Sagamore Hill and Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York.

Ok, I get it.  I live in the real world too.  I realize the majority of us are not always afforded the luxury of time and expense to take-off for a change of scenery to places like The Joshua Tree, or West Texas, or the Outer Banks – let alone South Dakota.  But for those in the New York City area, there is a pretty cool alternative that is not even as far as going to the Delaware Water Gap or even Orient Point.

A cool alternative destination for those in the NYC area is Sagamore Hill and Oyster Bay, Long Island.  It is not a far drive and the train exists as an option to get there as well.  Be it the short drive or the train, both will save you money – especially given the current high cost of gasoline.

Oyster Bay seems as a welcoming town/village/hamlet with plenty of quaint shops and eateries.  The town’s marina area as well as the Long Island Sound both make for relaxing scenery, interesting seascapes, and also allow for impressive sunsets.  Oyster Bay offers itself as an inviting place for exploring and enjoying life.

While in the Oyster Bay area, be sure to check out the home of the Teddy Bear’s namesake, Sagamore Hill – the home of President Theodore Roosevelt (T.R.).  Not to get into his political viewpoints and all, but I think Teddy Roosevelt is probably my favorite president, historically speaking.  T.R. was considered a radical of his day.  Modernly, it is sort of an alien thought to think that demanding inspections of meat products intended for human consumption was considered to be radical.  (Teddy Roosevelt was irate about the reported fact that more American troops died in the Spanish-American War from eating bad U.S. meat products than died in combat.)  Nor would we modernly think of the creation of the National Parks as a radical idea either.  But these thoughts were radical ones back in T.R.’s day.  He was made Vice-President in an effort to put him on a shelf – little did anyone expect McKinley to be assassinated which would then usher T.R. into the White House as President shortly thereafter.

Anyway, Sagamore Hill seems like it would be a pretty darn cool place to live, if anyone were to ask me.  And the short trip from the City to see it as well as Oyster Bay can make for a really enjoyable day/weekend as well as a fond memory too. 

AVT  (Aug. 2013)       

Sagamore Hill

http://www.nps.gov/sahi/index.htm

Oyster Bay, Long Island - Walking and Driving Tour of Oyster Bay

http://longisland.about.com/od/neighborhoods/ss/oysterbay.htm

Theodore Roosevelt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt

Assassination of William McKinley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_William_McKinley

Long Island, New York State, Niagara Falls, Lake Erie Seaway Trail, Belt Parkway, NY Thruway, I-287

October 14^th, 2009

I spend time in New York, typically on Long Island. It is a nice place with nice beaches; but be prepared to pay to park a vehicle at the beach or to pay for beach access if its summer time.

On this latest sojourn to the west coast, I also enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time in western New York State as well. If one ever has the opportunity to visit this part of the United States, of course, a detour to Niagara Falls is a must – regardless of the time of year of your visit. On both sides of the international border, the drive by automobile up and down the Niagara River is also quite enjoyable. However, if you are an American, you probably want to make sure that your name is not included on any U.S. government list of those not liked on the U.S. side of the border by the U.S. Government, because the Canadians will be as sheep and assume that you are a bad person and probably wont let you into their country. But anyway, barring that, it is a great drive!!

Another great drive is along the Lake Erie Seaway Trail (New York State/County Route 5); which heads towards Erie, Pennsylvania from Buffalo. It is a great place to bring a picnic and enjoy the Lake – at least in fair weather, anyhow. It’s probably a pretty cool site in the winter too, I would wager.

Otherwise, most New York roads are in good condition - with the noted exception of those in and close to New York City (such as the Belt Parkway). For instance, one really needs to be a good driver and take-it-easy to survive a drive on the Belt Parkway during foul weather. Overall letter grade of "B -" for the roads in the State of New York. (Qualify this grade with an average grade of "C-" for NY roadways in the NYC area.)

AVT