Close to New York City but worlds away, Long Island’s Suffolk County is a pastoral escape set among rolling farmland, golf courses, vineyards and quaint seaport villages.  But no matter where you are in the county, you’re never far from a beach.

Less than an hour outside New York City, a vacation in Long Island’s Suffolk County is made easy by a choice of bridge or tunnel. Plus, New York’s metropolitan airports, John F. Kennedy International and La Guardia, are within easy reach of Suffolk County, while Long Island Islip MacArthur Airport is located centrally on Long Island. And the Long Island Railroad, the country’s largest commuter rail system, gives you quick, car-free access to your island getaway.

Life’s a Beach
Like at any island paradise, sand and surf go hand in hand in Suffolk County. Its status as a seaside vacation spot took shape when the rich began to come and play on the famous Gold Coast in the late 1800s. Today, the celebrated Hamptons—where many of today’s captains of industry maintain palatial estates—are its contemporary equivalent. However, those without a “lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous” abode on the island need not despair. Weekly rentals, bed-and-breakfasts, hotels and even state-park campgrounds abound. That’s the appeal of Suffolk County: It’s for everyone. And it’s an affordable vacation the whole family will enjoy.

Suffolk County’s strands are long and white, and they’re among the best in America. The world-renowned Hamptons alone occupied two of the top 10 spots in Dr. Beach’s annual listing of the best beaches in America in 2007. Both are open to the public and are two of many perfect spots to sit down for a good read, have a picnic or play in the surf.

Even without the accolades, the beaches are breathtaking. At Fire Island National Seashore, beachgoers find sand and water interspersed with boardwalks and dotted with rolling sand dunes. Fire Island is connected to the main island via two bridges, while Fire Island ferries shuttle visitors to and from the island. Certain areas of Fire Island allow no cars, ensuring that life slows down to walking pace. While on Fire Island, don’t miss the historic Fire Island Lighthouse—one of the area’s oldest—which first began blinking at seafaring vessels in 1826. Today it is a national landmark and museum.

The eastern tip of Suffolk County is home to the Montauk Lighthouse. First lighted in 1797, it’s the island’s oldest light. Occupying the easternmost point of New York State, the lighthouse’s state park and museum are a great stop for kids. Seals make a pit stop near the lighthouse from December to April every year. Visitors can also go on fishing and whale-watching excursions in the Atlantic. Casting a line into the sea doesn’t require leaving land, though, because visitors can fish from any of the docks or from the beach.

Family Outings
Of course, beaches and lighthouses will delight the whole family for hours on end, but Suffolk County has so much more to offer.

Visitors will find all sorts of festivals and fairs, quaint antique shops, farm stands, music, crafts and theater. Shoppers will delight in the shops and boutiques that dot the quaint downtown villages. A tour through the Hamptons also shows its deep artistic and avant-garde history, with museums, galleries and regular cultural events.

Suffolk County also embraces its farming past by promoting local produce. Visitors can slow down, take a step back and enjoy picking apples, pumpkins and berries together. The North Fork, in particular, offers fresh produce from local farm stands all along its country roads.

Long Island also boasts a number of notable art museums, including the Parrish Art Museum, Islip Art Museum, the Smithtown Mills Pond House, the Heckscher Museum in Huntington, and the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages. Other special interest museums include the American Airpower Museum, Long Island Maritime Museum, Museum of Natural Sciences, Children’s Museum in Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor Whaling Museum, and Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium.
 
Suffolk County is home to several aquariums, zoos and farms. Atlantis Marine World boasts a 120,000-gallon shark tank and the largest live coral reef display in North America. The Long Island Game Farm and the Holtsville Ecology Site and Park both feature a variety of exotic land animals, such as mountain lions, bobcats, bald eagles and tigers. The Animal Farm Petting Zoo takes a more hands-on approach with a variety of farm animals and reptiles.

If you want to have fun and cool off at the same time, visit the nationally known Splish Splash Water Park, the largest water park in New York state. Recognized as one of the top water parks in America, Splish Splash is a 96-acre wonderland featuring a 300,000-gallon wave pool and 20 water slides.

Many widely known artists have called Suffolk County home. Visitors can explore the Walt Whitman birthplace in Huntington, now a museum dedicated to the world-famous poet. Several famous painters also resided here, including Jackson Pollock and William Sidney Mount. Pollock’s home in The Springs, near East Hampton, can be visited by appointment, and Mount’s work is part of the regular exhibit at the Museums at Stony Brook.

Wine Country
Suffolk County’s North Fork is studded with more than 30 wineries and 50 vineyards. Now a maturing wine region, its first vinifera varietals were planted in 1973 by Hargrave Winery, which planted cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and sauvignon blanc grapes. Today, more than 1.2 million visitors frequent the area’s cellars and tasting rooms, and the region’s vines produce more than 500,000 cases per year.

The area’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean makes it an ideal growing region, with moderating temperatures beneficial to the production of superb wines. As such, Suffolk’s growing conditions are similar to noted wine-producing regions in the north of France, such as Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.

The region’s wines have consistently earned plaudits from some of the industry’s best known critics—Wine Spectator, The New York Times and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate to name a few.

And with wineries too numerous to mention producing award-winning vintages, it’s easy to see why one glorious day is often not enough time to sample the region’s best chardonnay, merlot, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. A perfect way to end any day is by watching the sun set over neat rows of green while sipping a glass of Suffolk’s best. For a full listing and map, visit www.discoverlongisland.com.

Tee It Up
Did you know that when the great game of golf sailed from Europe to America, it first came ashore on Long Island? By now, it has spread from its roots in the Shinnecock Hills to every corner of Suffolk County.

Today, Suffolk County is home to dozens of public courses of every description, from rambling links courses along the shore to lush green fairways surrounded by rolling hills. Many clubs offer lessons from PGA and LPGA instructors. For a complete listing of all Long Island’s courses, visit www.discoverlongisland.com. When you do, you’ll see why Suffolk County has always been a golfer’s dream destination.
 
Escape to Long Island’s Suffolk County and you’ll find spectacular natural beauty and an endless variety of things to do. No wonder this surprisingly affordable destination has long been the choice of busy people who need to relax and recharge.

For more information on visiting Long Island’s Suffolk County, visit www.discoverlongisland.com. To book a trip, visit www.AAA.com/travel.

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