(the Faliaise Pool at Sands Point)
"Spring drew on: she was indeed already come; the frosts of winter had ceased; its snows were melted, its cutting winds ameliorated..." ~ Jane Eyre

As much as I love my city, I decided to dedicate a post to some of the aspects of Long Island that I enjoy in the months of spring. Of course spring in New York City is lovely, but spring on the island is just wondrous. This island is a very special place to be as the months get warmer and as the physical landscape transforms itself back to life once more.

~ The Planting Fields at Oyster Bayarboretumum)
I first visited the planting fields in high school. My English teacher, Faith, set up a lesson there after we read Thoreau's Walden. The assignment was simple: spend a day alone in solitude and be completely one with nature. The trip was in the cool month of November, but it did not matter. The quiet calm of the day has stayed with me even up until this moment.

Since the field trip, I visit the grounds at least half a dozen times per year. I have some very fond memories there with many of my friends, but I also have fond memories of going there by myself for a picnic for one with a book. J.Sarah and I attended a Mostly Mozart concert on the lawn, as well as a Candlelight classical music concert in Coe Hall. There is a beautiful greenhouse that changes each season, and the Rose Gardens in June are breathtaking. The old pool is surrounded by a garden that changes seasonally, and a small cottage is there which served as a playhouse for children. If a volunteer is there, you can go in and take a look at the adorable tea set up inside. Once in a while a bridal party will enter the fields to take photos; indeed, there is something very poetic and romantic about this place. I am looking forward to making picnics this spring to take there, and perhaps this year I will get some tickets for the Mostly Mozart concert on the lawn.
http://www.plantingfields.org/

~ Sands Point Preserve
Sands Point Preserve is about a twenty minute drive from me. The preserve is located on Long Island's Gold Coast (the one Fitzgeralimmortalizeses in The Great Gatsby). The homes along the coast are breathtaking - and this is the bay that Billy Joel sings about with passion.

There are four hiking trails set up with various paths on the preserve. My favorite trail is the one with a path on the bay. There are rocks all along the short to climb on and even sit on. The beach itself is rocky and filled with shells, but that is no matter. It actually makes walking the path there easier. There is a museum located at the preserve, and there is also a manor house that has tours. My favorite memories here, however, took place in the fall. Each September the preserve would host a Renaissance festival, complete with jousting tournaments and stands set up with floral crowns for young girls, such as myself, to purchase. My mother was the first one to take me, and I loved each moment there with her. I still remember the crown she got me - with pink and green ribbon. She also got me this beautiful stained-glass rose that I hung on my window in my old house. My mother was my literally my best friend during my middle school years, and we have many nice memories together at places all over Long Island.
http://www.sandspointpreserve.org/

~ The North Fork Vineyards
The wine on the North Fork is becoming very popular and even competitive with other wine regions. The wineries out there are open all year round, but many outdoor events, such as live music, begin in the spring months.

Wine tasting on the North Fork has become more popular over the years, but there are still so many wineries and vast spaces at these wineries, that visiting on a busy weekend is not a harrowing experience. Many people go without knowing about the process of tasting or the wines, and those are the people that always end up having the most fun! I, of course, love going and love running through the gamut of the wine tasting experience. The last time I went was with Sil and Kara, and it was such a lovely time. I brought home some great wines, too, including a Pindar Riesling and a dry red blend called "Midnight Seduction" from Galluccio Wineries. Sometimes the wineries hold food festivals as well, but there are plenty of picnic tables or grounds to throw blankets down on for picnics. After doing a winery tour, its always nice to go into the historic town of Greenport as well. Claudio's, a historic restaurant that serves good seafood, used to be a port for bootleggers to smugglinalcoholol in during the prohibition of the 1920's. Its a good thing prohibition ended then and we can enjoy the wineries now.

I honestly want to be married at a vineyard one day...
http://www.northfork.org/wineries.html


I know that there are many people who have their favorite "spring spots" which are unique to their home. It is my hope that there are only a few April showers and that everyone can enjoy all of these places in the upcoming weeks...