Montauk or Bust

SKYLARK'S ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

If you follow me on social media, then you most likely saw my post this week from Montauk Point. My sister is camping there, so we took a day trip to visit her. We hit the road at 9:00am and arrived around 11:00am. Two hours to paradise.

I don't think there's any better place on Long Island than the beach. Montauk is especially special. We spent the day at Hither Hills. This is a state park on Old Montauk Highway. The beach is steps away. What an amazing place. 

A Litte Backstory.

 The land that was to become Hither Hills State Park was once slated for private development of a recreational complex, including hotels, casinos, a polo field, and yacht basin, in the early 20th century. After the planned development was blocked by the Long Island State Park Commission, a portion of the private holdings were sold to New York State, who opened the 7.1-square-kilometre (2.7 sq mi) parcel as Hither Hills State Park in August 1924. Thank God.

The park is located on the South Fork of Long Island at Napeague. Three additional state parks a few miles farther east are: Montauk Downs State Park, Camp Hero State Park, and Montauk Point State Park. Just click on the links to read more about these gems of Long Island.

I was not a camper growing up, but I know a lot of people who were. My sister and her family started a tradition of spending a week every summer at Hither Hills with their two children and a slew of friends who were raising kids, too. I would visit. I admired the effort it took to pack up and head out for seven days of fun in the sun. Hither Hills is for all ages. 

This Tuesday was a picture-perfect day at Hither Hills. I call it a 10+. That means a super perfect day. You know those summer days that you wish would never end. I took a long walk as the sun kissed my skin as I collected shells, both whole and broken. One must always collect shells at the beach.

This has been a beautiful summer. I spend most of it at the beach and wait all year for this weather. It's hard to see it end. The weather is already cooler, but it was warm on the beach. We sat. We slept. We ate chips. And we watched for whales. There have been sightings this summer. 

If you haven't been out to Montauk this summer, do yourself a favor and go. It's not far from anywhere on Long Island, but they call it the end.

Peace and Love,

Skylark

At 60 and Beyond, taking a short road trip can feel like the end of the earth.

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SKYLARK'S PICK OF THE WEEK

Hither Hills State Park in Montauk is my pick of the week. It capped off the summer in the most splended way. Check out Hither Hills State Park - New York State Parks & Historic Sites and be sure to reserve early. All of the details are listed here.

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SKYLARK'S HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

The highlight of the week was walking along the beach in Montauk snapping pictures with my iphone. The tide was low with the sun reflecting in the pools of water. It was ripe for photography.