Dare I say love affair?
I’ve been going to Montauk since i was a child, my dad owned a fishing charter boat and kept it docked there year round, actually he had 3 boats over the years, the Julie one, two, and finally three,
I enjoyed my time there when i was young, with my mom Julie and my sister.my dad would be off fishing, he was a how do you say? “die hard fisherman”. His nickname became “Captain Midnight”
My dads first name is Ron. & he did go to see that movie, you know “Captain Ron”. My mom, sister, and I had a lot of time to explore in Montauk, we fed the beautiful swans bread from the local IGA supermarket,
we visited a ranch with beautiful horses and of course we went to the lighthouse. Yes i have climbed those steep spiral stairs,more then once and the view is worth it, trust me,
We also loved dipping our feet in the ocean.
At our hotel my sister and i meet wonderful people over the years, who became our friends. My mom, once happened to pass by a room at this same hotel
and talked with a man who was strumming his guitar, well this man was non other then bob Dylan. at the time she did not know it was him. he asked my mom, if he sounded like Bob Dylan?
my mom replied “You sound better then “Bob Dylan”. To this day, I would swear he must have thought my mom was cute.
by the way, My mom found out years latter, It actually was Bob Dylan.
My reminiscing, would not be complete, if i did not mention a “dream spot” we used to stop on the way to Montauk,”candy Kitchen”
in Bridgehampton, homemade ice cream, what could be better. I also took my husband to this wonderful spot, which brings me to the present.
Of course iv ventured there myself, over the years. But recently took my husband, we spotted a rummage sale, fantastic! we had breakfast in town, drove down West Lake Drive. to the very end.
Stopped & sat on the somewhat jagged rock jetty, we relaxed & watched the boats come in. One had a dog on the very tip of his boat, the dogs tail pointed to the sky, his nose high in the air,
like some regal Nobel creature floating magic carpet like, first surprise as iv never quite seen this before.
Next was East Lake Drive, a ride I love to take. Thinking back on where we used to stay, sometimes not a motel, sometimes we slept in the car at my dads marina, which was actually not my dads marina,
but a place where he docked his boat. We were just waiting for him to come in, and what was taking so long anyway? “Mr.captain of the midnight hour”,i will never forget that blinking light on the opposite side of
“our” marina, it now makes me think on Gatsby and his blinking green light. Sorry i got lost in the moment, where was I, oh yes, old Montauk rd., where you first approach a stone façade, that reminds one,
with a good enough imagination, of it being the doorway to a great castle, with your own private airport. One that features small planes & helicopters of your choosing. Apparently my imagination was working
overtime. we did at one point wade in shallow water digging for clams too. That road has changed quite a bit over the years. There are more homes, large beautiful homes, but its essence is still the same.
Laid back & lovely.
Now were off to the lighthouse, as i am the unofficial tour guide. Onward, and what is that man doing standing on water? Ah paddle boards, the youth of today. Actually he looked to be about 50.
Now my husband and I, really got to talking. You see i was always curious about Camp Hero and the stories flying around and enfolding it. However i have never had the pleasure of a visit.
Just as we ended our conversation my guy looks over and says,”isn’t that the place you were just talking about”? why, yes it is, joy, that great tower!! & bluffs!!,jagged, old water flow lines
leading to the sea far below. Its as if the earth just cut off i exclaimed ooh my god!!its so beautiful, the couple next to us laughed. Next i notice my husband has gone close to the edge and with this
mischievous look in his eye, and why do men do this? no babe, i don’t want you to plummet to the ocean far below. Please move away from the edge.
Upon leaving this spot, I kept thinking, who knew i could still be surprised, while visiting. On our car trip home, my husband told me that i was a good tour guide.
Well i do concur, and i will be back many more times. This Montauk love affair is one that is everlasting, and please don’t tell my husband