July 2-5, 2010
After spending 3 summers in New York City, I have been out to Long Beach, Jones Beach, Robert Moses Beach, (all in Long Island) and of course down to my favorite 1.2 miles Dewey Beach, DE and favorite family vacation spot, the Outer Banks, NC. But never had I ventured out to what Manhattanites call the Manhattan summer extension…The Hamptons. I had heard stories of luxurious houses, pools, beaches, clubs, and parties, but never had I the time nor the money to make it out there myself. Not that I ever got that money…but I did get the opportunity to check out the Hamptons this summer…finally…on 4th of July weekend.
I was invited out by my good friend Ailie. Her family was generous enough to have a whole boatload of us stay out at their July rental in Sag Harbor. We headed out in what I would like to call “The Pimp Van” owned by my friend Jimmy’s family. Jimmy drove, I navigated, and the rest of the crew watched “Cinderella” (typical) on the two hour drive out to the Hamptons.
If I’m being honest, I have to say that the Hamptons trip did not turn out the way I imagined that it would. But I will say that it was definitely a learning experience! I realized that sleeping in a room with 8 people and 3 dogs results in little to no sleep. I realized that unless you own a house in the Hamptons or know who to call, there is no beach parking on the weekends resulting in a $100 ticket. I realized that in order to go out to a cool bar or club in the Hamptons you must call a cab days ahead of time instead of hours. I realized that most Hampton regulars do not enjoy wandering Manhattanites resulting in loud “Go back to the city!” chants from their cars while laughing at us walking the streets. And lastly, I realized that you should read signs BEFORE getting into the bay in Sag Harbor, or else you may dive into toxic waters unknowingly. Whoops.
Despite having to figure out the Hamptons the hard way, we had an amazing crew of people, and you couldn’t help but have a great time! Ailie had all her Aussie family there including some cousins from London, and two other friends (Roz and Sharms) visiting from down under. We had Jimmy who was kind enough to drive us back to Manhattan at the end of the trip. From NYC we had Zack, Nicole, Karina, Adrienne, Steve, and his friend Mark (maybe Matt? sorry I can’t recall). And representing CT we had Sarah and Melissa.
The trip was made complete with champagne mimosas on the beach, lots of sun, pool parties, multiple BBQs, tennis/volleyball/made up pool games, pool diving photos, fireworks, flip cup, great conversations, relaxation, walks through the cute town of Sag Harbor, an amazing drive viewing the ridiculous and luxurious houses in Southampton (complete with tennis courts and sky high hedges), and chatting until the wee hours of the morning.
All in all, it turned out to be a wonderful trip, and I owe a huge thank you to the Jenkins clan for their hospitality in their summer home. Next time I am able to venture out to the Hamptons I will now know the ropes!