::: The East End :::

Luster — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:28:47 +0000

It’s been a bit quiet over here at Luster while I’ve been away on vacation. It was long overdue that I really unplug, and step away from the computer…get back to the simple things in life. We had the best time off during our annual trip to Long Island.

A few years ago, after many late nights searching, I found the perfect cottage in Montauk, and we’ve been returning every year at the end of June just before things kick into high gear out there. This year we lucked out and got a larger cottage with a sprawling deck and lots of windows. I loved waking up early to a sun filled room.

Fort Pond Bay is known for its sunsets, so the evenings were gorgeous, too.

Our situation really improved this year when I got a bicycle as an anniversary present from my husband who had his eyes peeled thanks to Jessica at Destined to Design. We have always talked about riding bikes out there but never wanted to bother renting, and having our own meant we could explore new beaches without being restricted by town permit parking stickers.

After days of watching boats along the waterfront, we got the idea to take a sailboat ride. With a little googling, we found Capt. David Ryan from Sailing Montauk who has a 38′ Catalina and does Sunset Sails.

We loved that he only takes 5 people at a time which makes it super private and so relaxing. Our favorite spot was right up front.

The food is another one of our favorite parts of being out there, and the biking really helped off-set all the indulging!

The Hamptons is known for their incredible farm stands that are scattered throughout the area. Newcomer The Juicy Naam has a sweet little juice shack in East Hampton with fruits and veggies for sale.

Even though there are so many high-end establishments, there are still some really great spots to find cheap eats. La Fondita is perfect for simple, take-out Mexican. They have picnic style benches if you want to eat there, or better yet, grab your tacos and head to the beach.

We try to eat as much fresh seafood as possible while we’re there, and two of my favorite picks on the high / low end is the amazing Cioppino dish at Dave’s Grill, and a lobster roll from Lunch.

We were able to extend our week a little and stay with our friends Casey & Tim in East Hampton for a couple of nights. {Thanks guys!} We hope to get back out before the summer ends!

If you make it out to the East End, here are a few more of my favorite spots: