Falling in Love Again
Falling in love again
By Donna O’Rourke
I am a long islander. My flip-flops hit the ground at the first peep of spring and carry me through the November winds. I’ve raised my children here, sailing the Great South Bay, playing on our sandy shores and hiking our wooded parks.
Though the sounds and smells of Sunrise Highway can turn even the most optimistic of us, the call of the East Ends sirens will forever keep us young. For me;
young and in love.
It was on the shores of Montauk’s sandy beach that I fell in love yet another time.
My sister and her family invited us to join in their vacation at a lovely place called the East Deck. It was an ideal place to stay with our two children as it was barely a walk onto the beach and it included a pool and access to a BBQ grill. True long islanders need little more than that to create a little summer magic.
Not being financially graced, I feel a little like I am indulging myself with some piece of the pie I probably shouldn’t have. But the East End’s beauty, serenity and chic must be tasted by all as frequently as possible, so we loaded up the car and headed onto the Sunrise Highway pointing once again to that lighthouse on the islands end.
We stopped at farm stands along the way to pick up some of the most beautiful tomatoes, corn and cucumbers one can imagine. We also picked up peaches and strawberries and continued on our way to our vacation location.
When we arrived, we quickly put away all groceries and ran down to the beach. It was right there, hardly steps from our room door! In an instant, we knew this would be one of the best respites we would ever have. Fun and relaxation right here on our island!
Walking through the town of Montauk brings you abruptly alive with patrons of all wants and desires meandering the streets in search of that perfect souvenir, or that last piece of equipment needed to complete their sojourn on the sands of the south shore.
Once, for me, it was a pair of carved wooden earrings, purple parrots, matching my purple skirt and carefree mood. Mostly however, I like to window shop with that delicious ice cream cone in hand!
This day, the kids were off horseback riding with their cousins, which allowed me some alone time with my beau. Feeling young again in the sweet summer air, we smiled and talked and laughed as we savored the touristy feel of Montauk’s main road.
I had moment to recall a visit here in winter when we stayed at a place called the Crow’s Nest. Being out east always makes me think of whalers and fisherman so the fact that it rained the entire time we were there seemed apropos. Funny thing was we did not realize that the town of Montauk was somewhat quieter in winter so when we drove out to find some fun that first rainy night in March, we found nothing! We continued down the main road and eventually found ourselves in the Hamptons where we were able to catch dinner and a movie, and so we enjoyed seeing; “Titanic” for the first time that night. I believe we saw it two times more before our stay ended, but that was ok because we were together.
Back to the present trip, we spotted a small café where we ordered coffee and sat under the umbrella at a small wooden table where we watched the passersby. A young lady in a yellow sundress bent to pick up a fallen object; a mother with stroller crossed the street to meet up with a man, presumably her husband. A cyclist walked cautiously through a crowd on the sidewalk, bicycle rolling at his side. What a beautiful day it was!
While staying at the East Deck, the weather worked its magic and we were able to make full use of the pool and the beach. The sun in the daytime drew us to waters edge, playfully tossing ourselves around in the waves or challenging ourselves to surfing lessons. We walked for hours along the shore scoping out shells or other artifacts from the sea. Late afternoons the fathers and the kids messed around the pool while my sister and I came up with a dinner plan. On many occasion we grilled burgers or steak and we all played around the pool. It was a lot of fun.
