Munchkin has suddenly reached the "transportation" stage. Story time now focuses on trains, trucks, cars and bulldozers. Every time an EH-bound plane flies overhead, he excitedly points toward the sky like the Fantasy Island sidekick. For those entertaining kids with similar interests, here are some fun things to do:
EH Airport: We had planned to drive over to Airport Road in Wainscott and park under the runway, but this weekend, Henrietta's father clued us in to a better idea. Go directly to the airport terminal. There are 30-minute parking spots right up front. Inside the terminal, the outdoor patio offers a terrific birds-eye view of the action. Or go to the covered walkway on left side of the building and you are standing on the tarmac. The airport is far busier than you might realize, so you don't have to go solely at peak travel times to see plenty of planes and helicopters. If you really want noise, Friday evenings are the perfect time to head over to the Southampton Village helipad at the end of Meadow Lane.
Train Station: Watching the train roar in on the platform is quite a thrill. You have your pick of stations: Westhampton, Hampton Bays, Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Amagansett or Montauk. Find the conductor. On our last visit the conductor came by with orange souvenir tickets and punched one for each of the kids on the platform. But check the schedule, the LIRR Hamptons service is severely limited, you wouldn't want to wait six hours for the next train. If you want to really nourish a train obsession, today our friend is taking her kids on a train ride from BH to EH. No word on whether she is taking the train back or having someone pick them up.
Sag Harbor Wharf: Take a stroll down the wharf. There are dozens of huge boats and lots of little dinghys zipping around in the harbor. We hold Munchkin because the path is narrow and he is far too excited.
Ride the South Ferry: This is fun for everyone. The South Ferry ride from North Haven to Shelter Island is beautiful. It's a quick 5-minute ride, so it's easy to leave your car at one of the free spaces at the dock and walk aboard. It's $2/person roundtrip on foot—kids under 8 are free, or take your car and everyone on it for $12 roundtrip.
