If you haven't been to Fire Island's landmark lighthouse, have you REALLY been to Long Island??…read more Well, I grew up on LI and truthfully never made it over here til I started having out of town visitors. Lately though, as a semi-landlocked refugee from Ohioooooooooo, I make it a point (ha!) to get over (and up!) here every chance I get!! The beach is beautiful, (any/every season) the boardwalk hike (from Parking Lot 5) is VERY easy and scenic (look for deer!!) and the view from the top of this historic lighthouse is priceless!! There's a lighthouse museum next door to the lighthouse itself, which is worth a visit (very friendly/informative info/volunteers) but if you're in a rush (esp. toward the end of the day/sunset) head right over the lighthouse itself and get tickets for that climb/money shot!! If I'm able to do the climb with only minimal huffing and puffing (!!) you should be able to as well, and the AMAZING 365 degree view you'll find will be more than worth the "struggle!!" DO IT, L.I.!!!

Need a quick getaway from the busy city, Fire Island is a great place to visit. Personally…read morefascinated by the history of lighthouses. Fire Island Lighthouse is a must see attraction. There are no cars on the island, taking the ferry is a great way to visit. If you want a quiet, relaxed visit definitely visit during the off season, which is before Memorial Day weekend. The actual lighthouse was closed for my visit but there was ship wreckage on display. In addition to skull of baby whale that washed ashore. The current Fire Island Lighthouse was completed in 1858, with a state-of-the-art revolving first order Fresnel lens produced in France by the Henry-Lepaute company. It was equipped with a first order hydraulic lamp, with 5 concentric wicks, and used Colza oil or whale oil. The 16-foot-tall, beehive-shaped glass and brass apparatus was rotated by means of a clockwork mechanism with flying pendulum. It emitted a 5-second flash once every minute. With a focal plane of 166 feet above sea level, this light could be seen from ships at least 21-23 nautical miles at sea. This original first order Fresnel lens served as a beacon to mariners from the top of the Fire Island Lighthouse from 1858 through 1932. In 1933, it was taken out of service and displayed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia until 2000. For history buff's I am providing information on the Savannah ship wreckage below: The sea brings us many gifts. One that recently arrived at Fire Island Lighthouse is a 13' x 13' piece of wreckage, possibly a remnant of the last voyage of the ship Savannah. This was no ordinary ship that came to grief on our shores. The Savannah was the first steam-powered ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.On May 22, 1819, she left Savannah Harbor and sailed across the Atlantic Twenty-nine days later she arrived at Liverpool to the cheers of thousands who came to see the smoke and sparks bursting from her single stack. Under steam for about 80 hoursof her voyage, her notoriety caused quite a sensation in Europe, where she visited many ports, including Stockholm, St. Petersburg, and Copenhagen.Returning to Savannah in November 1819, she failed to attract passengers and cargo because steam technology was still considered dangerous and unreliable. She was sold and converted to full sail, then carrying cargo between Savannah and New York.On November 5, 1821, during a terrible storm, she missed New York Harbor and wrecked off the shore of Fire Island where she remained buried for more than 200 years.Tropical Storm Ian uncovered the piece of her wreckage that began its journey westward with the tides, where it was pulled from the beach east of Robert Moses Field 5.On November 17th, 2022, National Park Service staff delivered the wreckage to the Lighthouse. Currently, N. P. S. staff is conducting research to positively identify the wreckage, including evident construction particulars and other anecdotal evidence of size, circumstance, and location of the wreck. The historic impact of the transatlantic voyage of Savannah will never be overlooked. Memorialized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, he designated the day that the Savannah began its historic transatlantic voyage, May 22nd, as National Maritime Day.The sea has presented us with an extraordinary gift, delivered right to our doorstep: a remarkable piece of Maritime Heritage, now on view at the Fire Island Lighthouse for all visitors to appreciate.Angela ReichAuthorShipwreck of Hopes

It was a really awesome place to visit, located in Smithtown it was once the property of Caleb…read moresmith the founder of Smith Town and later on turned into a private hunting club in an area which would have been largely rural at the time. It was a nice experience to walk the grounds near the water features which at one time where old mills. If you enjoy some mild hiking in a controlled environment with plenty of signage to lead you back to the parking area I recommend this place. Some of the hiking trails were pretty to traverse and I truly felt like I was in the forest.

Nice quiet park with shade. There's a place to sit also. It's a small park good for families and…read morecouples.

How is this called a Smithtown Historical Society when they are constantly changing the look of the…read moreland. Taking down trees and not keeping the integrity of the original landscape. There is nothing historic about this place any longer, it is now about making their wallets fatter and not about preserving the history of Smithtown!

Visited for a holiday event. Lots of vendors selling a variety of items. From soaps, jewelry,…read morechocolate and Boy Scouts selling wreaths. They had most of the vendors inside the barn or whatever it was and it was pretty cramped. We had to squeeze past people a few times. We browsed around and walked outside. It is situated on lots of land. Walk down the path and you'll see a still in use come the Spring, an old time baseball field. Keep walking and there's a farm. The kids enjoyed seeing and petting the horse, and sheep. There were chickens too. I would like to return when we can learn more about the property and the various houses on it. When you're standing on the one path, you're set back away from Main Street and it feels like you're transported back in time. The 3 star review was based on the holiday event we went to after thanksgiving.

I like urban legends and supposed mysteries, so the Lake Ronkonkoma story caught my eye. It's…read morerelatively nearby, and a nice drive out to Long Island if anything. So I made a trip out there with my boyfriend to see the lake and the mural specifically. Not that I was expecting anything phenomenal, but I was still disappointed. There's nothing inherently special about the mural, other than the fact that it gets repainted every so often. It's just a mural on the side of a deli. Drive up, park, look for 50 seconds, go grab lunch, leave. Eh. And I like to spend time looking at art, so for me to shrug and move on, you know it's nothing really to sneeze at. What would be more interesting is if someone made a little gallery showing every face change over the years. I wonder if the deli guys have one. The lake was better. Still nothing particularly special, though watching the Weird U.S. YouTube video Craig linked about the lake helped with appreciating it.

There's a legend, or urban myth, about Lake Ronkonkoma. There are plenty of variations of this but…read morethe basic idea is that a disgruntled Indian princess cursed the lake so that each and every year a male will drown in it. Supposedly this is true that every year a male does in fact drown. I can't back this up with any real figures. So in the last few years someone has begun to paint a mural of this princess on the side of the Lakeside Deli in Ronkonkoma. This mural generally gets repainted every now and then with a slightly different mood or variation on this theme. Sometimes the princess looks sad and you can see a tear, sometimes she looks angry and sometimes she just looks like a princess. So it pays to come see this since you never know when it'll be changed and you'll miss out on the previous one forever. You don't want that, don't piss off the princess. She seems to hold a grudge. If you're interested in this lore, here are some links: http://wotan.liu.edu/~esenig/myth.html http://www.geocities.com/aardduck/lady.html WEIRD U.S.: The Curse of Lake Ronkonkoma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhkRpyRn6xM

"Oh, oh, talk to me some more You don't have to go…read more'Cause you're the poetry man You make things all right" (Phoebe Snow) I wonder how many people are most familiar with Walt Whitman because of the crucial impact his "Leaves of Grass" book of poems played in advancing the plot in Breaking Bad? Well, besides helping the DEA solve the identity of who Heisenberg really was, Walt Whitman was a pioneering figure in American literature--a poet, essayist, and journalist, best known for his iconic "Leaves of Grass". He grew up on Long Island, left school at eleven, and became a teacher and journalist. He served in the Union army as a nurse during the Civil War. His poetry innovated the way people wrote poems, using a free verse "conversational" style. Th Walt Whitman Birthplace complex has two buildings - a museum and the house where he was born. The museum has a wonderful timeline display that takes you through his lifetime with photos and text. There is a gift shop and a small theater on site, and you can take photos of everything. The photography policy is different inside the house, where photos are limited to just one room -the kitchen. Outside photography has no restrictions. What a nice slice of Americana hiding in plain sight on Long Island.

Was the only one there so got my own private tour! Amazing tour, I learned so much not only about…read moreWalt but about farmhouse living in the 1800s. Would recommend not only to Whitman fans but history lovers too.

We had an absolutely gorgeous day with calm seas for our recent afternoon cruise, which was a major…read moreplus. We went as a group of around 20 people. The crew was very professional, friendly, and helpful, and everything was well-organized and well-managed. The food was very good and it was plentiful. The bartender was exceptional - we were all served promptly and she even came around to our tables a few times to see if we wanted refills. The ship was not crowded so we had plenty of room to mingle and enjoy ourselves. The outdoor decks are small-ish but as the boat was fairly empty that was fine. All in all it was a great day and I would recommend this as an excellent option for enjoying one of Long Island's most spectacular areas. The Captain even made sure to come downstairs from the pilot house to thank us all for coming and say goodbye. :-) The only reason I'm not giving this a 5-star review is that the boat quite frankly needs a thorough, top to bottom scrubbing - all the surfaces were dirty/sticky and the floors were grimy (yes, I know it's a marine environment and dampness is part of being on a boat... but this was more than just the "sea air!"). A few hours with a power washer (and carpet steamer) would do wonders! The paint needs refreshing too - even if just the railings, which stood out the most as old/worn looking. Bottom line, I'd recommend it and I'd go again... but I'd love to see the Lauren Kristy gleam the way she could with a detailing and a bit of fresh paint!

Thank you captain mike for supporting our Latin community 100% satisfaction for the good mood,…read moregreat employees, and great service. 100% recommend to anyone looking to book, hes the best captain ive ever seen.

On the eastern shore of the Lake, across the water from the Indian Princess Mural…read more(http://www.yelp.com/biz/lake-ronkonkoma-indian-princess-mural-ronkonkoma#hrid:9wGDEqAyApGtY0Np_8oo7g) there lies a sprawled-out, eccentric and odd collection that comprises an ever-changing roadside tribute; it's laid out on a hillside, located midpoint on a dead-man's curve. Assumably, this locale is a tribute to a young couple who were killed here in an accident several years ago, when the driver took around the bend too quickly and collided with an oncoming van. This memorial is informal and has no written dedicaton or explanation for its being, but it is obviously a spiritual place and is a point of interest amongst the locals. Not much to review, but I posted some pics if anyone wants to take a look.

The playground here is awesome for kids but the sandy area around the lake is littered with broken…read moreglass EVERYWHERE. So dangerous.

I have no idea why I'm reviewing an iron (or whatever) bull; then again, this isn't just a bull,…read moreit's an oasis. For some reason when we were younger and all we did was drive around in the good il' days, listening to music, hitting record shops, finding cheap food, this. I'll represented our independence. This bull was always a strong reminder of feeling a little freedom. I've taken plenty of photos with this bull, from drunken escapades to somber and sober reminiscence... they will never be public Ah the Smithtown bull; now let's go to the famous duck!

Statue The Smithtown…read moreBull- everyone knows this landmark, conveniently located across from the worst strip club around; but I digress... This bull represents the bull that Captain John Smith rode in the Kentucky derby only to lose to Sea Biscuit, because Pocahontas was too heavy... Or, alternatively, this represents the bull that Richard Smith rode as far as he could in one day in order to gain as much land as he could from the chief of the Wyandanch Indians, in said ride. I like the 2nd version personally but no matter how much you suck at American History, you can rest assured that if you use this magnificent beast as a landmark, everyone will find their way to your house. Anatomically correct? You betcha - bronze junk and all.