Meet Me in Montauk

There is so much out there to explore, learn and discover. Travel is one of the things I am most passionate about and it will be a big part of this blog. I'll keep all of my travels - past, present and future - here in this section.

For my first travel post I decided to start with a place that I am very familiar with: Montauk, NY...

Located on the very eastern end of Long Island (on the south fork) Montauk is just a bit further out then it's more widely known neighbor, the Hamptons. I've been going to Montauk since I was a baby, spending entire summers there until sometime in high school. While it is a very popular summer destination, my favorite time to go is... any time other then summer. 

Winter out east is wonderful. Nice restaurants have great deals, the summer crowds are nowhere to be found, a ghost town feel fills the air. It’s surreal to imagine the masses of people who park themselves on the Montauk beaches during the summer while you stand there in the freezing cold- miles of beach untouched. 

The above 4 photos were taken at the Montauk Point State Park during a little weekend trip I took with 3 of my best friends. It was some time in April and it was still chilly, but nice enough to climb the rocks and dunes by the light house.

The park is beautiful with over 700 acres of space including trails, the lighthouse, plenty of beach and amazing views of the ocean. In the winter you can walk down the beach about a mile and see seals out on the rocks. Really! I've seen them!

Eat.. breakfast and dinner with a snack in between:

There are tons of great places to eat, but Bird on the Roof is by far my favorite. If you're in Montauk in need of breakfast or brunch look for the white bird painted on the west side of the A-frame roof on your way into town. (The seagull in the picture just happened to be there and I thought it was pretty funny that there was literally a bird on the roof.) 

Some other restaurants I recommend are:

Breakfast:

• Anthony's Pancake House (especially in the off season when Bird on the Roof is closed)

Dinner:

• East by Northeast 
• Gosman's Dock (summer only)

Between huge brunches and late dinners, lunch doesn't usually happen. There may or may not be some wine and cheese between the 2 meals though. 

Buy:

• White's Drug Store- anything you might have forgotten at home and then some
• Nextdoor- (summer only) Great selection of beach wear and goodies. Select stock can be found in White's during the off season. 

Do:

• Beach!
• Half or full day deep sea fishing trips can be found out by Gosman's Dock
• Horseback riding (I recommend Rita's Stables)
• Explore the Montauk Point State Park as mentioned above. Climb the lighthouse in the summer, search for seals in the winter. I love climbing the rocks down by the shore. 
• Drive out to the nearby towns.. East Hampton is about 20 minutes away and has tons of higher end shopping. It's also packed with celebs. I once met Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.
• Relax

That's Montauk my way. I usually drive, but you can also take the Long Island Railroad which is a nice ride or the Hampton Jitney from many locations on Long Island and Manhattan.

Go have yourself a little weekend!