Quogue, Eastern Long Island

Quogue, which is a town on the eastern end of the south fork of Long Island, was named perhaps for the clams which were abundant there.

One day last week, I drove out to exit 70 on the Long Island Expressway, south on Manor road, south east to Sunrise Highway, and turned south on route 104, Lewis Road,  to Montauk Highway, to Quogue.

I went to visit my good friend Nancy, who had rented a beautiful bungalow, so that her family, children and grandchildren could visit and enjoy the beauties of the beach.

 Quogue and East Quogue, very quiet towns on the south fork.

In the past, modest beach cottages like this one were built for fun in the summer, for families who lived west on Long Island, or in New York City.  They were not twelve month residences, just created for summers.

Later, beautiful shingle style homes became the standard,

including hedgerows and wonderful gardens dotted with Hydrangeas.

A short bike ride from the rented house got us to the community beach.

 We could see Dune Road across the water.

 

The beach at  Hampton Point.

The first Swan, a sculpture, but a Swan.  We both nodded, we knew something.

A short car ride and we were at the Docker's Waterside for a lovely lunch.

The sky was amazing and the green low bog

was beautiful and calming.

I peeked over the restaurant's railing and saw two real Swan.  Nancy says that whenever she sees Swan, she knows that is where she is to be.  They are angels.

The view at lunch.

Dockers Waterside.  The big sky is just what can be expected out east.

While riding our bikes, a local resident said that one of the features that brings

 people out to Quoque, are the inlets and small docks that families have, especially if they like to fish.

This is a laid back community, not Hollywood east, as in the Hamptons.

Oh, yes.  I had to pull over on county route 111 to take a picture of this huge sculpture by Linda Scott,  that is in a large open field.

I've driven by it many times.  It is called  "Stargazer" a deer looking up to the sky.  I'm not sure, but it looks like a rooster to me.

This is a drawing that I did a few years ago of a hard shell clam, or Quogue.  This one is from the sea and had barnacles on the inside.    When I was a kid, my sister and I would go to Jones beach, in Nassau county,  far west of Quogue, and dig up these clams with our toes.  Then we would duck down into the water and pull them up with our hands, throw them into the beach towels, and our mom would make chowder at home. 

They are too tough to eat raw like the smaller version called cherry stone clams.

Many people have the wrong picture of Long Island in their minds, especially if they have never been here.  But Long Island is truly a wondrous place.