Sands Point and Port Washington

In the travelogue that has engulfed my blog of late, I like to keep things orderly. So I'm backtracking for a moment to revisit our Memorial Day Weekend outing to the north shore of Long Island. It was a kind of spur of the moment decision brought about after a particularly enticing conversation with my friend Katie. She mentioned a nice estate where the kids could run free (Sands Point) and a clam shack in a local marina where Nacho and I could indulge in lobster rolls and cold cans of beer while watching the boats pass by. Where do I sign up, I thought? So on that beautiful, sunny Sunday we threw ourselves into the car for a 40 minute ride out to the tip of the Port Washington area on the shore. It was a nice enough drive without much traffic and the girls were elated to bound out of the vehicle for a little roaming in the open fields. Of course, it helped that the two buildings on the property resemble castles. There were lots of questions about what's inside them (and honestly, I still don't know), but nevertheless, we made our way passed them and down the path to the pebbly beach below.

I think this was one of the first days in recent memory where it almost felt like planning and executing a family outing wasn't a total chore. Don't get me wrong, I love that shit. But usually, I hem and haw too much or worry about timing--are we leaving too late, not coming home in time to nap--and this wasn't so bad. We made it there after a somewhat leisurely morning at home and there was still plenty of time to enjoy the day. The girls ran and played, ate and slept (they were both passed out within 5 minutes of getting back in the car post-lunch), and we even decided to end the night at the park because why not? I loved driving through the neighborhoods around Port Washington and seeing what would pass for average 60 year old houses in any other part of the country but sell for just under a million because of their location.  It is a lovely little spot of land. But there's nothing that could make me want to move there. It's quaint and all, but heading back to Queens always makes me smile. This is home, and that amazing lobster roll is just a short hop away.