Nestled between the Atlantic and the Shinnecock Bay, Hamptons Bays sits beckoning to beach goers and urbanites alike who are looking for summer fun. You can find it all here - peacefulness and partying. Lie by the water listening to the waves ebb and flow or hit the town at night to feel like one of the elite. Drive Dune Road to see some killer homes, to visit the many clubs/bars/restaurants or just plop down at one of the many beaches.
I highly recommend Dockers. A little pricey but totally worth it. For my cousin's birthday some of my fav girls visited Dockers after we went SUP. If you haven't tried SUP I highly recommend it. An adorable father-daughter team rent kayaks and paddle boards from the parking lot of Dockers. And for $25 an hour you really can't go wrong.
We slipped into the bay and hopped on our boards, nervous we wouldn't be able to balance. But lo and behold we were up and going in no time. Ten minutes later the din of car engines on Dune Road faded in the distance as the croons of cranes, pipers, seagulls and orioles filled the salty air. It was true peace. Talking, bonding and joking we soaked up the sun and enjoyed nature from a different perspective than usual. We paddled until our hands blistered and our muscles ached. By then our tummies were rumbling so on to Dockers for some grub we went.
We slipped into the bay and hopped on our boards, nervous we wouldn't be able to balance. But lo and behold we were up and going in no time. Ten minutes later the din of car engines on Dune Road faded in the distance as the croons of cranes, pipers, seagulls and orioles filled the salty air. It was true peace. Talking, bonding and joking we soaked up the sun and enjoyed nature from a different perspective than usual. We paddled until our hands blistered and our muscles ached. By then our tummies were rumbling so on to Dockers for some grub we went.
A bottle of Prosecco and appetizers were in order. We couldn't decide on just one so we ordered a bunch.
The fried calamari was cooked to perfection, the Prosecco, cold. The three sliders were oozing with crab, lobster and ahi tuna. Our mouths watering, we could hardly keep ourselves contained. The lobster slider was cold and crisp on a brioche bun which was toasted to perfection. (There's something to be said for the perfectly toasted bun. People seriously overlook the importance of the bun. Pay attention to it next time, you'll see.). The crab was by far my favorite. They didn't scrimp on the crabmeat and it was flavored to give just the right amount of kick. Lastly, the ahi tuna blt was a divine combination of salty bacon and cold fresh tuna.
The fried calamari was cooked to perfection, the Prosecco, cold. The three sliders were oozing with crab, lobster and ahi tuna. Our mouths watering, we could hardly keep ourselves contained. The lobster slider was cold and crisp on a brioche bun which was toasted to perfection. (There's something to be said for the perfectly toasted bun. People seriously overlook the importance of the bun. Pay attention to it next time, you'll see.). The crab was by far my favorite. They didn't scrimp on the crabmeat and it was flavored to give just the right amount of kick. Lastly, the ahi tuna blt was a divine combination of salty bacon and cold fresh tuna.
We laughed and reminisced until we realized we were missing beach time so we paid our bill and quickly headed down the road to the beach.
More fam was waiting for us there as the giant waves crashed onshore.
We ditched our clothes and headed for the glistening blue green water. It looked more like a Caribbean island then the Eastern end of Long Island. No complaints from me! We dove under the first crusher of a wave into the cold water and popped up refreshed and happy. A few minutes of playing in the waves brought us goosebumps so we headed onto the warm sand to soak up the last of the day's sun.
That is, until we heard the ice cream man. You can't ignore a call like that! We trudged up the dunes. The truck was sweating in the heat and we quickly put in our order. Three soft serve swirl cones and one Choco-Taco. We slurped up our melting cones in about five minutes (no time for pics, kids) and our bellies were giddy in their summer happiness.
More fam was waiting for us there as the giant waves crashed onshore.
We ditched our clothes and headed for the glistening blue green water. It looked more like a Caribbean island then the Eastern end of Long Island. No complaints from me! We dove under the first crusher of a wave into the cold water and popped up refreshed and happy. A few minutes of playing in the waves brought us goosebumps so we headed onto the warm sand to soak up the last of the day's sun.
That is, until we heard the ice cream man. You can't ignore a call like that! We trudged up the dunes. The truck was sweating in the heat and we quickly put in our order. Three soft serve swirl cones and one Choco-Taco. We slurped up our melting cones in about five minutes (no time for pics, kids) and our bellies were giddy in their summer happiness.
Driving back to my aunt's house for dinner with the wind rushing through our hair and music blaring, I was reminded of the many summers I'd spent exactly like this one with these exact same family. Nothing could be better and I'm so glad I get to initiate my daughter into this wonderful place and to the wonderful people that represent all summer has to offer.
After dinner we head out to celebrate my cousin M's birthday. Her and I are more like sisters than we are cousins so we were happy for the time to catch up and spend some quality time together with some family.
We headed over to Cowfish for some drinks and then took the Rumbarge (so cool!!!) over to Rumba for some - wait for it - rum punch. Cowfish is a modern, elegant, breezy space on the water. You can watch the sunset from your aidorondack chairs on the grass as boats come in. Served in mason jars Rumba is well known for their rum punch. It packs quite a punch, pun intended (!) and can really sneak up on you if you're not careful. Many laughs and much fun later we headed back home to rest after a long filled day.
We headed over to Cowfish for some drinks and then took the Rumbarge (so cool!!!) over to Rumba for some - wait for it - rum punch. Cowfish is a modern, elegant, breezy space on the water. You can watch the sunset from your aidorondack chairs on the grass as boats come in. Served in mason jars Rumba is well known for their rum punch. It packs quite a punch, pun intended (!) and can really sneak up on you if you're not careful. Many laughs and much fun later we headed back home to rest after a long filled day.
I value these times in the Hamptons and for me it represents more than simply a hot summer destination. For me, it is quality time with my family and creating memories that truly are the essence of my beloved Hamptons. We are re-bonded after our time here and as we all go in our different directions we always look back on our time here with fondness and moreso, love. Take some time this summer to catch up with your fam in your happy place. It's totally worth it. And that my friends, is worth a glass of champagne! (brb Hamptons!)
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