Hints of Summer
/Finally, we appear to be getting a sign that summer is on its way. Don't be fooled by the photos though -- it was still pretty cold...
Photos taken by Sony A7 + FE 24-70mm f/4.
Meeting Shiba Sommelier
/The weather in NY has been nuts of late. The temperature has been going from 40s to sub-20s day-to-day, driving everybody nuts.
This morning, we set out to Prospect Park to meet Shiba Sommelier. Suki, the shiba who has been dishing out wine reviews, is super friendly and super cute in person. Of course, we wouldn't go anywhere without Nami -- Shio gets depressed if he does not see his girlfriend weekly.
When we got to the park, we bumped into an old friend, Anouk!
After Nami had everybody chase her for a while, we humans chatted for a bit. Shio got bored and decided to beg Nami to play with him. He was very charming and determined!
Thanks for coming out to play with us Suki and humans! We hope to see Suki again soon!
Photos taken with Sony A7 + FE 24-70mm f/4.
Montauk: Day 3
/Day 3 - Monday, January 20:
Last day in Montauk!
We went out for a pancake breakfast and headed out for our last adventure before driving home.
The destination was Camp Hero State Park, the former location for Montauk Air Station and rumored to be location for military experiments one of which includes time travel! This park was donated to the state after and opened to the public in 2002. We parked at the first fisherman's parking lot and looked over the hoodoo cliffs. The drop off for the cliffs were steep so it is advised not to stand to close to the edge!
We then found our way to the Battery 113 trail and hiked for 20 minutes to reach Battery 113 and the radar tower. The trail was not very worn but there were clear trail markers (the photo below of me with the dogs shows the bright orange dot tacked onto the tree). At the end of the trail was Battery 113, built during WWII as a concrete coastal gun battery. Nearby was the AN/FPS-35 Radar, the centerpiece of the Montauk Project conspiracy. The radar was decommissioned but not torn down because boaters preferred it was a landmark over the Montauk Point Light.
We took the bluff overlook path back to our car's location hurriedly after other visitors arriving at Camp Hero asked us if we saw zombies.
Montauk was one of the best road trips we've taken so far and we were sad to go so soon. We left much to explore and can't wait to go back!
Posted details about the first two days in Montauk:
Montauk Day 1
Montauk Day 2
Photos taken with Sony A7 + Summicron-M 35mm f/2.
Montauk: Day 2
/Day 2 - Sunday, January 19:
After a quick morning breakfast, J and I drove out to Montauk Point State Park located at "The End" of the southern fork of Long Island on NYS Route 27. Normally there is an $8 parking fee but we found that we could park for free. There were only 7 cars present when we arrived but normally this attraction is packed with tourists during the warm season.
Our primary goal for this visit was the see the lighthouse while letting the dogs explore the park. This state park allowed dogs on its premises as long as they were leashed but do not allow dogs to enter the lighthouse or museum. We were fine with wandering without going inside the buildings. When we arrived, the gates to the museum and lighthouse were closed anyway so we walked the surrounding area for an hour.
The Montauk Light is a lighthouse that was authorized by the Second United States Congress, under George Washington's presidency term. Construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1796 and today it stands as the fourth oldest working lighthouse in the states. More information can be found on the official website: http://www.montauklighthouse.com
After our visit to the lighthouse we took a short 5 minutes drive to Shadmoor State Park. The 99 acre park is named for the shadbush that grow there Inside there is a short 1 mile hike that we walked with some scenic overlooks along the path. The path was well worn and we didn't have any trouble navigating around. Parking is free at this park and leashed dogs are welcomed. More information can be found on this site: http://nysparks.com/parks/16/details.aspx
After the hike at Shadmoor State Park, we drove back to the motel and let our Shibas rest while we drove out to East Hampton to wander the town and shop. Upon our return, Shio and Emi were still filled with energy so we took them back out to Kirk Park Beach and they ran themselves silly while the sun set.
J thought it would be funny to post the sequence of photos he caught of me running up the dunes and falling to successfully reach the top. Instead I tumbled down like a sack of rice two times before hauling myself clumsily over the edge of the dune. Luckily no one else was there to witness this!
We ended the day with a dinner at Swallow East Restaurant (try the short rib ravioli).
In case you missed it, here's the post for our first day in Montauk: Montauk Day 1
Photos taken with Sony A7 + Summicron-M 35mm f/2.