Day trip to Long Island? Why you might ask......

I%26#39;m meeting friends in New York in just over a week (can%26#39;t wait!!), and we are consideringa day trip to the town of Riverhead/Jamesport, Long Island to visit a recently restored Victorian Mansion known as Captain Jedediah Hawkin%26#39;s House that is being opened as a fundraiser for a LI hospital http://www.captainhawkinshouse.com/

I%26#39;ve checked, and found that we can get close by LIRR from Penn Station, and then take a cab for the last 4 miles - so we plan on doing that on Monday Sept 19th. But, a question - since it%26#39;s a 2-hour trip each way, is there somewhere we should stop to see on the way there or back that might be interesting - gardens, parks, interesting architecture, or shopping areas? Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Day trip to Long Island? Why you might ask......

Jamesport is on the ';north fork'; of Long Island which is now known for great vineyards. I%26#39;ve never been, but there%26#39;s a vineyard in Jamesport. Info here

www.jamesport-vineyards.com/aboutus.html

You%26#39;re also not far from the Tanger Outlet mall in Riverhead. I think I recall there%26#39;s a good outlet mall not far from San Diego center, so don%26#39;t know if this would be worth your time. I have been here and it%26#39;s got a good Ralph Lauren, Saks%26#39; Off Fifth, Neiman%26#39;s, Barneys etc. More info here

http://www.tangeroutlet.com/

I think though if you plan on doing other things around the area you%26#39;d be best renting a car. If you rent a car, the Westbury Gardens and Teddy Roosevelt%26#39;s home Sagamore Hill would be on your way out, but not sure if they%26#39;re open on Mondays.

You%26#39;d be about 40 mins from the Hamptons from Riverhead and it should be beautiful weather. Plenty of good shopping etc. in Southampton, Bridgehampton etc. but it makes for a very long day. Would you consider an overnight?

Assuming you%26#39;re contemplating this with an interest in decorating/designer show houses, you might contact the Kips Bay Boys club and see if any of the autumn tours coincide with your visit

interiordec.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm鈥?/a>

Day trip to Long Island? Why you might ask......

Old Westbury Gardens are open on Mons. (closed Tues.)

www.oldwestburygardens.org/about_us.html

Sagamore Hill open too.

www.nps.gov/sahi/pphtml/planyourvisit.html

Thank you! Old Westbury looks fabulous, just up my alley!

Long Island has some terrific places to visit, but if you don%26#39;t have a car, fuhgeddaboutit! (sorry, couldn%26#39;t resist...) In Oyster Bay, there%26#39;s Sagamore Hill, home of President Theodore Roosevelt. In Farmingdale, there%26#39;s the Airpower Museum with lots of vintage WW II planes and memorabilia. On the South Shore, there%26#39;s the beautiful beach community of Long Beach, looking out on the Atlantic Ocean--rated one of the prettiest beaches in the U.S. You can drive up to Long Island Sound through the upscale communities of Old Westbury, Locust Valley, Mattinecock--some of the wealthiest in the country...with mansions, horse farms, winding roads, ';Gold Coast'; heritage...and of course there%26#39;s the legendary Roosevelt Field Mall--one of the first, largest malls in the country--built on the site of the airfield where Charles Lindbergh took off in 1927. (And the very upscale community of Garden City, with the pricey but beautiful Garden City Hotel, is worth driving around...some great restaurants and magnificent homes. In fact, the hotel is right across the street from the Garden City stop on the Long Island Rail Road--but I don%26#39;t think that%26#39;s on the line that goes to Riverhead.) By the way, most Long Islanders would discourage you from taking the trip out to see just Riverheard...It%26#39;s really got nothing much going for it compared to all the other Long Island places you can spend some time in.

I think if one is interested at all in colonial history the Old Bethpage Restoration would be interesting. There%26#39;s an awful lot of history in the restored (17th century) village.

It really can be like a trip through time and these things generally don%26#39;t do much for me.

The Hawkins house fundraiser is for Central Suffolk Hospital in Riverhead. It is a small community hospital having a very needed growth spurt. Thank you for supporting the fundraiser. Riverhead/jamesport area has quite few wineries and in September they are all celebrating the harvest. It is a very pretty drive along Sound ave. on the Northeast end of the island. There is also a 200 store outlet mall. And the Atlantis Marine world Aquarium. If you%26#39;d like contact me with specific questions at dltreks@optonline.net. I live out here.

Thank you all so very much, now I%26#39;m not only getting excited for my trip to Manhattan, but I am really looking forward to our ever increasingly interesting day trip to Long Island So much to see, so much to do....so little time. You%26#39;re all great!! If any of you ever head this way, please let me know what I can do to help.