Before I trekked to the eastern end of Long Island during my Northeast road trip, all I knew about the Hamptons and Montauk was from Sex and the City (drunken beach parties in the Hamptons) and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (an awkward meet-cute on a wintry Montauk beach; one of my favorite movies ever, by the way). It wasn’t much to go on, and the Hamptons (what even is the Hamptons?) as a travel destination wasn’t really on my radar until I learned about Madoo, an artist’s garden in Sagaponack. Suddenly the Hamptons were on my must-see list. After all, what are the odds I’ll be driving past Long Island again?

David was out though. After 10 days on the road together, I dropped him off at JFK Airport and picked up my dad, who flew in to join me for the Hamptons weekend. It’s a 3-to-4-hour drive on a Saturday out to Montauk from JFK. And lodging is, ahem, rather pricey. But for one overnight at a rental condo in slightly less expensive Montauk, it was doable, and we bookended it with cheaper lodging in Woodbury on Long Island.

We ended up visiting both Madoo and the marvelous LongHouse Reserve, making the journey well worth the time and expense. I’ll share those gardens in upcoming posts. Meanwhile, here are a few memorable moments from our two days in the Hamptons.

Lobster Roll

Having missed out on lobster rolls in Maine, I couldn’t pass up The Lobster Roll in Amagansett. Apparently the LUNCH sign atop the low-slung, diner-style restaurant is a local landmark.

The line was out the door before they’d even opened, but we soon got a cozy booth.

And a hot lobster roll lunch

Did I try a slice of their frozen key lime pie? You bet I did.

On a warmer, less drizzly day, the red-white-and-blue patio would have been my preference.

We poked around Southampton one afternoon, browsing the shops and people-watching. That evening we stayed at a comfortable rental condo at the Driftwood Resort in Montauk. It was windy and chilly, so we didn’t linger on the lavender-lined patio, but we did cross the dunes for a quick beach stroll.

“Meet me in Montauk,” says Clementine, Kate Winslet’s character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And here I was.

Montauk Lighthouse

The next morning we drove out to the very tip of Montauk to see the Montauk Lighthouse, which was authorized during George Washington’s presidency and built in 1796. Today it’s a National Historic Landmark.

Just beyond the lighthouse the Atlantic was churning with huge waves, and fishermen were lined up along the beach. This man was victoriously hauling his catch back to his car when I asked him for a photo.

Broadview Gardens

With my nose to the ground for gardens I spotted a nursery in Sagaponack (near Madoo) called Broadview Gardens. Or maybe it’s not so much a nursery as a display space for their stunning containers. I’m clearly not their usual high-end client looking to green up a Hamptons “cottage,” but they kindly invited me to poke around.

Their container arrangements are stunning.

And unusual

I loved them all.

While I missed out on drunken beach parties à la Sex and the City, I did enjoy empty beaches, roaring ocean views, interesting and lovely gardens, charming villages, and good restaurants. I couldn’t help but wonder: Can we enjoy the Hamptons without slathering on sunscreen and fighting summer traffic? And just like that, I realized the answer is hell yes.

Up next: Part 1 of my tour of Madoo, the personal — and colorful — garden of the late artist Robert Dash. For a look back at part 2 of my tour of Chinese-inspired Innisfree Garden, click here.

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Digging Deeper

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