When we moved to Queens three years ago, we though we were moving to Long Island. It's a simple mistake that any person holding a map can make.But any New Yorker or Long Islander can tell you that Queens, although geographically located on an island called Long Island, is really a world away from that which is referred to as "Long Island". There is no official border crossing between the two and no passport is necessary. Even so, people are pretty good about sticking to their respective sides and few see reason to cross the invisible barrier. Legend has it that some people live their whole lives in either Queens or Long Island without ever stepping foot inside the other.
All this helps explain why taking a day trip to Long Island, the other side of the very island we live on, was a journey into the great unknown.
So we probably would have continued to live our Queenly existence without giving one thought as to what lies on the other side of the Cross Island Parkway if it weren't for a few good friends who decided to treat us to a cultural experience. We were quickly lured in by promises of trees, open land, and houses with their own yards.
Our friends don't mess around. They drove us clear across Long Island and all the way to the North Fork, a scenic area with beaches and wineries. At 118 miles from one side to the other, the island certainly lives up to it's name.
Inside our first winery - ever!We're more familiar with apple-picking than grape-squashing. But we very much enjoyed a pleasant and relaxing afternoon visiting three vineyards.
Attractive wine display at Pindar Vineyards.At Shinn Vineyards, Scott kindly lent his wine glass as a model for Randy's photography shoot. It sparkled in the late afternoon sun like a diamond engagement ring!
The last stop of the day was the city of Greenport. This charming coastal town has a lovely marina, adorable shops, and seafood restaurants. It felt like vacation (even if it only lasted for a few hours).
You think we can afford one of these boats if we all pitch in?Besides seeing the beautiful vineyards, we picked up on all kinds of new vocabulary, like "North Shore" and "Robert Moses" as well as hard to pronounce words like "Cutchogue". Without this fun day trip, we never would have known how the North Fork was different from the South Fork, or that the island even forked at all for that matter.
Thanks to our good friends the Bowdens (left) and the Risingers (real life Long Island natives!!) for a fun, educational, and culturally rich experience.
