The most popular question I was asked my freshman year at a southern university was, "So, if you're from Long Island, you must live on the beach, right?"
Wrong, sadly. I wish I lived in a beach house as much as my new friends do, but I live in a traditional two-story house on less than an acre of land, much like most others. I am, however, an 11-minute drive from the beach, so there's that perk, I suppose.
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As a Long Island native, I'll be spending Summer16 hitting up just about every little gem this New York extension has to offer, as should you, whether you're a full-time resident or just a visitor. Not quite sure where to start? Let me be of assistance.
1. Robert Moses State Park Beach
Beach, please. This is a summertime staple. Who spends a summer anywhere but on the sand and in the sun? Robert Moses is a beautiful (and massive) south shore beach, which essentially means, the sand is smooth, the waves are huge, and it smells fantastic.
2. Adventureland
This is really more of a "you do it once, just to do it" excursion. I won't lie, it's not Disneyland or Six Flags, but it does have some great thrill rides like the Frisbee and Turbulence. However, the adrenaline and rush of these rides usually wears off right around the time you're unbuckling your seatbelt, exiting the ride, and taking in a whiff of the human sweat and funnel cake. Like I said, you do it once, just to do it.
3. Diner by the Sea
A personal favorite of mine. Diners are the end-all symbol of Long Island. You truly can't drive down a road without hitting at least two. But Diner by the Sea takes the cake. Located in Long Beach, this diner has a great selection of grilled and fried munchies, but is famous for its rainbow milkshakes, available in just about any flavor you can imagine.
4. Long Island Aquarium
In Riverhead out east, you can easily spend an entire day at this aquatic funhouse (but don't worry, no one will make you climb into the tank with the sharks like that guy). Exhibits on nearly every salt water fish you can find, a humungous shark tank themed to look like the ruins of Atlantis, a pool to pet smaller sharks and rays, a rehabilitation lab for injured marine animals from the wild, a house of reptiles, a pond to walk with crabs and starfish in, and even a penguin enclosure!
5. The Bluff
That's what the natives call it, anyway. It's actually the Nissequogue River Kings Park. You can fish or kayak in the water. If that's not for you, you can go hiking through the trails of the woods along the shore. You can also just hang out on the beach, tanning of picnicking. Just be sure to bring proper footwear, no matter what you do since it's a North Shore beach, so it's fairly rocky.
6. Huntington Village
The best spots are Munday's, Pancho Villa, and Toast & Co. Full of shops, restaurants, and bakeries, there's no shortage of things to do if you want to spend a day walking around the village.
7. Nikon Theater
No Long Island summer is complete without at least one outdoor concert at Nikon Theater on Jones Beach. Every genre of artist you can imagine performs here in the summer, and it's always a great show. Each one starts in the daylight and ends around 11 or midnight.
