A WEEKEND IN GREENPORT, NEW YORK ON LONG ISLAND'S NORTH FORK

What would you like for your birthday this year?

Um.......I'm not getting you a gift. 

Sorry if I got your hopes up.......
I'd just like to know what's on your wish list.

Last year, the only gift I wanted was.......

An experience.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Ever since I read the NY Times article, 36 Hours in Greenport (read it here),
I've been itching to go. 
The words bucolic, wineries and water views all in the same sentence 
had me packing my suitcase before I even finished the article.

  It was time to scratch that Greenport itch with a fork.......
the North Fork, to be exact.
We made plans to go for two nights over my birthday,
which fell the weekend after Labor Day 
(that's early September for those of you who are reading this outside of the US).

The drive to the North Fork-- the very northeastern end of Long Island
in New York -- is about three hours.
Once we got off the highways, and drove along Main Road,
with its farm stands, wineries, and charming homes,
I was already regretting that we weren't staying a third day,
and we hadn't even gotten there yet.
I took the village's welcome sign calling Greenport 

"the shopping hub of the North Fork" as a personal welcome just for me. 😀


It was lunch time when we arrived in Greenport, 
and I wanted those vacation vibes to start ASAP!
I'd done advance research, and selected a restaurant on the water with an outdoor deck.

However, I overlooked the fact that the restaurant
 overlooking the bay would be closed for lunch that particular day.......
Seems they were taking a bit of a breather after the summer crowds had gone,
and cut back their hours.
No worries, we'd go for a sunset dinner instead!

Since there was no "Plan B" for lunch, 
we walked into the first restaurant we came to in town.
I pretended to tie my shoe (never mind that I had on flip flops)
so I could ever-so-discreetly vet it on Tripadvisor before we asked for a table.
Mr. GS was too quick for me - he was already seated.......
there was no leaving gracefully at this point.
Fortunately, Salamanders had an excellent rating,
and we enjoyed our meal even though the view 
was of an espresso machine instead of the bay.
(A recent google search shows that the restaurant has since closed).

The afternoon was spent exploring the village.
The two main thoroughfares, Front Street and Main Street,
 together form a right angle of shopping and restaurant heaven.

Just off Front Street, we walked down to Mitchell Park and Marina,
the centerpiece of which is the 100-year old carousel.

Unfortunately, the carousel was closed that day.
Hmmmmmm....... I was beginning to see a pattern here.
Note to self: Although the week after Labor Day is a wonderful time to visit Greenport,
many shops, restaurants, etc. take a much needed break
from the constant summer crowds.
Be sure to call establishments to check hours,
as their websites may not reflect accurate hours for this week.

Greenport Harbor was picture-perfect.
There's something about marinas that always make me feel happy.

I hadn't gotten very far yet, 
but this sea-faring town was already proving itself to be a terrific birthday present.

As much as marinas float my boat, so to speak,
it was time to move on and do some shopping.

There are, blessedly, no chain stores in Greenport,
which in and of itself gives the village a unique and charming look.

In and out, out and in of the many little shops.......
selling hats, cigars, chocolates, home decor, books, clothing, pottery and more. 

My favorite shop was Sweet Indulgences, 
purveyors of home decor, candy, jewelry and more.
 Had I only gotten as far as the whimsical garden, I would have been a happy camper,
but the interior had its own therapeutic retail charms and held many temptations. 

A quick detour down a side alley off of Main Street took us to another little inlet. 
I was starting to understand what the NY Times article meant
by water views everywhere.

  It was time to head back to our room at Tapestry Inn,
a charming bed and breakfast smack in the center of town.
The house (or rather, mansion) was built in 1908
by NY State Assemblyman John Bartlett and his wife, Mary.
It went through several iterations over the years, 
before becoming a full-fledged B & B 35 years ago.

We went down to do some porch-sittin' 
before it was time to leave for that sunset dinner on the harbor.

Outdoor dining hopes were dashed when dark clouds began to roll in,
followed by a downpour so strong that Mr. GS and I had to take cover in the house.

When I called to cancel our dinner reservation, 
the hostess said, "Is this Amy?"
I guess I was the last hold-out hoping for the rain to stop.
She actually tried to talk me into coming, saying there was an awning,
but wind, lightening and the fact that it was raining sideways
was hardly the ambience I was looking for.


Instead we went to Lucherito's, a cute little Mexican restaurant,
and had a wonderful meal.  
See? When life gives you limes, make margaritas!

One thing was for sure - there was no shortage of great restaurant choices in Greenport.
It may look like a sleepy little town,
but it caters to a well-heeled clientele of New York city-slicker foodies.

The next day, after driving out to the end of the North Fork
(read about that here),
we came back to Greenport for lunch at Crazy Beans.
It's a funky little eatery on the corner of Front and Main that is especially good for brunch.
We ordered way too much........
just the avocado fries would have been enough! 

My birthday dinner was at Noah's, an upscale, trendy eatery known for its small plates 
(no pictures -- I must have been too busy celebrating 😉).

The next day, before heading home, we had brunch at Bruce and Son on Main Street, which has a uber-cool vibe.
It felt like we were doing our part for agricultural sustainability 
just by reading their menu.......
filled with grass-fed, free-range, organic, locally-sourced this and that.

Two days in Greenport was just a tease.
I was smitten with the whole North Fork scene.
It's definitely an "I want to go back" kind of place....... 
 
I want to tour the wineries.
I want to try more restaurants.
I want to see the lilac farm in full bloom.

I think I need to go get the car keys and head out there right now. 

I will admit that I felt like I was cheating on my first true "fork" love -- 
the Southern one, home to my beloved Hamptons.
But, by the end of two days, Mr. GS and I reconciled those guilt feelings.
When we want a true beach vacation, the South Fork wins, hands down.

But for a jaunt to an idyllic locale that spoons out postcard-like scenery,
the North Fork is the choice piece of getaway cutlery.  

I'm glad I got Greenport for my birthday.  

Now, what should I do this year?

RESOURCES:

Tapestry Inn

Lucherito's 

Crazy Beans

Noah's

Bruce and Son's  

Sweet Indulgences

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Long Island's North Fork: A Birthday Excursion

Vacation In The Hamptons: "Unglitzed"

LINKING WITH:

Best of The Weekend
Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday
Keep In Touch  
Take Me Away
 

LONG ISLAND'S NORTH FORK: A BIRTHDAY EXCURSION

"What do you want for your birthday?"

One of the challenges Mr. Goo Shoes has had 
in his relationship with me over the years

is to figure out what to get me for my birthday.

It's not that I'm so difficult (at least I don't think so) --

but after so many years, it's hard to keep coming up with ideas. 

He's had some home runs (my camera, jewelry, etc)........

and some strike outs 
(we won't mention the salad shooter he gave me the first year we met).

There were gifts I returned.......

and some that I kept even though I wasn't crazy about them.

Of course, there were many gifts I cherished, 

and some that touched my heart.

This year, I really threw him for a loop.......
I didn't want a birthday gift at all. 

Nothing. Zip. Nada.  

Honestly? I couldn't think of anything I wanted.

 Call it maturity, or attribute it to simply getting older,

I have gotten to the point where

I'd rather do something fun than get a gift-wrapped thing.

I thought Mr. GS would be relieved to hear this news;

instead, I set his head spinning.

He assumed it would be up to him to figure out 
just what kind of "experience" to plan for me. 
Getting me a thing for my birthday was one thing;
planning an experience that would be my thing was not his thing. 
Got that?

Thing is, I never intended for him to come up with a plan.

Au contraire, mon amour!

I was more than happy to suggest ideas. 

Ideally, I wanted to go away for a couple of days.

However, I would have been happy to go into NYC for the day,

and do something different, 

or take a ride to a nearby quaint town and have lunch. 

But there was one idea I kept coming back to........

going to the North Fork of Long Island.  

Several months ago, I read an article in the New York Times called 
"36 Hours In Greenport."

I was intrigued by the sub-heading:

"On the bucolic North Fork of Long Island: 

oysters, wineries, country roads and water views all over the place."

I didn't need to read any further to know 
that this place was right up my proverbial alley.
It was just my thing, so to speak.

If you are unfamiliar with the area's geography,
the eastern end of Long Island literally splits into a giant fork in the road.

Head to the right, and it goes to the South Fork, home of the notorious Hamptons.
Head left, and you end up on the North Fork. 

In between the forks' two tines (😜) is Shelter Island, 
which is reachable only by ferry from both the north and south forks.

The weather forecast looked reasonably good,

so we booked two nights at a bed and breakfast in historic Greenport

(more on Greenport another time).

We dropped Sadie off at the dog sitter's, 

and set out on the 117-mile drive 
on a hot and sunny, summer-like day in early September.

The names of the towns we passed along the way 
were as familiar to us as those on the South Fork,
yet, we had never been to them........
Aquebogue, Jamesport, Mattituck, Cutchogue, Peconic, Southold.

 An American Indian tribe, the Corchaugs, were the first inhabitants of this area,
but in the early 1600's, Europeans thought it was an awesome place to settle,
 and so they did. 

Riding through these little hamlets, we saw lots of farmland, 
and dozens and dozens of wineries.
It was the perfect combination of rural and upscale,
yet not glitzy like the Hamptons on the other, more famous fork.

Our first day was spent in the town of Greenport,  
but the next day.......my actual birthday........
we drove around, exploring the North Fork, 
making stops here, there, and everywhere. 

The night before, my weather app gave me fits 
because it looked like my birthday would be a total washout. 
I consider it a gift of epic proportions that there wasn't a drop of rain the entire day!
I was actually grateful for the overcast skies, 
as they made for moody backdrops to my pictures.   

Even though we missed the peak blooming season,
a highlight of our drive was Lavender By The Bay, 
with its acres and acres of lavender fields. 
Visitors are encouraged to walk through or sit in the fields during peak season,
and inhale the calming fragrance.
I've already marked my calendar to go back next year in late June/early July. 
I won't even need a hotel........just park me in one of those purple chairs, 
and I'll be content to stay right there for the duration.

For now, the gift shop would have to satisfy my lavender 
craving.

 Lavender may steal the show in summer,
but sunflowers take center stage in September. 

There are little inlets everywhere, and the marshy landscape reminded me 
of South Carolina's low country. 

 

 By late morning, we had come to the end of the fork -- Orient Point State Park.
It's the North Fork's equivalent to Montauk on the South Fork.

We didn't spend much time.........just walked around a bit on the pebbly beach,
and watched the car ferry load up for its trip across Long Island Sound to Connecticut.  

We got back to Greenport just in time for lunch,
and in the afternoon, we ventured over to Shelter Island on the car ferry 
(more on Shelter Island another time).

The next morning, on our way home, 
we stopped at Kenney's Beach on the Long Island Sound in Southhold, 
just to see what it was like. 
One thing is for sure - you wouldn't want to walk barefoot!

In two days, we got just a tiny taste of the North Fork.
We didn't get to any of the wineries, or the nature preserves, or farmstands, 
or the wineries (did I already say wineries?).

 

Our conclusion?
If we want a beach vacation, the South Fork wins hands down.
The Hamptons' ocean beaches are among the best in the world.
However, we absolutely loved the North Fork and will go back again in the off season.
Chances are, we'll stay on peaceful Shelter Island next time,
maybe in early September. 
When we want a little action, we'll take a ten-minute ferry ride 
to either Greenport on the North Fork, 
or Sag Harbor in the Hamptons on the South Fork. 
That way, we can have our cake, and eat it, too).........

.......with two forks.

You may also like:

Vacation In The Hamptons: Unglitzed

 

The "End" - A Tour Of Montauk, NY

LINKING WITH:
Best Of The Weekend
Through My Lens 
Our World Tuesday 
Cooking & Crafting With J & J

Keep In Touch
Take Me Away