Captains Blog
After a good night’s sleep – both in bed by 9:30 pm we woke to sunshine and another warm day. Today is our 45th Wedding anniversary!!! Where did the time go and how did we get this old so fast???
Today we plan to head out to the Montauk Lighthouse at the very eastern end of Long Island. The lighthouse was commissioned by President George Washington in 1792 and is the fourth oldest lighthouse still active in the U.S. It can be seen for 19 nautical miles and one can climb to the top deck (156 steps) for a great view.
Getting to Montauk (112 miles one way) took us along routes and through small touristy towns reminiscent of Cape Cod. Along the way we stopped at the Plaza Restaurant in Montauk and had the best anniversary burger ever.
Once at the lighthouse we were inspired by the vistas of beautiful ocean. We could see the coast of Connecticut, Judith Point in R.I. and Block Island a 30 minute Ferry Ride away.
LINK
http://www.montauklighthouse.com/
I wasn’t sure if Ron was up to climbing to the tower light but he insisted. We made it to the top with several stops along the narrow spiral staircase. Since we’ve not engaged in any real physical activity for almost one year it was a challenge to get to the top but we were determined and succeeded. Unfortunately, we were not allowed out on the deck for safety reasons but Ron was able to get good pictures and a video clip from the vantage point they did allow us.
Back on the ground we walked to several viewing areas with more breathtaking views. Back on the road there was a vista viewing area so we decided to stop. Of course, the navigator (me) thought the viewing area was down this dirt path marked with wooden steps and Ron dutifully followed. Interestingly, it was a path to nowhere with no vista views and the Captain was quite amused.
We were on the road to the campground but Ron, who is looking pretty tired by now wants to push it and ride over to the West Hampton Dunes. Although it was along our route home I was concerned because Ron doesn’t know when to say quit for the day.
The Hamptons is an incredibly rich community with homes that are huge, spectacular and expensive. We marveled at the size of the homes and noticed that 90 % of the people here drive Mercedes, Cadillac’s, BMW’s and Lexus’s.
Along the beach route in the West Hampton
Dunes each house seemed to be bigger and more beautiful then the previous. We have seen this in several wealthy communities throughout the country and just wonder what these people do for a living. After being duly impressed we arrived back at our campsite around 7 pm. I made dinner and once again we were in bed by 9:30 pm.
The beaches here are state run but divided by beach names and location but essentially it is the same beach that runs the length of Long Island. At Nickerson Beach they are set up with 500 cabanas that can be rented for the summer for a mere $2,100. This is just to store your belongings and to have a private shower and dressing area. To get a spot your name is drawn in a lottery. This place must be CRAZY in the summer. A parking spot for a day at the beach in the summer is $30.00. The system here is incredible and I cannot imagine the number of people that flock to this area in the summer. The roads to the beaches and state parks are 6 lanes wide. Nothing is cheap in this part of NY. The campground is $49.00 per night with full hook-ups and you cannot book for a week at a cheaper rate.
Tomorrow we will head off to the Fire Island Lighthouse (we love lighthouses) and plan
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