"The End"… A Tour Of Montauk, NY

Last week, we vacationed at The End. But, before I get to that, I'm taking you back to The Beginning.

In this case, "the beginning" I'm talking about is 15-ish years ago...when I was trying to get pregnant. 

I was reaching both the end of my rope, and my eggs, 

Sooooo…

…since a "baby" Goo Shoes didn't seem to be in our future, we decided to pursue our dream of owning a house near the beach. We were living in Manhattan, and needed an escape from the city.

Actually...we just needed more closet space.

We had spent many summers on the east end of Long Island, NY, and decided to focus our search in the village of East Hampton. It didn't take too long before we found the perfect house.

With my thoughts having turned from layettes to layouts, I was completely distracted from thoughts of pregnancy, which was when, of course…

I got pregnant.

As Mr. Goo Shoes likes to tell it, he had a contract for a house in one hand, and a positive pregnancy test in the other.

A happy dilemma!

We decided, what the heck! Let's do both! 

Having a baby and a beach house was a dream -- no make that two dreams -- come true. 

It was a time for new beginnings... 

Baby Goo Shoes said his first word in that house -- "ah-pah" (airplane)…

…it's where he first slept through the entire night…

…and where he took his first steps…  

He used to call East Hampton "Eas Tam Tam." 

So Cute. 

We had the house for about 3 1/2 years, but when we decided to move from the city to the 'burbs, there was no need...and no budget...for a second house. 

That last day in East Hampton, when we pulled out of the driveway, I never thought it would be ten years before we came back out to that part of Long Island.

But it was. And when we finally came back, we went to The End. 

Montauk, that is.  

Also known as "The End."

The End of Long Island. 

While most of the Hamptons attract the rich and famous (as well as common folk like us), Montauk is the antithesis of the posh Hamptons. 

It's the un-Hampton.  

Very laid back. 

Montauk is all about the beaches….

No, that is not Mr. and Ms. Goo Shoes ;)

Our first trip back to the east end of Long Island was last summer.  It made us realize how much we missed it, so we decided to come back again this summer. 

We stayed at a hotel that had a perfect view of the ocean, and if you've been following me, you know I like a room with a view. 

The hotel itself was "meh," but the location was perfect. 

Maybe we should have stayed at this hotel, but it's a block from the beach, so no view. 

We could have parked our car at the hotel and not used it the entire time we were there, because so much is within walking distance. 

But...we wanted to hit all of our favorite places.

When it comes to restaurants, our fave in Montauk is Harvest on Fort Pond. It's upscale, yet casual, dining. It's such a treat to sit in the garden outside. 

Just beyond the garden is the restaurant's namesake, Fort Pond, which has the most amazing sunsets.

The food is, hands down, the best in Montauk, if not in all the Hamptons (at least according to Mr. Goo Shoes and me). The portions are meant for two people, which we did not know the first time we went. This time, we ordered one appetizer and a designer pizza, and still took home a doggie-bag. Why did I not take a picture of that amazing pizza? 

On the opposite end of the dining spectrum is Lunch in Amagansett, just down the road from Montauk. It's really called The Lobster Roll, but everyone calls it Lunch because of the big sign on the roof.  

It's a glorified shack, and is extremely family-friendly, but don't drop your lobster roll if a famous celebrity sits down next to you. Everyone who is anyone, and anyone who is no one, eats at Lunch.

Oh, and yes, you can eat dinner at Lunch, too. 

We've been going there for years, and I remember one time, when I was pregnant, and eating my lobster roll...I actually said...

"Once the baby is born, life won't be that different...

we'll do everything we've always done, 

just with a tiny person tagging along." 

Are you laughing your head off?  How naive I was! I really didn't know what I didn't know!

Back to things I do know about...The clam chowder at Lunch is outrageous…

...but it's lobster rolls that they're known for. You cannot go to the Hamptons and not have a lobster roll at Lunch. 

Period. 

It's required. 

It's the law.

Legend has it that the lobster roll was invented here. It is definitely the best I've ever had. We ordered lobster rolls for dinner and two more 'to go' to have for lunch the next day on the beach.

In all the times we've been to Montauk, we'd never been to the Lighthouse, so we went to check it out this time. It is literally at the very END of Long Island.

Little factoid: This was the first lighthouse in NY State, commissioned by President George Washington. It still operates, but there is a museum, which gives you a feel for what it was like when it was built back in 1796.

We climbed 137 steps to the top to check out the glorious views. 

It was a perfect little vacation. 

The next time we come, we'll have to bring Junior Goo Shoes out here to show him where it all began...back when he was just a Baby Goo Shoes.

The End.

Linking to:

Weekend Bloggy Reading

Simply Create

Tickled Pink

Fabulously Creative Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Weekend Reflection 

Skywatch Friday

TGIF Showoff 

Best Of The Weekend

Pinterest Blitz Party

Bouquet Of Talent

Share Your Creativity

The Sunday Showcase 

Travel Photo Mondays

Mosaic Monday

Brag About It Tuesday

Take Me Away

Ms. Toody