If you're looking to get out of the heat and enjoy some cooler weather, beautiful beaches, good food, gorgeous scenery and maybe some wineries, you'll want to check out Long Island, NY. Known for the famed Hamptons and of course, Montauk, just outside of New York City you’ll find those spots and so much more! I had a chance to Discover Long Island and let me tell you why you should too!
We started our journey at the Allegria Hotel, located directly on the boardwalk and our room had incredible views of the beach. The hotel has a rooftop pool and restaurant and bar onsite, honestly, this was one of our fav meals while staying on the South Shore. We sat outside, people watched, sip cocktails and enjoyed fresh crab cakes and flavorful tuna ceviche. A short walk from the hotel you'll find fresh bagels, Gino's for pizza and so much more. You also have the option to rent chairs for the beach, provided at no cost from the hotel and right next door is an ice cream shop, the perfect treat to enjoy while walking along the boardwalk.
After a night on the South Shore, we took a scenic drive to check out all the incredible beaches along the shore. Our favorite was Jones Beach. This is a world famous beach and it's made up of 6.5 miles of beautiful white-sand on the Atlantic Ocean. This beach gets tons of visitors each day and there's plenty to do. You can swim in the ocean, stroll the boardwalk, fish, get a bite to eat, play some games and so much more. Don't forget to make a stop here and give yourself time, you'll want to spend most of the day enjoying all that it has to offer.
From the sandy shores, we drove up North to stay in the most incredible spot, Oheka Castle. Words can't describe how gorgeous this property is and it's rich in history too. We were able to take a tour and learn all about the history of the property and the owner. I high suggest you sign up for that, if you want a little backstory. The property is massive and full of luscious green gardens. They have a restaurant on site but are also close to restaurants and other shops.
Our next day consisted of heading over to Port Jefferson. Before we got to our hotel, we made a pit stop for some of the best biscuit breakfast sandwiches on the cutest little farm, Kerber's Farm. Here you'll find fresh made breakfast items and pie, plus you can enjoy eating in their farm space out back amongst the chickens and hens. You'll even be able to greet the pigs and goats. Once we'd had our fill, we checked into Danfords Hotel, Marina, and Spa. This hotel is surrounded by spectacular views of the Long Island Sound – and nestled in the heart of historic Port Jefferson Village. I absolutely loved the rooms at this hotel and we had a balcony where we could sit out and enjoy the views of the port. For dinner we went to PJ Lobster house, for fresh seafood. We really enjoyed the clam chowder and lobster rolls, this place will hit the spot for you!
On our last night, we checked into Greenport and stayed in the chic American Beech Hotel. This boutique luxury hotel is nestled in the historic Stirling Square. It's an easy walk around town, where you'll find plenty of shops, restaurants and bars. They have a couple trendy spots on site to eat and drink, you might not want to leave the hotel, to be honest. If you do, you'll want to make a trip to a couple of the wineries nearby. Yes, that's right, I said wineries and there's nothing more iconic that sipping wine while looking out at the ocean and you can do that at Kontokosta Winery. Or just a little further away is Sparkling Pointe, this is the spot for Farming classic Champagne grape varieties from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay and their charcuterie options are on point! In the morning, you need to grab some bagels from the Original Goldberg's Famous Bagels. You can never have enough amazing bagels in your life!
Don't worry, we didn't leave Long Island without checking out the Hamptons. We took a couple quick ferries over to the other side of the island in the morning to explore. We had to hit up Grindstone Coffee & Donuts for some famous treats and they did not disappoint. Then we took a drive along the beach and were mesmerized by all the beautiful properties that lined the beaches. We had one more stop to make before heading to the airport and that was at Sorrento's of Long Beach where we ordered the best sandwiches!
One of the main things I heard when I shared my travels on social media was how people couldn't believe this was NY and that they had never experienced or seen these areas before. This definitely isn't your typical NY stay and it's well worth it to take the trip. We loved being able to relax, explore and eat some good stuff. If you want to check out more about Long Island or book your next vacation, check out Discover Long Island for more!