Touring the Length of Long Island

I%26#39;m coming up the New England coast with my teenagers in a couple of weeks, and we%26#39;re plotting our route driving from Atlanta so we can see different things going up (end destination Maine) and back. We will be staying on the west side of NY (in Ardsley Acre Hotel in Westchester) for 2 nights on the way up.

I%26#39;m thinking of taking the ferry from Conn. to the end of Long Island and driving back down that way. Am I making a mistake? Atlanta has terrible traffic, but it usually moves. I would love to see the mansions and wine country, maybe stop at the beach, but haven%26#39;t made any hotel reservations yet. We would stay overnight in LI somewhere -any suggestions for budget-minded travelers? Finally, what would be the best way to continue our trip on south toward DC (ie, get off the island)? We%26#39;ll be leaving on a Tuesday morning.

Touring the Length of Long Island

';I%26#39;m thinking of taking the ferry from Conn. to the end of Long Island ';

There are 2 ferries that go from Ct. to Long Island that takes cars, the one from New London to Orient Point on the North Fork (this sounds like the one you mean) or the one from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson which puts you more in the center of the island. A lot depends on the amount of time you have to do this. It would help to know how long your trip is and where you plan to stop.

I don%26#39;t know what mansions you want to see, but they%26#39;re mostly not visible at this time of year hidden behind hedges or on the water and only visible by boat. There are lots of vineyards on the North Fork but there are also some on the South Fork in the Hamptons. The beaches on the South Fork are much more impressive (on the ocean) than the Sound or bay beaches on the north fork.

There is only one way to ';get off the island'; by car and that is incredibly crowded during rush hours and on weekends. But if you can plan the visit so you%26#39;re there midweek, it won%26#39;t be so terrible. Give us some more info so we can help you better. I wonder if you realize how far and how long a drive it will be to Maine. I hope some of the teenagers or your spouse can share the driving. ;)

Touring the Length of Long Island

Our trip will be 22 days long. I know I%26#39;m lucky that I can get off work for that long! My kids may kill me, but I wanted to see some of the country before they leave home. We took a 5 week trip out west last summer (flew out and rented a car), and we did learn that we like to get someplace and stay a few days rather than always be on the go. My son can help me drive since we aren%26#39;t renting a car, but we will be picking my husband up and dropping off at airports along the way since he can%26#39;t be gone that long.

To give you an idea of our travel pace, our itenerary is: 1st night in VA, 2 nights outside NYC, 1 night in MA, 7 nights in ME, 4 nights in Boston, 5 nights camping on Cape Cod, 1 night on Long Island, 1 night in DC and then back home. The trip home has some longer stretches I know, but I haven%26#39;t made those reservations yet and am making sure what I%26#39;m thinking is even possible. My silly new car will only go about 300 miles on a tank of gas, so I know I%26#39;ll be stopping often. (Had to get rid of that Suburban, though).

Our traffic in ATL has a lull between 10am and 12pm, so I was thinking of staying somewhere so we could leave the Long Island then (on a Tuesday). The wineries weren%26#39;t my primary focus (since the kids can%26#39;t drink and hubby won%26#39;t be with me on this part), we will have already spent 5 days camping on the beach - though I hear they all have their beauty, and if we can%26#39;t see the mansions, it could be that coming up Long Isand might not be the way to go. I was just generally thinking of driving back by way of the coast to see the sights since we had gone up more inland.

Since you are an expert on NYC, you can tell me if my agenda is ';doable'; on the day we will be visiting earlier in the trip. We plan to get there afternoon on Wednesday and leave midday on Friday, so it can be a little more than a day if we find it%26#39;s possible. We will ride the subway into the city from Westchester and walk mostly. I would like to leisurely stroll Central Park, eat something wonderful (still researching that), take the ferry around the harbor to see the Statue of Liberty (not actually visit the base), tour the Intrepid, go to the Empire State Building, and my daughter wants to walk down one of your premier shopping areas (but not actually go shopping). We can fly back later to do a more in depth visit, but I need to know if this is possible in the time that I have? Is it safe for me to travel with a 13yo girl and 16yo boy (he%26#39;s 6ft %26amp; muscular) on the subways at night back to Westchester? (I can still remember seeing the movie ';The Warriors'; a long time ago.)

Thanks!!

While Long Island Beaches are very beautiful I don%26#39;t know that there%26#39;s much to see, especially as you venture west. Everyone has their own opinions and the North and South Shores each have their own beauty. The south shore boasts some of the most beautiful wide and white sanded beaches - the North Shore more ';woodsy';, rugged beaches on the Long Island Sound. The mansions you mentioned you wouldn%26#39;t be able to gawk at - that%26#39;s why they are ';estates'; buried deep into the wealthiest of wealthy enclaves, mostly on the North Shore (though there are quite a few on the South Shore as well). I would suggest a day trip, taking the ferry to Orient Point and touring around Eastern Long Island...very beautiful, lots for a visitor to see and experience. Then get back on the boat and drive south - I would do a cross-island trip, agreed traffic could be UNBEARABLE.

Well, there is NO subway between NYC and Westchester. From Westchester you%26#39;d be taking a mostly above ground commuter train that will come into Grand Central Station--very worthwhile in itself to visit and explore for it%26#39;s history, architecture, food court and shopping. I don%26#39;t know what the nearest train station will be to your hotel. There%26#39;s an Ardsley on the Hudson station on the Harlem line of Metro North that might be close. Here%26#39;s a link to the Metro North map

http://mta.info/mnr/html/mnrmap.htm

The Intrepid is not currently open (closed for refurbishing). NYC is perfectly safe and so is the train, but if your main interest is seeing things in Manhattan, I%26#39;d chose a location a lot closer to the city. Ardsley is pretty but it%26#39;s not as convenient as staying in or nearer the city. The Sheraton on the Hudson in Weehawken New Jersey is just across the river by ferry (during the week) and has nice views of the skyline. It%26#39;s also a convenient spot from which to take a harbor cruise. You could even go to a Yankees game by ferry from there on the Yankee Clipper.

The Travel Inn in Manhattan is the only hotel with free parking if you wanted to stay IN town.

As to the Long Island portion, I think 1 night is not enough to see very much to make driving the entire length of Long Island worth your while. If you like the idea of taking a ferry (I do), you might consider taking the one from Bridgeport Ct. to Port Jefferson which puts you middle island. It doesn%26#39;t shorten the trip, but it gives you an hour or so break from driving and avoids some of the worst sections of traffic on I 95 in Ct. You could stay in or near Port Jefferson and from there maybe visit Old Westbury Gardens and/or Teddy%26#39;s Roosevelt%26#39;s Sagamore Hill on your way west. You can avoid Manhattan completely (if you want to) by using the Verranzano bridge.

Wow, 7 nights in Maine and 5 camping in Cape Cod!? Well, personally, I%26#39;d trade a couple of Maine days for more days in NYC, but that%26#39;s just me being a Big Apple booster.

Is your 1 day in DC all daytime, or is it overnight? I%26#39;d spend a night there. There%26#39;s a lot to see.

I have traveled many times from Boston to Long Island and have taken the ferry. Since you want to see the island I would suggest that you take the New London to Orient ferry. It is about 1.5 - 2 hours from the heart of Boston to the ferry in New London. The ferry takes 75- 90 minutes to cross. When you get to Orient you can then head into Greenport, a nice town about 8 miles from the ferry. You can then take a really small ferry onto Shelter Island which does have some mansions and is a very interesting place. You would then have the option of taking the ferry back to Greenport or another ferry from Shelter Island to Sag Harbor, a town on the South Fork.

In any event it sounds like the next day you are heading south to DC. The only logical way to go in that direction is to end up on the Belt Parkway driving past Kennedy Airport onto the Verrazano Bridge into Staten Island and then going through Staten Island and taking the Outerbridge Crossing into NJ.

Unfortunately the trip through Queens and Brooklyn and then into Staten Island can be very painful unless you are driving on a weekend. Since it looks like you will be doing this midweek I would take lots of valium with you. I have gone from Suffolk County to NJ via this route in as little as 90 minutes and once, after 3 hours on the road, I turned around and I had only made it to the Verrazano Bridge.

Leaving Boston at about 9:00 am should put you at the ferry by 11:00 am and on Long Island by 12:30 or so. That is a good time to see the sights and wineries. Unfortunately I don%26#39;t have any good advice as to how to get off the island the next day without hitting lots of traffic. Rush hour begins in Suffolk County at about 6:00 am and I would not attempt to get on the expressway until 9:00 am at the earliest, this would give the traffic some time to ease.

Hey, I%26#39;m just popping into NYC to see what we want to come back to see! Flights from ATL to NYC are easy. Not so with Maine.

I was only ';passing through'; DC on the way back, hoping to see the Memorials at night (I hear that%26#39;s beautiful). Again, that%26#39;s not hard to reach from ATL - and yes, there are tons of things to do there!

I%26#39;m taking to heart what ya%26#39;ll say about staying further into the city and looking for someplace to stay closer. I stayed outside of NYC proper because I was so afraid of getting stuck in the traffic, but with the limited time, we will be coming in on a Wed. afternoon and leaving mid-morning on Friday, so maybe we won%26#39;t get too stuck, and then we would be closer to the sight-seeing we do want to do. And the places to eat. NYC is the only place I%26#39;ve ever heard that has food that can live up to the standards of anyone who eats in ATL. (We have some pretty darn good food).

Any more advice? I%26#39;m listening!

I agree with Rastagirl. Take the Orient Point ferry and visit the North Fork. Oreint Point State Park has a great beach, there is a great seafood restaurant :Orient by the Sea'; is the name, I think. Greenport is charming for a stroll down Main St. further west come the towns of Southold, Cutchogue, Mattituck, Jamesport, Aquebogue and then, where I call home ';Riverhead.';

I would take Route 25 through these smaller towns as they are also quaint. When you get to my town, there is LOTS to do. Your teenagers would probably like ';Splish Splash'; which is our huge water park...if you have girls they would LOVE our Tanger outlet center for some serious shopping. Our down town boasts ';Atlantis Marine World'; which is a fabulous aquarium, marine environment center.

Afterward, drive to Port Jefferson, a fab little seaside town for dinner then hop aboard the ferry back to Connecticut as the traffic can be brutal. Unless you decide to drive late and go through NYC.