Weekend round-up: Hamptonizing
Hypothesis: for some reason, my Hamptons-bound transportation method seems to be an eerie indicator of how my weekend will unfold. Case in point, the Long Island Railroad: from my first experience three years ago to my most recent jaunt in June, here are some guaranteed hiccups that I anticipate on each outbound journey:
Transferring to an entirely different train at Jamaica Station makes my blood boil, especially...
...due to space constraints, I have to sit on top of my suitcase - which is awkwardly propped atop the seat, making me appear 8' tall. My apologies that I cannot fit all of my crap in to an LL Bean "boat bag." Kiss my ass and stop staring.
Kids are as magnetized to me as animals are to Ace Ventura
I get in to at least one verbal argument
I'd rather wear a Depends diaper than use the train's facilities
Needless to say, when I exit "hell on wheels" at Amagansett station, my mood is quite foul. The last thing I'm looking forward to doing is spending time with a house full of people. On the other hand, arriving via the Hampton Jitney's Ambassador Class (bus) or rental car is seamless and enjoyable. I disembark with a sense of renewal and genuine anticipation of the weekend ahead.
After four relaxing and pampered hours on the Jitney, Ceci and I arrived in Amagansett around 8:45pm on Friday evening. A quick cab ride brought us to the house where we met up with the rest of our friends, leisurely unpacked, and unwound with a few cold beers, al-fresco. Mark performed his culinary magic on the BBQ grill, serving up some perfectly-cooked cheeseburgers and hot dogs. Ceci, Rachel, and I called it an early night and were in bed by 1a.m.
On Saturday, us well-rested gals headed to Brent's General Store to pick up the world's best lobster-salad sandwiches to be enjoyed on Indian Wells Beach. The weather was gorgeous, albeit sticky, and the chilly Atlantic ocean water beckoned us to jump in. Roughly an hour after our arrival, the beach became overrun with groups of svelte pretty-young-things, Bocce ball games, and more beer than an S.A.E. fraternity party. With that, we decided to pack up our gear and return to the house. Hell, I'm more of a "pool girl" anyways.
The Hamptons: Indian Wells Beach, Amagansett
The Hamptons: lobster-salad sandwich from Brent's General Store, Amagansett
We spent the remainder of the afternoon lounging by the pool, with entertainment courtesy of Flip (a.k.a. Phillip) and Jed, the house dog. I also snapped a shot of Justin, the "house hottie," and a close-up of some gorgeous raspberries that I found growing wildly in the backyard.
The Hamptons: Jed (the dog) + Flip (the dude) = puppy love, Amagansett
The Hamptons: Justin and his Civil War rifle, Amagansett
The Hamptons: “Look kids, Travelocity’s ‘Roaming Knome’ is taking a swim"!”
The Hamptons: Flip breathes life in to the raft in preparation for its maiden voyage, Amagansett
The Hamptons: Jed and the "Roaming Knome" set sail, Amagansett
The Hamptons: raspberries grow wild in our backyard, Amagansett
For dinner, the girls and I headed to one of my Montauk standbys, East by Northeast. Ceci and I split the 2lb. lobster dinner, which was accompanied by a baked potato and corn-on-the-cob.
The Hamptons: lobster dinner at East by Northeast, Montauk
Following a fabulous meal, we walked to nearby Surf Lodge for cocktails. Unfortunately, we were greeted by a mob scene of band groupies and bar lines that were 10-deep with aggressive yuppies. Our stay was short-lived; we got out of there almost as quickly as we entered.
On Sunday, Ceci and I left the house around 11a.m. - with luggage in tow - en route to the shopper's paradise of East Hampton Village. After doing our fare share of credit card damage, we walked towards the train station in anticipation of our 1:47p.m. departure. *Note: NYC-bound trains are not nearly as chaotic and feisty as Hamptons-bound trains. Plus, aside from a helicopter, it's the fastest way to get home.* Each of us grabbed a hero from Villa Italian Specialties, which made for quite a delicious lunch on the train. I ordered the "Godmother," which included the following ingredients constructed on warm semolina bread: Genoa salami, homemade mozzarella cheese, olive oil, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers and red onion.
In conclusion, I had a wonderfully relaxing beach weekend. So, based upon my initial hypothesis - that my Hamptons-bound method of transportation seems to be an eerie indicator of how my weekend will unfold - I must concur, beyond a reasonable doubt, that this statement holds true. Moral of the story for current and future Hamptons vacationers: either rent a car for the weekend, or take the Jitney there and the train back. Trust me, your mood + your house-mates/friends/family will thank you.
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Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle