This year, the familiar adage “April showers bring May flowers” has seemed to ring true. April brought warmer temperatures (yay!), but with that came a number of those rainy days so characteristic of early spring.
I don’t mind a good rainy day here and there. I tend to use them as an excuse to be a little less active than I typically am- those who know me well know that sitting still isn’t my forte, so I welcome rainy days as much-needed lazy time. Plus, on one recent rainy day, I got the bonus of getting to see this gorgeous rainbow come out over Sunken Meadow State Park:
So no, the rain hasn’t been bad. On the contrary, it’s resulted in some pretty powerful messages of hope (and it’s allowed for more Gilmore Girls binging. Nope, still not done yet. Not even through Season 3 yet…I’m a slow TV binger.).
But, now that we’re only a month and a half away from summer, I’m getting more and more antsy for consistently warmer and sunnier days- and that’s especially true today, when the Northeast has been experiencing record lows. It’s snowing on Long Island. SNOWING.
Today is clearly an anomaly (at least I really hope so), and there actually have been a few of those warm and sunny days over the last couple weeks. I’ve been doing my best to take advantage of them by going on scenic drives- my own mini social distance road trips.
Many of these drives have taken me east, to Long Island’s North Fork. Exploration right now is limited, but the North Fork offers seemingly endless opportunities for following social distance guidelines while still enjoying the beauty that makes up the east end of Long Island.
At first, I wasn’t sure how to approach these trips. By driving all the way out along the North Fork, I would reach Orient Point- the northeastern end of Long Island. Though Orient was the end goal (no pun intended), I didn’t just want to drive straight there and back. I wanted to take advantage of the lack of crowds and find places along the way that I wouldn’t normally have stopped at.
To try to reach those “off the beaten path” spots, I ended up doing a combination of planning ahead and winging it. Before driving, I researched lesser-known spots on the North Fork and kept a list of the places that seemed most intriguing. While on the drives, I went to those bookmarked places, but I also used my phone’s map to find other parks, overlooks, and beaches that seemed intriguing. Then, I’d just head in their direction, and hope for the best.
And guess what? It worked! I came across many spots that I never knew existed, and relished the opportunities to spend time outside, surrounded by the natural beauty of these places.
Take Peconic Bay Park in Laurel/Mattituck:
Between the beach grass and the perfect bay-side house, Peconic Bay Park presented beautiful scenery
This park offers serene views of Peconic Bay and the Peconic River, framed by fringes of beach grass. Plus, just across the street is the Husing Pond Preserve, which offers a nature trail and views of an osprey nest built into the surrounding pond:
A playground, gazebo, and a shoreline dotted with houses that I would move into in a heartbeat (when I win the lottery) are some of the defining features of South Jamesport Beach. This spot in Jamesport quickly became a favorite stop of mine. Though there were only a few people scattered around when I visited, it was easy to see how this could be a great location for families to spend a lazy summer afternoon. There are also tennis and basketball courts in the nearby park for those who’d rather work up a sweat than work on their tans.
Another spot worth mentioning is Truman’s Beach, just west of Orient Point. Though not off the beaten path- it’s located right off of Main Rd./Route 25 and is popular with local fishermen- it stood out to me because of the history attached to it. At this spot, Commodore Stephen Decatur, an American war hero from the War of 1812, dropped anchor while on his way to New York City. Earlier that year, Decatur and his ship, the USS United States, had encountered the British ship HMS Macedonian while en route to Madeira, Portugal. There, in the Atlantic Ocean, the two ships battled, with Decatur and the United States ultimately claiming victory. Decatur returned home with the United States, as well as the Macedonian– his prize for defeating it. These ships, along with others that had helped to defeat the Macedonian, took part in a victory tour, which took them along the Long Island coast and Truman’s Beach as they made their way to NYC.
Coastal history at Truman’s Beach. Anyone else a sucker for a historical marker, like me?
When taking a social distancing road trip, keep in mind the businesses along the way (if you’re comfortable with it, and able to do so). There were many local places open along my North Fork drives that offered safe ways to provide support. I can’t write about these trips out east and not shout out to Main Road Biscuit Co. in Jamesport. I hope some of you hear me when I say that biscuits are a lifestyle. There’s something about that buttery, flaky lump of grain that just makes me happy. So, when I first had biscuits from Main Road last summer, I was ecstatic to find that they deliver on their biscuit game in every way. Currently, they are open for pick-up orders on the weekends, which gave me an opportunity to support a local business AND to satisfy my biscuit indulgence. $10 gets you four generously sized biscuits, plus an assortment of butters and fruit preserves on the side (their honey butter is incredible). If you’re not craving biscuits, chances are that you’ll still find something crave-worthy on their menu. On one of my trips, I tried the House Made Granola Bowl, which is made with a delicious maple-coconut granola. Like the biscuits, it did not disappoint.
In my last post, I wrote about pushing back when you started feeling overwhelmed during quarantine. If you’re looking for ways to push back while also supporting local, one goal you can set is to try to improve your green thumb. Lavender-by-the-Bay in East Marion offers that chance- show up with your mask on, socially distance yourself from any other customers who may be there, and take home your own lavender baby. They offer lavender plants in a variety of sizes, for both indoors and outdoors. They also have an array of other lavender-based products available, from sachets to essential oils. You can view a complete list of their products for sale here, and even order online if you’re not able to get out to the farm. I took an outdoor plant home and am already seeing little purple buds sprouting on it!
More important than anything else, planning and taking these mini road trips is FUN. With a whole list of things that we aren’t able to do right now, it’s easy to feel like having fun has also been cancelled. I don’t know if it’s just me, but there are times that I have to remind myself that fun can- and should– still continue, even if that means finding new ways to do so. It’s really just another way to push back the negative during these uncertain times.
Have you taken any social distancing road trips? If so, what did you like or dislike? Let me know in the comments below!
‘til next time,
Lau