Noticing Details

Once you've mastered the main streets of a town, it's fun to start noticing some of the quirky alleys. Tucked alongside the Post Stop Cafe on Main Street in downtown Westhampton Beach NY I spotted this row of birdhouses perched high above the normal pedestrian sight line.

It guarantees a chirpy chorus of happy tweeters for anyone spending time nearby.

Peaceful at the WHB Town Dock

You have to know where it is. And when you find it, you'll see it's a little oasis. I know it's for docking boats. But it's also nice for indulging in a few minutes of solitude and sun-soaking.


Where is it? Walk behind The Artful Dodger (in back of Magic's Pub), and you'll see the WHB town dock in the back of the parking lot. Of course, if you have a boat and live on Dune Road, this is how you "drive" to town to have fun or get groceries.

Rogers Beach Club and the Dunes at Westhampton Beach

Continuing a peaceful morning walk up Beach Lane in Westhampton Beach, the Beach Lane Bridge approaches. It's fun to look down through the grate to the water lapping below. The bay waters see all manner of sail and motor craft passing under and through the drawbridge during summer season.

At other times, it's nice to stand at the rail and contemplate the simple beauty of nature and drink in the sweet fragrance of summer flowers and cool, salty breezes.

Over the bridge and across Dune Road, Rogers Beach Club beckons. Early in the morning, the parking lot is mostly empty, which makes it a nice, contemplative time to see what the night has wrought on the sand and dunes.

Speaking of which, it's best to avoid walking on the dunes. Over the years, they've grown high and thick with beach grasses, offering an imposing barrier to erosion.

After doffing shoes and leaving them at the bottom of the steps at Rogers Beach Club, that first step -- or jump! -- into the soft, fluffy sand feels soooo good on bare feet. Nothing like it, especially on a warm summer day, when it's like a cozy foot massage.










Now let's just walk and breathe. . . aaahhh, Westhampton Beach, nothing like it.

A Quiet Walk up Beach Lane in Westhampton Beach NY

The air is fresh and fragrant, the hedges tall and protective, and the beach beckons, only about a mile up Beach Lane in Westhampton Beach. On the private side of all the greenery are old, and new, shingle style houses, of the rambling variety. A familiar summer morning sound is the commercial lawn mowers and edge-trimmers keeping the foliage pristine, the flowers blooming, and the driveways clear.
After awhile, the vista opens up, with marshy tall grasses on the right and houses facing the inland waterway on the left.


A convenient bench allows for a break to watch the dreamy view of the bay across the reeds, interrupted by a tall pole in the distance with an eagle's nest atop it. Beach Lane is only one of many magical places to quiet one's thoughts and simply enjoy the beauty of Westhampton Beach.