Long Island Attractions

When a lot of folks think about Long Island, they picture socialites sunbathing on the beach and shopping in the Hamptons. While people do sunbathe-the North Shore hosts the Long Island Sound while the South Shore hosts the Atlantic Ocean-there is a lot to do on the island year-round.

The Big Duck
A couple of years ago while driving along a scenic route, my parents and I came across this building in the shape of a duck. "Oh, that's the Long Island duck," my Dad said in reference to a local professional baseball team of the same name. Well, we now knew the inspiration for the ballclub, but what the heck was this Godzilla-sized duck built out of concrete doing on the side of a Long Island road? We got out of the car and went inside the "belly," which is a quaint gift shop operated by the Friends for Long Island Heritage, and bought duck-themed pencils and magnets.

Built in 1931 by local duck farmer Martin Maurer, it originally housed a poultry store and announced to consumers that they were in duck farm country. After Maurer passed, the Duck was threatened by development, but its charm won enough people over for it to be saved. Now owned by Suffolk County, the Duck is on the National Register of Historic Places, and celebrates the holiday season with locals and tourists alike, and is even adorned with Christmas lights! Can you imagine this symbolism of pastoral times destroyed to build a strip mall?
The Duck is located on Flanders Road in Flanders, New York, exit 71 off the LIE
631-852-8290

Sagamore Hill
This is a popular destination for class trips and history buffs alike, as it is the former home of President Theodore Roosevelt and his family and servants. To celebrate my great aunt's 88th birthday, my family and I took the tour-my first visit since elementary school. Our tour guide was a retired Oyster Bay local who led us through the first, second and third floors of the house, which was Roosevelt's residence from 1885 until 1919, when he passed away. His gravesite is located nearby. The grounds of Sagamore Hill are fascinating, from the water tower that his sons used to play on to the acres of "backyard" where he used to make his public addresses.

The town of Oyster Bay is also great for its proximity to the Long Island Sound and water activities that go along with the atmosphere. The town is proud of its presidential past and that pride is reflected in local businesses. While having lunch at a seafood restaurant called Canterbury Tales on Oyster Bay's Main Street I noticed the Roosevelt memorabilia along the walls.
Sagamore Hill is located at 12 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771
516-922-4788

Westbury Music Fair
If you enjoy live music without the risk of having a bad seat, then Westbury Music Fair is the place for you! The venue has a theatre-in-round style, and the stage rotates so that everyone has a chance to see their favorite artist up close! A variety of acts have performed here, from the Dixie Chicks to Nickelback, and I had the opportunity to catch Wierd Al Yankovic, a Westbury regular, last summer.
960 Brush Hollow Road
Westbury, NY 11590
516-334-0800

Montauk Point
If you've ever seen a car with a bumper sticker that reads The End, it may have been to Montauk Point. Located at the very tip of Long Island, the Point's lighthouse was the first built in New York State, under George Washington in 1796, and is the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the United States! During the two World Wars, it also held large amounts of ammunition, so one could say that it led sailors ashore and protected them against enemy fire at the same time. Nowadays, the 110 foot lighthouse sees thousands of visitors a year, many who are able to climb the stairs to the top (and some, like my mother, who can only go halfway). It's definitely a workout, but the spectacular view produces great postcard pictures!
50 South Fairview Avenue
Montauk, NY 11954
631 668-3781

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

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

http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/1216

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkId=136