Long Island, an island located in the southeast part of the US state of New York, is a magnificent vacation destination for travelers the world over. It comprises four counties Kings and Queens Counties, Nassau County and Suffolk County. It has a humid subtropical climate and teems with gorgeous beaches, rich history and culture, imposing art and galleries, beautiful gardens and majestic castles. Besides, it is famous for top-rated restaurants and shopping outlets. For the comfortable accommodations of travelers, various types of vacation home rentals in Long Island, —villas, cottages, condos, and cabins—, furnished with all the modern facilities and amenities are available at the very best prices.
Why Visit Long Island?
Apart from excellent weather conditions year-round, Long Island is laden with popular natural, and man-made treasures. Plus, it enables you to stir up your taste buds with ethnic foods and indulge in lots of exciting outdoor activities. So, you will be enjoying a vacation to your heart’s content.
Things to Visit in Long Island
Long Island teems with lots of attractions that have gained immense popularity not only in the US but also the world over. Nevertheless, those that will enhance the pleasure of your vacation include the following:
Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium: Located on the 43-acre ground of the former estate of William K. Vanderbilt, this attraction has the Spanish Revival-style mansion of Eagle's Nest. It houses many wildlife specimens that Vanderbilt gathered while he was on his overseas expeditions. In addition, it has as a seaplane hangar, boathouse, and a curator’s cottage, bordered by blooming gardens. Its rooftop observatory is open for public view on Friday nights. Tours and other exhibits are available here daily except holidays for travelers.
Sands Point Preserve: Spread over 216-acre of land, this park boasts three mansions on Guggenheim Estate and many dog-friendly wooded hiking trails. In addition, it has Castle Gould, Hempstead House and Falaise. Falaise boasts paintings from the Renaissance and antiques that belong to the 16th century. Hempstead House has rooms, a garden, and a terrace with the views of Long Island Sound. It also organizes many events including yoga classes, mansion tours, and a Halloween Ball.
Coe Hall and the Planting Fields: As one of the most popular attractions in Long Island, this field has lush rolling lawns, blooming flowers and formal gardens. In April, it celebrates Arbor Day with lots of fun activities, including live music with Peat Moss & the Fertilizers and Johnny Herbert, planning ceremonies with Smoky Bear and tree climbing. If kids are with you, they will be able to enjoy arts and crafts, scavenger hunts and book reading.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site: If you are a historian and have dogs, then this historical site is an ideal place for you. It is also known to be the former estate of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the country, remains open between sunrise and sunset for visitors year-round. Here, you can enjoy a guided tour of the Victorian mansion, visit the Audubon Center and walk the trail to the Long Island Sound that president enjoyed with his furry friends.
Oheka Castle: Built-in 1919, this castle is known to be the former estate of philanthropist and financier Otto Herman Kahn. The amazing thing about it is that the first letter of its name has been taken from the first letter of its former owner. On its ground, you will find a French Formal Garden, a large greenhouse complex, an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts. After the death of its owner, it had many owners. Gary Melius, the latest owner, renovated it and transformed it into a luxury hotel.
Beaches near Long Island
Long Island boasts many beaches that enable travelers to find complete peace and tranquillity. The most popular ones that you should include in your bucket list are the following:
Long Beach: Located close to New York City, this powdery beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Long Island. It is famous for its famed boardwalk. Wi-Fi is available on its boardwalk. You can get pizza delivered to the beach. You can play volleyball with your friends and let your kids build sandcastles.
Orient Beach State Park: Located at the tip of North Fork, this beach offers nature trails, gentle surfing and lot of opportunities to fishing and many water sports activities. It also has seaside maritime forest, where you can see red cedar, prickly–pear cactus and black-jack oak trees. Various varieties of birds—ospreys, egrets and heron—are also found here in abundance.
Coopers Beach: As one of the top ten beaches in the US, the beach has soft sand, gentle waves, and dunes. Parking is provided, but it is a bit costly. Chair and umbrella rentals are available at the concession stand. Picnicking is a very enjoyable activity here. You can also enjoy the food at Coopers Beach Café with gorgeous views all around.
Hither Hills State Park: This is a wonderful beach with 189 campsites and RV parking. So, even spending a full-day is not sufficient for you to enjoy it to the fullest. You will easily fall asleep to the soothing sounds of its crashing waves. You can explore here the ‘walking dunes’ of Napeague Harbor and woodlands filled with pine, oak and Russian olive trees.
Best Time to Visit Long Island
In terms of weather, tourism and safety, the best time to visit Long Island is from May 7th to July 8th. During this time, the weather remains moderate, and there is the least chance of rainfall or snowfall.
How to Visit Long Island?
Whether you are a national or international traveler, you can easily access Long Island without much hustle and bustle. The chief airports located nearby are East Hampton Airport, Long Island MacArthur Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The local means of transportation include cars, buses and taxis.
Vacation Home Rentals in Long Island
FindAmericanRentals, one of the best Long Island vacation rentals by owner, offers no-booking-fee vacation rentals to travelers at the very best prices around the clock on a prompt basis. You can contact it anytime to book your accommodations.
