July 08, ,2010 - L.I. Sound view, no walking required— JULY Sound view,
no walking required
Some people know just how to squeeze every bit
of enjoyment out of their retirement years. When
we were younger and not so limited in what we
could do, like boating or walking the beaches, we
would often see two elderly sisters sitting at the
end of a road enjoying their lunch and the water
view. What a great idea for those of us who don't
get around as much as we used to. We decided to
take a ride and see
FOCUS ON NATURE just how many places
are still available
r where we can et to
our Sound beaches
Y by car.
We found if you
have the proper
permits you can get
PAUL STOUTENBURGH to both Sound and
bay beaches. Always
check with the town clerk's office to make sure you
have the right permits, as the fines are not as small
as they used to be.
We'll start along the north shore at the Mattituck
Breakwater park area, which has ample parking
and beautiful vistas. The fenced -in area is for Mat -
tituck Park District residents only with a parking
permit. Along the fence and along the inlet side
there is parking if you have a Town of Southold
parking /beach permit. It's a great place to watch
the boats, both private and commercial, that use
this waterway — the only harbor between Port Jef-
ferson and Orient on the Sound.
As we sat there, nodding heads of Queen Anne's
lace greeted us. Terns were working in the wa-
ter and, of course, the herring gull patrolled the
beaches, scavenging for bits of leftover sandwiches
and other forgotten tidbits.
Bailie Beach Park, on the east side of the inlet,
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In many places along the Sound shore you can asily spot
driftwood or logs partially covered with sand, the results
of a past storm.
gives you great views and requires the town permit
for parking at the beach and along the road.
Heading east, you can drive down to Duck Poini
Pond, once a quiet, lonely end of the road where
families went to have clambakes, fish and walk
the beach. Today there's a motel there and the
place has been "found" by many fishermen and
families. Nevertheless, you can sit at the end of
the road and enjoy the Sound. From there, you
can see Connecticut, approximately 13 miles
away, without getting out of your car.
You can watch sailboats making their way around
the Sound on a lovely sunny day or see beautiful
sunsets all year long at the beach, where the big roc
is typical of the area. Many of our town residents
today cannot take advantage of beach walking but
can enjoy the same sights and sounds and smells of
our local waterways from the comfort of their cars.
As we work our way east, Goldsmith's Inlet in
mw
of
Peconic has a shallow opening along the Sound;
it's another nice place to sit and watch fishermen
along the shore and out on the rock jetty. This is a
great spot for those who can't get out of their cars,
for there's an area where the endangered piping
plover nests. It is here we see the good work that
people have done by marking these nesting areas
with keep -out signs and information about the
birds. Most years, the shallow inlet area fills in and
has to be dredged out by a clamshell bucket.
This shallow inlet area is a great place to see par-
ents with their children, for here the kids can romp
and play in tidal water moving in and out while
exploring the marine life of the area. There's a spot
across the inlet where years ago you could see an
osprey nesting. My son once rescued an osprey that
was hanging there, caught up in monofilament fish-
ing line. I remember it was in pretty bad shape so wE
took it to Dr. Bill Zitek, who took good care of it.
0
Kenny's and McCabe's beaches in Southold offer
great views from the car of the beach areas as well
as views across the Sound. Here you can always tell
if the fish are in by the number of cars and trucks in
the parking lot and fishermen lining the shore.
Of course, the one big beach visited by locals as
well as visitors is Town Beach in Southold (here
again, be sure to check if you have the right permit
before heading there). This most -used town beach
includes restrooms, a playground and a picnic
area. There are lifeguards and beach attendants on
duty. This is one place it would be possible to get
out of your car and spend a little while enjoying th
picnic area with its tables and benches.
While the beautiful weather is with us, do as
we do: Get up and out and enjoy all that you are
capable of doing, even though perhaps today you
are somewhat limited. We hope you will find it as
worthwhile as we do.
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