If you're ever heading out East towards the Hamptons, ya gotta stop by The Big Duck! It's Iconic!!…read more Driving down NY-24 in Flanders, you will stumble across The Big Duck...you really can't miss it. You're first reaction will be What the Heck is THAT?!?! Then you'll remember, and say, Ohhhh that's The Big Duck!! Let's go!! Hahaha. That is exactly what happened to us. We had heard of The Big Duck and had been meaning to go...then one day, literally ran across it. It's quirky and it's Iconic....Go! It's definitely worth a quick stop. Take some photos of the front and back; go inside for a quick browse. There's actually a lot of history there about the architecture and the history of this former duck farm. The staff is full of knowledge and will be happy to tell you the history and stories of The Big Duck! Although The Big Duck looks BIG from the outside, it's actually rather small inside. But it's packed with duck memorabilia, books and souvenirs. You just never know what you'll find there! Definitely worth the stop and exploration! The grounds around The Big Duck are also worth a walk thru! You can take a stroll while singing Disco, Disco Duck...does anyone remember Rick Dees?!?! (Look it up!).

As a transplant to New York and Long Island, I had heard about the Big Duck, so when I realized it…read morewas along our route to Montauk, we had to stop. It's exactly what it sounds like--a giant white duck on the side of the road. There are restrooms, a small parking lot, and a gift shop inside the duck with plenty of duck-themed souvenirs. The employee was knowledgeable about the history and shared interesting facts while we looked around. We snapped a few pictures and continued on our way. I wouldn't plan a trip just to see it, but if you're already headed that way, it's a fun stop for some silly photos and a chance to stretch your legs.

We got a Groupon for this place, which makes the price a lot more reasonable. They don't open until…read more1 pm on the weekends, and on Saturdays they don't even give guided tours. Instead, they give an "augmented reality" audio tour which is kind of hit or miss. The house was preserved for the historical significance of the Townsend family, one of which was a spy for George Washington. I didn't feel there was a ton of information on the family though. Pointing their phone at the different objects in a room turned on audio about them, but only a couple of rooms in the actual house were interactive. The rest didn't have signs, and one loan employee was around to answer questions at the end. The exhibit in the visitor center was nice though. I just don't think the AR experience was really up to replacing a person, both in amount of information and the uncanny valley, unnerving portraits. There is street parking and a nearby lot that are free on weekends. The gift shop is minimal. It was an okay spot to visit, but I would recommend coming on Sunday or whenever they offer actual tours to get a more thorough understanding of the house and the history of the people who lived here.

We went here on a winter weekend, and were fortunate to have the builsings to ourselves. The…read morehelpful staff took out modest admission fee and explained that they don't do tours on Saturdays but they do have tour devices using augmented reality. That means that when you walk through the buildings, you scan the cell phone device on important paintings and artifacts and they talk to you with further information about who or what they are. The small building that contains the entrance is packed with paintings, dioramas, documents and artifacts. Next you walk to the main house, built in the 1730's, and housing the Townsend family. At the time of the Revolutionary War, Samuel had to make room for a British colonel. In spite of the fact that he sympathised with the patriots, he maintained good relations with his "Guest." At the time of the war, the house had eight rooms. One of his sons was one of the leaders of the Culpepper Spy Ring, Placing the home on the National Registry of Historic Places. Each room was elegantly decorated, with the exception of the space for the enslaved housekeeper. In spite of the fact that we didn't get a formal tour, the staff member tagged along with us and kept up a spirited conversation - even giving us a bonus look at the Victorian wing which doubled the size of the structure. The house is said to be haunted, of course. Very highly recommended. The full set of photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryballard/albums/72177720323110655

The nice weather warranted for a family adventure. So we set out East where we heard there was a…read morewildlife refuge. My son loves the outdoors and animals so we figured it would be a perfect activity for him. We were totally right. Several trails, that aren't too difficult, surround this gorgeous spot on the Island. We did one of the shorter hikes and it was perfect for us for our first time. We were also able to bring the stroller on the hike with us. There are owls, birds, fish and turtles that can be seen throughout the refuge. It really was a fabulous day. They also have a ton of family programming too. Looking forward to making the trip out here again soon!

One of LI's hidden gems - also happens to be free. Well kept trails and birds of prey you can check…read moreout before talking a nice walk. Trails are very easy to walk, even if you have a stroller with you. Easy beginner hike or leisurely stroll for just about anyone.

They cancelled our charter with 15 minutes notice to arrival time as we were already about to…read morearrive with a party of 15. "Mechanical issues on the charter prior." I bet. This was my plan for my 25th birthday. I had a party of 14 about to be there, and we all already paid. Beyond disappointed as this last minute cancellation has ruined my birthday and left a party of 14 in sag harbor with no backup plan since we received a final confirmation the night before. Thanks American Beauty. Not feeling beautiful.

My friends and I had the nicest evening on our Sunset boat cruise with American Beauty. The first…read moremate David told us interesting local history and notable homes we passed. We had such a great time, and brought a picnic with us to enjoy. I highly recommend, and do this every summer!

I was here to get some rubbings about 10 years ago when it was all overgrown. . . You had to start…read moreon Waverly Ave and work east through the brush and broken fencing to get to the then-obscure main strip, which features some of the highlights of this cemetery . . . the row of obelisks, John Rock Smith Monument, and stones for the Shipwreck victims of the (1895) Louis V. Place, and (1897) Nachum Chapin. Now, there is a crew of guys speaking to politicians, landscaping the grounds and raising money for restoration: They were recently featured on the back page of Sunday Newsday (click link below). A great graveyard. . actually there are five old cemeteries on this plot, with stones dating back to 1794, connecting moderne tymes with the olde-timey spirits of your Patchogue brethren. http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/lilife/ny-lftstory5334850aug19,0,3320412.story

From the owner: Auto entrance on West Main Street, just west of the YMCA/Blue Point Brewery. Pedestrian entrance…read moreon Waverly Avenue. Collectively known as “Lakeview Cemeteries”, the property holds five historic cemeteries dating to 1793. On Main Street, Lakeview and Rice cemeteries are owned by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The western “Waverly Cemetery,” has gravestones dating to 1798, is legally “abandoned” and maintained by the Town of Brookhaven and Friends of Lakeview Cemeteries, a volunteer committee of the Greater Patchogue Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. PatchogueCemetery.org

This is an 1815 acre park just south east of the famous big duck / Sears Bellows park. You can…read morefish, hike canoe and kyak. Its big, its vast, its between the two forks of the Hamptons & North Fork in the center area bordering on the Peconic. Visitors come in from all over, you can usually see a few cars parked along Red Creek road with licence plates from many places. It's a beautiful place - I have biked on smaller part of the park the south of Red Creek Road along a trail and found nice ponds etc. This place has an old history going back 10,000 years from the Shinnecock Indians, tools can be found on the trail they say, and it extended the town of Southampton once with farming. It goes east to the interior of the two forks of the Island through the marshes by the beautiful Peconic Bay which is part of the remaining Pine Barrons etc. Makes you appreciate conservation!

Had an absolutely great time being driven around Long Island on this rolling beer bus on Sunday!…read moreHow can you not love this? You have a great driver, Kevin, who is very knowledgeable, friendly, fun, and most of all patient to put up with all our drunken shenanigans during this past weekend's Yelp Beer Bus event. The bus itself is clean, comfortable, and has both a tv and dock for playing your Ipod's. It's a great way to get around and taste a lot of beer without having to worry about getting a DWI ! Kevin knows all the routes to some of the best local breweries, and is a big craft beer guy himself. They do many beer tasting events on LI and around the local NY area and have packages available for group trips, or shorter shuttles to the local brew tastings. Check out the website for upcoming beer events and rates. To me, it's totally worth the cost to enjoy a worry free, and safe day, rather than drinking and driving. We hit up Great South Bay, Long Ireland, and Port Jeff Brewing Company. That last stop in Port Jeff on a terrific spring day was just perfect to try some beers and then wander around the town for a bite to eat before heading back to the train station to drop us off. Kevin has a great little biz here that I wholeheartedly endorse. Also, between stops it pretty much became a beer fueled dance party bus with some moves going on that would put some strippers to shame! Yay beer!

This was my second time with Kevin on a "Tapped Enterprises" tour bus. Once was private tour and…read morethis time a group event. We went to Orchard Vineyards, Sherwood House and Long Ireland Brewery. Kevin is extremely personable and very knowledgeable about his stops and the Long Island Beer and Wine Scene. I highly reccommed Tapped Enterprises if your looking for a fun way to tour the Island's resources and not have to worry about being behind the wheel of a car. You know what they say.... Leave the driving to us...