Hello!

My husband and I live in Manhattan and we just bought our first car (after being carless for nearly 5 years!) We want to go exploring this Saturday -- and we were thinking Long Island. Any suggestions for a scenic drive or a fun destination. We'd be up for driving a couple hours, if necessary.

All suggestions are welcome -- thanks in advance!!

Cindy

I hope you are planning on driving a couple of hours each way, especially if you plan on driving to Long Island. A drive north to Westchester or Fairfield County in Connecticut might be more interesting if you are just exploring.

Given that this is Memorial Day weekend, a couple of hours drive on the Long Island Expressway on Saturday could get you just about to the Nassau County border. Unless you are willing to make a much longer drive out to the Hampton's or the North Fork, two hours really won't get you all that far.

If you're more interested in the drive, then the destination, then I'd suggest perhaps you head across the GW Bridge to the Palisades Parkway. You can take it up to Bear Mountain Park and cross the Hudson if you want at the Bear Mountain Bridge.

Yep, it's Memorial Day Weekend. Two hours in the car will hopefully get you out of Manhattan, but probably not much further. Good luck!

1. Stony Brook, NY (north shore, mid island)
Take a drive and have lunch or dinner at the Three Village Inn -- or have a drink at the piano bar. Stroll along the grass and shop at Three Village Inn.
http://www.threevillageinn.com/
(directions on the above site)

2. Port Jefferson (north shore, mid island)
Quaint town to walk around, interesting shops. On water. Have time? Take the ferry to bridgeport, CT.
http://www.pagelinx.com/bpjferry/
((May be able to do with Stony Brook trip above)

3. Southampton Village
Brilliant shops. Sea town.
http://www.southamptonvillage.org/home.htm

4. Jones Beach
http://www.jonesbeach.com/

5. Long Island Gold Coast
Mansions, Think Great Gatsby
http://www.ligoldcoast.com/

6. East Hampton (town, beaches)

7. Sag Harbor
Old whaling town. Whaling Musuem

8. The big duck (bring kids), silly but neat
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/NYFLAduck.html

All of the above are great destinations - but not for a holiday weekend - the traffic will be way too heavy. Either go on a on-holiday weekend - or during the week - or wait until the fall - or stay overnight! (Jones Beach is the closest and is about 1 hour 15 at best - and can take 3 hours on a holiday weekend.)

They also left off the list Sagamore Hill - Teddy Roosevelt's house near Oyster Bay and the Old Bethpage Restoration - with colonial buildings and demonstrations of life and crafts - near Bethpage State Park.