The "Big Duck" of Long Island is kind of like the Loch Ness Monster, except that it really exists…read more And it's not that "big". It's not a destination by any means, it's a brief stopover. But you can take it off your Long Island Bucket List and if are going to the Hamptons or Montauk. And it'a free, so it won't cut into your Hamptons oat milk latte budget.

If you enjoy roadside attractions this is a fun stop for sure! It has a little history and a few…read morenovelties inside but the photo ops with the big Duck are the best. If you find yourself in the area be sure to stop by!

We got a Groupon for this place, which makes the price a lot more reasonable. They don't open until…read more1 pm on the weekends, and on Saturdays they don't even give guided tours. Instead, they give an "augmented reality" audio tour which is kind of hit or miss. The house was preserved for the historical significance of the Townsend family, one of which was a spy for George Washington. I didn't feel there was a ton of information on the family though. Pointing their phone at the different objects in a room turned on audio about them, but only a couple of rooms in the actual house were interactive. The rest didn't have signs, and one loan employee was around to answer questions at the end. The exhibit in the visitor center was nice though. I just don't think the AR experience was really up to replacing a person, both in amount of information and the uncanny valley, unnerving portraits. There is street parking and a nearby lot that are free on weekends. The gift shop is minimal. It was an okay spot to visit, but I would recommend coming on Sunday or whenever they offer actual tours to get a more thorough understanding of the house and the history of the people who lived here.

We went here on a winter weekend, and were fortunate to have the builsings to ourselves. The…read morehelpful staff took out modest admission fee and explained that they don't do tours on Saturdays but they do have tour devices using augmented reality. That means that when you walk through the buildings, you scan the cell phone device on important paintings and artifacts and they talk to you with further information about who or what they are. The small building that contains the entrance is packed with paintings, dioramas, documents and artifacts. Next you walk to the main house, built in the 1730's, and housing the Townsend family. At the time of the Revolutionary War, Samuel had to make room for a British colonel. In spite of the fact that he sympathised with the patriots, he maintained good relations with his "Guest." At the time of the war, the house had eight rooms. One of his sons was one of the leaders of the Culpepper Spy Ring, Placing the home on the National Registry of Historic Places. Each room was elegantly decorated, with the exception of the space for the enslaved housekeeper. In spite of the fact that we didn't get a formal tour, the staff member tagged along with us and kept up a spirited conversation - even giving us a bonus look at the Victorian wing which doubled the size of the structure. The house is said to be haunted, of course. Very highly recommended. The full set of photos can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/terryballard/albums/72177720323110655

One of LI's hidden gems - also happens to be free. Well kept trails and birds of prey you can check…read moreout before talking a nice walk. Trails are very easy to walk, even if you have a stroller with you. Easy beginner hike or leisurely stroll for just about anyone.

4.5 Stars.    I love…read morethe Long Island Pine Barrens Region. So much so, that in Las Vegas, I have had dreams that I was hiking in Sears Burrows County Park. A few forested miles southwest of it, my dream kind of came true when we visited the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. My stepmother, who is familiar with the Refuge encouraged my dad and I to join her there on a nature walk.    The Quogue Wildlife Refuge has been protecting this 305 acre naturescape since 1934. It is a naturescape adorned with pine forests, fields, the rare dwarf pine forest, bogs, swamps, a pond, and pine oak forests.    Contrary to how I envisioned the Refuge, it was not this difficult to find place. Parking was right off Old Country Road. Across from the unpaved parking lot were the attractions that serve as a trailhead to the four color coded trails (please see the map proceeding the review) that range from a 0.8 mile hike on the Green Trail to a 2.5 mile hike on the Blue Trail. Welcoming us was the Outdoor Wildlife Complex where injured wildlife are well taken care of thanks to the kindness of people that care. One of the acts of kindness are the Visitors who donate money at the entrance. This leads to the point that admission is free, yet a donation is the right thing to do. I took some time photographing the animals that included owls, foxes, raccoons, and Giant African Spurred tortoises in the nearby greenhouse. Although these aren't grand habitats that would be found in the Bronx Zoo, I appreciated that the animals had a home. In the shadow of the Outdoor Wildlife Complex and pine trees was the full service restrooms. All the way to the left was the Old Ice Pond.    My Dad, stepmother, and yours truly engaged in a relatively short walk in the southeast corner of the park where a pine oak forest interspersed with fields dominate. My Dad's knees bother him, so we engaged in a shorter hike with breaks on the benches breathing, hearing, and sightseeing the pine barrens. We'd see a deer and birds up on the pine trees. Our ears would also take in the sound of the nearby train. Our experience leads to the point that the seven miles of hiking trails appear to be more relaxing than strenuous.    The Old Ice Pond framed by a mature forest is the picture postcard centerpiece of the landscape. There are hiking trails that overlook it. We took in this picture postcard from a bench and inside the Charles Banks Belt Nature Center, which looks like an inn overlooking the pond. We shared the panoramic spectacular views of the ice pond with several volunteers who were sending out materials that we assumed were promoting the Refuge. Within this building that reminds me of a lodge, is a museum of neat nature related stuff. Some were real like the lizards. The preserved butterflies were really cool. This is a neat place to check out when it os open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.    Our visit ended with the three of us taking in the springtime scenery of the Old Ice Pond.    I do have a concern that is causing me to leave my rating at 4.5 instead of 5 stars. That has to do with the east preiphery fence. When we walked along the southeast border there was a fence smack dab in the middle of the pine forest. My concern is that this is unprotected land that can fall victim to the bulldozer. If that were to happen, it would ruin the experience on account of a truncated forest causing the Refuge to feel more like a caged in 305 acre yard than a part of a pine forest. I really hope that the other side of the east periphery fence is a protected forest. My concern is merited from seeing a before and after picture inside the Nature Center of rapid sprawl along nearby County Route 104.    On the future, I would love to return to Quogue Wildlife Refuge. Especially in the Fall when the trees change colors over the pond. Until then, I hope to have more dreams about the Pine Barrens.

They cancelled our charter with 15 minutes notice to arrival time as we were already about to…read morearrive with a party of 15. "Mechanical issues on the charter prior." I bet. This was my plan for my 25th birthday. I had a party of 14 about to be there, and we all already paid. Beyond disappointed as this last minute cancellation has ruined my birthday and left a party of 14 in sag harbor with no backup plan since we received a final confirmation the night before. Thanks American Beauty. Not feeling beautiful.

Very nice boat ride around sag harbor with great views. David did.an excellent job telling and…read moreshowing us all the history around the area

I was here to get some rubbings about 10 years ago when it was all overgrown. . . You had to start…read moreon Waverly Ave and work east through the brush and broken fencing to get to the then-obscure main strip, which features some of the highlights of this cemetery . . . the row of obelisks, John Rock Smith Monument, and stones for the Shipwreck victims of the (1895) Louis V. Place, and (1897) Nachum Chapin. Now, there is a crew of guys speaking to politicians, landscaping the grounds and raising money for restoration: They were recently featured on the back page of Sunday Newsday (click link below). A great graveyard. . actually there are five old cemeteries on this plot, with stones dating back to 1794, connecting moderne tymes with the olde-timey spirits of your Patchogue brethren. http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/lilife/ny-lftstory5334850aug19,0,3320412.story

From the owner: Auto entrance on West Main Street, just west of the YMCA/Blue Point Brewery. Pedestrian entrance…read moreon Waverly Avenue. Collectively known as “Lakeview Cemeteries”, the property holds five historic cemeteries dating to 1793. On Main Street, Lakeview and Rice cemeteries are owned by St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The western “Waverly Cemetery,” has gravestones dating to 1798, is legally “abandoned” and maintained by the Town of Brookhaven and Friends of Lakeview Cemeteries, a volunteer committee of the Greater Patchogue Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization. PatchogueCemetery.org

This is an 1815 acre park just south east of the famous big duck / Sears Bellows park. You can…read morefish, hike canoe and kyak. Its big, its vast, its between the two forks of the Hamptons & North Fork in the center area bordering on the Peconic. Visitors come in from all over, you can usually see a few cars parked along Red Creek road with licence plates from many places. It's a beautiful place - I have biked on smaller part of the park the south of Red Creek Road along a trail and found nice ponds etc. This place has an old history going back 10,000 years from the Shinnecock Indians, tools can be found on the trail they say, and it extended the town of Southampton once with farming. It goes east to the interior of the two forks of the Island through the marshes by the beautiful Peconic Bay which is part of the remaining Pine Barrons etc. Makes you appreciate conservation!

I can't say enough good things about my experience with Tapped Enterprises! I booked a wine/dine…read moretour for my bachelorette party and it was the most perfect day! Rich was our driver and was such a joy. He made things super easy and kept us on time. The wineries were beautiful and the lunch at Cooperage Inn was a huge hit. The food was delicious and so much better than a boxed lunch option. The tour was 11am-5pm which sounds long but they day flew by. I would love to plan another fun event with Tapped, and Rich! Thank you again for such a great day!

Had an absolutely great time being driven around Long Island on this rolling beer bus on Sunday!…read moreHow can you not love this? You have a great driver, Kevin, who is very knowledgeable, friendly, fun, and most of all patient to put up with all our drunken shenanigans during this past weekend's Yelp Beer Bus event. The bus itself is clean, comfortable, and has both a tv and dock for playing your Ipod's. It's a great way to get around and taste a lot of beer without having to worry about getting a DWI ! Kevin knows all the routes to some of the best local breweries, and is a big craft beer guy himself. They do many beer tasting events on LI and around the local NY area and have packages available for group trips, or shorter shuttles to the local brew tastings. Check out the website for upcoming beer events and rates. To me, it's totally worth the cost to enjoy a worry free, and safe day, rather than drinking and driving. We hit up Great South Bay, Long Ireland, and Port Jeff Brewing Company. That last stop in Port Jeff on a terrific spring day was just perfect to try some beers and then wander around the town for a bite to eat before heading back to the train station to drop us off. Kevin has a great little biz here that I wholeheartedly endorse. Also, between stops it pretty much became a beer fueled dance party bus with some moves going on that would put some strippers to shame! Yay beer!