"From Montauk Point" -Walt Whitman (1888)
I stand as on some mighty eagle's beak,
Eastward the sea absorbing, viewing, (nothing but sea and sky)
The tossing waves, the foam, the ships in the distance,
The wild unrest, the snow, curling caps-- that inbound urge and urge of waves,
Seeking the shores forever.
I stand as on some mighty eagle's beak,
Eastward the sea absorbing, viewing, (nothing but sea and sky)
The tossing waves, the foam, the ships in the distance,
The wild unrest, the snow, curling caps-- that inbound urge and urge of waves,
Seeking the shores forever.
Montauk, also referred to as "The End", is the eastern-most point of Long Island. The name Montauk is derived from the Montaukett tribe, who inhabited the land prior to the arrival of Dutch and English settlers. Adrian Block was the first white Dutch explorer on Montauk, but Lord Gardiner (for whom Gardiner Island is named after) was the first settler in 1639. The settlers purchased their first tract of land from the Montauk Indians in 1648, however the settlers did not have permission to pasture their livestock on Montauk until 1665. Old Montauk Highway, still the only road that runs to the East End, was constructed in the 1700s for ranchers with livestock on the peninsula. Montauk was the site of the first cattle ranch in the United States, which led to housing development on the East End to begin in the 1740s.
Montauk Point Lighthouse was commissioned in 1776 by George Washington and built in 1797, making it the first lighthouse in the state of New York. The first Keepers of the Lighthouse were civilians, until 1939-1987 the United States Coast Guard operated the Lighthouse. In 1987, the Coast Guard automated the Lighthouse, such that it no longer required a Keeper to live on the grounds. The Lighthouse, the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the United States, continues to provide optic and foghorn signals to sea navigators and mariners of all kinds.
Montauk Point Lighthouse was commissioned in 1776 by George Washington and built in 1797, making it the first lighthouse in the state of New York. The first Keepers of the Lighthouse were civilians, until 1939-1987 the United States Coast Guard operated the Lighthouse. In 1987, the Coast Guard automated the Lighthouse, such that it no longer required a Keeper to live on the grounds. The Lighthouse, the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the United States, continues to provide optic and foghorn signals to sea navigators and mariners of all kinds.
Montauk State Park was beautiful. The waves crashing against the shore, the boats casting their lines off shore, and the birds lurking overhead. However, the top of the lighthouse was slightly disappointing, as it is a strict tourist attraction: at the top there is one doorway opening, big enough for one person. Unfortunately, there was about 10 other people at the top at the same time, so essentially it was take your picture from the outlook and move along so other people could see. At the top of the Fire Island lighthouse last year, visitors were permitted to walk around the outside of the top. The town of Montauk is a typical beach town, with the smell of salt water and the ocean breeze passing through, surf shops lining Main Street, beach-goers walking around in their bathing suits and barefoot. You'd never think you were in New York by the sights, sounds, and smells of that town.
Years of storm waves, groundwater flow and seepage, and rain have gradually washed away and caused erosion of Montauk Point. Today, the Lighthouse is even loser to the bluff than in the image to the left. To delay further erosion of the land, a sea wall of boulders was built, the remainder of the bluff slope was reshaped to better maintain vegetation, and a drainage system was installed.
The Hamptons
Meadow Lane: "The Hamptons' Billionaire Lane: Where Wall Street's Richest Retreat for the Summer" -Forbes
As was expected, there isn't too much to see when driving down the 5-mile stretch of Meadow Lane in Southampton. The properties are isolated with tall shrubs and trees, except for the gated driveway entrances where you can sneak a brief peak. I was surprised, though, that the outward appearance o the landscaping was not as clean and shaped as I thought billionaires would prefer. More to surprise, the residences were very close to each other. With such grand estates on the beachfront, I expected them to be further apart from each other.
At the west end of the road, the residents have access to a private helipad, from which they can get to Manhattan from in just 20 minutes (as opposed to ~3 hours driving).
The residents of Meadow Lane include Calvin Klein, David Koch of Koch Industries, William Salomon of Salomon Brothers Wall Street investment bank, and Gerald J. Ford of Ford Financial Fund.
As was expected, there isn't too much to see when driving down the 5-mile stretch of Meadow Lane in Southampton. The properties are isolated with tall shrubs and trees, except for the gated driveway entrances where you can sneak a brief peak. I was surprised, though, that the outward appearance o the landscaping was not as clean and shaped as I thought billionaires would prefer. More to surprise, the residences were very close to each other. With such grand estates on the beachfront, I expected them to be further apart from each other.
At the west end of the road, the residents have access to a private helipad, from which they can get to Manhattan from in just 20 minutes (as opposed to ~3 hours driving).
The residents of Meadow Lane include Calvin Klein, David Koch of Koch Industries, William Salomon of Salomon Brothers Wall Street investment bank, and Gerald J. Ford of Ford Financial Fund.
While driving to the End, we passed through the town of Bridgehampton and the historic Beebe Windmill. Built in 1820, it was originally located in Sag Harbor until it was moved to Bridgehampton in 1882. It was moved to its current location in 1915 and was restored in 1981 and again in 2008. It is a four-story smock mill that was designed as a corn mill (grinds grain). The Beebe windmill is one of eleven windmills remaining from its era, when wind and water were the sources of power to grind grain into flour and meal.