Spyro

We want to drive from Cleveland to the oyster festival in October, but have never been to NY. We prefer to stay at Hampton Inns, and there is one in Stamford CT.(which says it's close to Oyster Bay) Would that be compatable with going to the festival? Will it be a nightmare getting there from the hotel?
I will be open to any suggestions.

ediegirl

um, yes it would be a nightmare to get from Stamford CT to Oyster Bay NY. They are indeed only about ten miles away, however that ten miles is over the Long Island Sound!

Nearby Oyster Bay, chain hotel wise, is Woodbury/Syosset. Fox Hollow Inn, Fairfield Suites by Marriott and a Best Western are all on Jericho Turnpike....

i live in the town over from OB, so if you come up w/other options and want to run them by me for distance issues just post back

AJPeabody

I am amazed! Cleveland to New York for the Oyster Festival! I can't see making it the goal of a trip, unless you live on Long Island, like we do. Even then, it's just a pleasant way to waste a few weekend hours. It's really just a local street fair (OK, it's on a couple of streets, but they are only about 3 blocks each) and oysters sound interesting, but they're pricey and often badly fried. You'll also get to sample some foods from local restaurants but the offerings are not particularly inspired. The ladies from one of the local churches make very nice sweet potato pie and fried chicken. A few local politicians will usually be handing out shopping bags and bumper stickers. A local bank and a few real estate agents hand out pens and keychains. A few noisy local bands will play. There is a low level crafts fair -- not juried or artistic or partcularly interesting, and a lot of the "crafts" are purchased wholesale for resale.

Some years we go, some years we don't -- the parking can be a problem. If someone from far away thinks it will be special, I'm afraid there will be disappointment. Go to New York City.

mclaurie

I must agree with AJPeabody. I can't imagine driving from Cleveland for this unless you have relatives in the area or some other reason to go. And as ediegirl says, Stanford CT is across LI Sound. There are ferries between CT and Long Island but none close enough to make sense.

There are a few other points of interest in/near Oyster Bay including the gardens at Old Westbury

http://www.oldwestburygardens.org/GenTemplate.asp?cat=0

and Teddy Roosevelt's home Sagamore Hill, but not sure this is open in Oct.

http://www.nps.gov/sahi/

mclaurie

Forgot to post this website with info on the oyster fest. and hotels
http://www.oysterbayli.com/html/oysterfest.htm

Spyro

We get these responses all the time. You see, we enjoy traveling and seeing ALL parts of the US...not just the well known ones like NYC ect. We love the festivals, because it gives you an excuse to go to a new area.
We went to a rib cook off once in Tryon NC and had the time of our lives, and found we love NC.

mclaurie

OK Spyro, that's fair. Oyster Bay is a pretty area too. But because it's a suburb of NY without much industry, there are not very many places to stay.

As long as you're making the trip, there are some other things in and on Long Island that might interest you. If you drive out toward the east end you'll find the Hamptons (south fork) and the north fork where there are some good vineyards not to mention beaches. You might like the town of Sag Harbor, mentioned in Moby Dick. It was a whaling town and sits on the bay.

Port Jefferson (closer to Oyster Bay) is a nice town and there is a ferry there to Bridgeport Connecticut.

Here's the tourism website

http://www.longislandtourism.com/default.asp

Have fun.

ediegirl

ok, as a liflong resident of the North Shore of LI i wnat to jump in and point out the other sites that are nearby OB, as opposed to the hamptons which is a 2 hour drive or more, and even port jeff is a solid hour from OB.

in oyster bay we have Sagamore Hill, TR's home, the TR National Audubon Society bird preserve, they have all sorts of cool birds and some small trails to walk. Also a revolutionary era house called Raynam Hall that is open to the public. also, in OB itself, adjacent to the Oyster fest site is the Waterfront Center, i know in summer they do cruises out on sailboats, not sure if they still do that in fall. it'd be nice to get out on a boat and see the natural beauty of all the coves and harbors along this area, not to mention the beautiful homes.

in Cold Spring Harbor there is the Fish Hatchery (great for little kids) the Whaling Museum and CSH labs, where they discovered DNA, they have a visitor center.

in Huntington there are the Museums at Hecksher Park and the Cinema Arts Center, a renowned arts movie theater.

all three towns listed also have very good, independent restaurants.

a little to the west of us, in Roslyn, is the Nassau County Museum of the Arts, which always has a great exhibit of something. i'd venture to say this museum rivals/exceeds some in smaller cities.

heading inland to Garden City is the Cradle of Aviation Museum which follows history of flight on LI from Lindbergh (he took off from Roosevelt Field) to the Lunar Module for the first moon landing, built here on LI. also, the LI childrens Museum is there.

this is all just the historic/cultural stuff, we have great restaurants and shopping too, not just chain stores and malls, but ind. owned places.

spyro, i go to the oyster fest every year, it is a fun festival, with a great view of the harbor

Spyro

You have all been so helpful. I truly appreciate it
Now can I ask, of this list of places to stay, where would be your choice of the best (thinking of the Oyster fest of course). We also like to go to area malls in other states, and gourmet stores. We will only be there for 2 days. This is a list of the hotels Hilton Honors gave us when we typed in Oyster Bay. We would consider staying elsewhere if it would be easier to get to the festival.


Hampton Inn Long Island/Commack
680 Commack Road   Commack, New York, US, 11725

Hampton Inn & Suites Stamford, CT
26 Mill River Street   Stamford, Connecticut, US, 06902

Hampton Inn & Suites Rockville Centre, NY
125 Merrick Road   Rockville Centre, New York, US, 11570

Hampton Inn Long Island/Islandia
1600 Veterans Memorial Highway   Islandia, New York, US, 11749

Hampton Inn NY-JFK
144-10 135th Avenue   Jamaica, New York, US, 11436

HamptonIn Inn White Plains/Tarrytown
200 Tarrytown Rd   Elmsford, New York, US, 10523


Hilton Garden Inn Westbury
1575 Privado Road   Westbury, New York, US, 11590
Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk
560 Main Avenue   Norwalk, Connecticut, US, 06851

Hilton Garden Inn Islip/MacArthur Airport
3485 Veterans Memorial Highway   Ronkonkoma, New York, US,

mclaurie

ediegirl will probably know details better, but I'd say of your list, the only one somewhat near Oyster Bay is the one in Westbury. Westbury also happens to be near a large nice shopping mall called Roosevelt Field with a Bloomingdales, Macys and Nordstrom. Here's their website

http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=102

There's also another mall right near there

http://www.simon.com/mall/mall_info....Info=1#leasing

But there are also number of other hotels/motels in Westbury. Forget about staying in Stamford and Norwalk, CT and also Tarrytown. They are not on Long Island. And the one at JFK is not where you want to be.

nytraveler

Second the suggestion for Roosevelt Field if you are looking for a mall. I understand it is the second largest is the US - although nowhere near as large as the Mall of America.

ediegirl

westbury is closest, but it's about 25 min away, on mostly parkways.

Roosevelt Field is the 5th largest mall in the country, it's a big mall, but nothing special, just the usual chain stores.