My MasterCard Commercial

Written By: Patricia Walsh

 

It was summer of 1984 and we had been coming to the Soundview Inn in Southold for a few years.  We were a young Long Island family of four living on a budget and the Soundview was affordable, beachfront, and family friendly. You could rent a room, or a suite where you could cook.  All rooms had a view of the sound, hence the name, with a community boardwalk or private balconies.   The quaint town of Greenport was a walk away and had all the amenities necessary, from restaurants, historic sites, food stores, and boutiques.  Aside from the aesthetic qualities, the Soundview had a history, something which drew me in and kept me coming back. It was such an intoxicating and intriguing place.

That August of ‘84 my husband and I, with our 11 year old twins had rented a 2 ½ room suite for the week.  It had been a long cruel winter and we were anxious to begin our vacation.  It was already late afternoon and we wanted to do as much fishing as possible before the sun descended.  We finally got settled and headed down to the beach with its magnificent view of Long Island Sound.   The water was so clear you could look down and see the sound’s floor. Shells, sparking and bright, nestled in the green flora.  It felt so good, so tranquil.  Beyond the horizon the fish swam and frolicked as we beckoned to them to us with our baited hooks.  Avid fishermen know that the North Fork and Long Island Sound are great spots for snapper fishing.

As the four of us fished adjacent to each other, I marveled at the number of fish that were being reeled in around me.  All along the beachfront, hotel guests and others were enjoying the bounty of the sound – all except me!  I kept checking my hook for bait, which was either there or gone.  Where were my fish?  A few hundred yards away, men were fishing solely with lines, hooks and bait – no rods.  As they cast their lines into the sound lasso style, they were graced with gifts from the shimmering waters.  Why not me?  Was I invisible?  I never did catch anything that day, which still remains a mystery to me.  But between my husband and the boys, thirty snappers were caught that afternoon.  Despite their size, we knew they would make for a nice dinner that evening!

The sun was still high in the sky as we headed back to our balcony.   Walking along the rocky beach was like walking on hot coals, and after a harsh winter, the heat radiating from the sand felt heavenly.  As the sun began to set, we sat on the balcony watching the sunset and the rainbows it produced. Fresh caught fish, sunsets, and sound views from our balcony – life was good to us that day.  Little did we know that it would be the last summer of its kind, sadly, the boys lost their dad the next year.

And now my special place is for sale.  I hope we will not lose the Soundview, where one and all have a view of the beautiful sound and tranquil beach.  So much history has been made here, wonderful times that created a lifetime of memories. A past that can never be found once it is lost, pictures reflecting a lifetime of happy days! Keep the Soundview Inn and you will save your soul!

 

 

Number of fish caught that one beautiful day – 30

Cost of vacation – $800.00

Memories for a lifetime – Priceless