As I made my way up the Cross Island Parkway to 495, I truly wondered if mine were the only Jersey plates on the road. Long Island, so close and yet so far from New Jersey, is somewhere few New Jerseyans I know will venture due to its very accurate reputation for traffic. Armed with a plan to reunite with my high school friends at our friend’s home in Hauppauge later in the day, I made sure to leave nice and early to avoid said reputation.

I have been to Long Island a handful of times before, but rarely make the journey to that part of New York. For this trip, I felt determined to find someplace new-to-me to discover in the time before I was set to meet my friends. In the days leading up to my trip, I explored the Island with the help of my most trusty trip-planning tool, Google Maps, and narrowed down my sights to two places I’d never previously heard of, Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington.

Cold Spring Harbor, NY

First on the agenda for my Long Island adventure was a hike. As I neared the parking area for Cold Spring Harbor State Park, I worried that I might not get a space. I’d seen signs for a Fishing Derby for that same day and wondered how popular such an event was out on the island. Luckily, my Fishing Derby worries did not materialize and I pulled into a space, the only one I could see amongst the throngs of cars in the lot (Phew! That was close!), and changed into my hiking boots.

Looking at the trail map and having the idea in my head that Long Island has pretty flat terrain, I made the mistake of assuming that this out and back trail might be a leisurely trek through the trees. When I eyed the first set of stairs at the very start of the trail, however, I readjusted my preconceived notions and prepared to sweat a bit.

The trail was well marked and clearly popular on a beautiful Saturday morning. Early into the trek, I passed a sign directing hikers toward restroom facilities located at the back of the Cold Spring Harbor Library, just a short offshoot from the main trail. The facilities are only open during regular library hours, so be sure to look that up before setting out on a hike, if that’s something you have concerns about.

With happy boots in the dirt, I climbed the stairways through the trees- up, down, and up again. I passed many hikers carrying trekking poles on their way back towards the parking lot and understood how poles could come in handy on this moderately challenging trail, due to the varying elevation.

After my hike, which took me just over an hour, I drove into town and headed to the next stop on my itinerary for the day- Sweetie Pie’s on Main. This cozy little bakery and coffee shop did not disappoint except for the fact that it made me want coffee pretty badly, which I don’t drink anymore. I got myself an iced chai with almond milk instead and forgot about my coffee craving pretty quickly though.

Sweetie Pie’s had a pleasant, quiet outdoor seating area around the back of the building. I enjoyed my chai for a bit in the serenity of the garden area before hitting the sidewalk again, to catch a better view of the harbor.

I enjoyed the little historical nods throughout the town. The buildings alone were quaint, characterful, and colorful. I passed by a restaurant that had enticing seafood aromas escaping from its kitchen that had me glancing at the sign to check the name, Sandbar, and continued on my way.

Leading up to the harbor was a pretty, grassy park with a moving tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Just behind the tribute sculpture were three Callery pear trees, seedlings from the original “Survivor Tree” found in the rubble at Ground Zero.

The view of the harbor from the park was peaceful and picturesque. So far, I was pleased with my Long Island adventure and I was excited to see what my next stop had to offer.

Huntington, NY

An adventure of mine rarely feels complete without a visit to a bookstore. I parked right out front of The Next Chapter in Huntington and smiled up at the classic fairytale font of the letters on the shop’s sign. Looking in the window, I knew this place would make my heart happy.

Inside, The Next Chapter was densely packed with fully stocked bookshelves, organized well with signs hanging from the ceiling that identified each section of the store. I made my way to the Staff Picks shelf and read the descriptions of a few books on display there before winding my way towards the Poetry section. I was searching for Whitman because of his ties to the area; he was born about five miles from Huntington, I learned in my research. Whitman eluded me, however, and Frost called to me instead, Frost being the first poet whose work really inspired me to practice the artform way back when.

I scoped out the children’s section next, in search of a few fun selections for a book-obsessed kiddo I know with an upcoming birthday and the offerings on the shelves did me just fine in my search.

The Next Chapter offers live music on certain Friday and Saturday nights and is also available to rent for events, by inquiry. I was intrigued by the shop’s local and independent author program and was happy to see titles by these authors featured in a designated section of the store. Very cool.

My daytrip plan led me back up New York Avenue to Six Harbors Brewing Company next. I perused the colorful menu of brews on offer and opted for a lighter option, the Founder’s Day Pilsner since I was going to be hitting the road again soon. I enjoyed my pilsner seated at a barrel inside the spacious tasting room. The brewery had a comfortable, rustic atmosphere to it that felt very cozy and welcoming, even as a solo visitor.

After the brewery, I took a walk up to Main Street in pursuit of a good slice of pizza. Main Street Huntington had such a fun, walkable, downtown USA feel to it that had me storing it in the archives of my brain to remember and return to someday. The street was a mix of independent shops and restaurants and some more well-known chains, and was packed with a plethora of dining and shopping options and convenience businesses to satisfy locals and travelers, alike. The downtown area also had a pretty park, a performance venue called The Paramount, and an AMC movie theater, all within walking distance. I’ll be back with Mike one day, for sure.

Walt Whitman’s Birthplace

Though already late to meet my friends, I just had to fit this stop in on my Long Island adventure. I drove about fifteen minutes south of Huntington to South Huntington to set my eyes on the humble home where the “Father of Free Verse” first opened his eyes on the world that would one day become his inspiration, his poem.

This was not a popular activity, apparently, and I was one of only two cars in the lot when I pulled in. The house was concealed behind a high, wooden fence, separated from public access by a pleasant looking visitor’s center. Entering the visitor’s center, I was greeted by two guides who told me that in order to explore the grounds, I would need to take a tour. I paid the entrance fee of $10.00, and explained with regret that I didn’t have time for the full tour. One of the guides led me outside to the grounds and provided a brief overview of the house’s history. Whitman only lived there until he was four years old. Still, I had chills knowing that this humble building, these pretty surroundings must be where the artist stored his first memories of the America that inspired him so well.

A short distance from the house were a statue of Whitman and a circle of benches called The Poet’s Circle, dedicated to the museum’s poets in residence. I could see how this place would be inspirational to poets and, if I’d had more time, I would have liked to sit there in quiet reflection and draft a few new verses of my own.

I explored the little museum in the visitor’s center and was interested to learn that the first edition of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, published in 1855, did not feature the poet’s name on the cover or the spine. Instead, the green, leather cover showed only the title in gilded lettering with golden leaves sprouting from the letters. The cover page also did not indicate the author’s name and instead offered the reader only a rendering of the poet, a young, bearded man in workman’s clothes, his hat tilted, his pose relaxed. According to the information on display in the museum, Whitman set the type himself for the first edition and less than 800 copies of the book were printed.

I purchased my own copy of Leaves of Grass containing the original twelve poems in their original form from the gift shop onsite. With my souvenir in hand, I headed back to the car to continue on the final leg of my journey, late as I was.

An Overdue Reunion

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m not the best at keeping in touch. Sometimes, years go by where I don’t exchange a word with some friends from high school. Despite this, it always amazes me how when that reunion finally comes, amid those hours spent in the company of people around whom I can be my true, quirky, silly self, the time lost is erased, filled with the updates and the news, the laughter and the inside jokes, the long dormant personalities of friends who came together at sixteen and before. The bond is strengthened once more, prepared to withstand the next pause, however long and we are left with our pride in each other, our mutual sense of inadequacy, our truths, and our hope that it won’t be so long till the next time.

Long Island, you impressed me. Thank you for the fulfilling hours and adventures for this solo traveler. And thank you for the light traffic early in the morning and late at night, despite my white-knuckle driving on the Belt Parkway in the rain.

Until next time.