many kinds of pancakes It is always a busy place in the morning. More sightseeing and we were head- ed home, which was uneventful except for the unbelievable sight of bumper - to-bumper traffic for miles all heading into Southampton. A steady stream of mostly service vehicles; trucks, panel trucks, pickups, you name it, they were headed east. So if you expect to head into Southampton in the morning hours add an extra hour or more to get there ... and it's not even summer yet.