North Fork

Long Island's North Fork, or NoFo, is known as the more rural and laid-back sister of the glamorous South Fork, which mostly consists of the area known as the Hamptons. North Fork is home to a lot of farms, nurseries growing various garden plants, and of course the famous Long Island Wine Country, with tons of beautiful vineyards lining the roads.

It's about an hour and half drive from us (more than two hours from NYC) so some light travel reading comes handy. 

Once you clear away from the Riverhead area, the road sides are full of farms stands and farm stores like this one, with local seasonal produce. I had to buy the rhubarb because it's usually so hard to find. 

I guess it was asparagus season - it was everywhere. 

We also bought a big bag of local, organic spinach. Maybe we'll get strong like Popeye. 

We stopped by on Southold beach on our way to Greenport. It's right on route 48, and a convenient spot along the way to get out of the car and enjoy the salty air. The water was still too cool for a swim, but in the summer it's a great spot for a refreshing dip in the Atlantic ocean. 

Oh how I wish one of those houses was mine... 

Life is always better on the beach. 

Happiness is a day at the beach. 

Greenport is an old whaling and fishing village, and still has a nautical feel. It's not a fancy town, and has a nice folksy and down-to-earth vibe. 

There are tons of cute little shops to browse and some good restaurants too. 

There are lots of vintage, second hand, and antique shops. So fun to browse. 

The village blacksmith is open in the summer. 

The Greenport marina area has a carousel for the kids, and a few famous seafood restaurants. 

We had lunch at Salamander's which is know for its fried chicken. This time we ate there, but next time, we will order for take-out and have our lunch at one of the local vineyards.

To be continued...