Long Island's miles of waterfront and inland acreage possesses a bounty of treasures to discover and explore. It holds Museums, Historic Sites, Greenbelts, Mansions, Gardens, and many Recreational Activities to be shared by adults and/or children.

Many are well known. Many more remain buried away in Long Island's small villages, waterfront towns, large preserves, sandy beaches, and open farm lands. This book Where To Go and What To Do on Long Island is much like a treasure map directing those who study it to uncover valuable nuggets of enjoyment at entertaining and educational sites. The book includes over two hundred and twenty sites in the less than one hundred miles of Long Island's length included in this book.

I'll mention that Long Island when referred to in this publication does not include the NYC boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. This isn't unusual. The counties of Nassau and Suffolk are the two that represent what most people, residents and visitors alike, refer to as Long Island. The western NYC portion is not generally included in may "Long Island" publications and conversations.

Well Organized

This soft cover book, of a couple of hundred pages, has sites first divided up by the two counties and the towns within them. Nassau County is broken down by towns and villages listed in alphabetical order. Suffolk follows the same way. This helps when looking up places by geographic settings. Planning a day, seeing a few nearby sites, can easily be done through this listing.

Of course the alphabetical listing of all places in the back Index is fine when you know the name of a place and need to find out where it is in the book.

I like a third listing this book uses too. It has an Category Index that helps one to find destinations of like interest.

This is broken down as
Arts and Crafts
Communications
Government and Public Service
Historic Sites and Museums
Miscellaneous
Nature, Science, and Ecology
Performing Arts
Recreational Activities
Transportation

Information Given

Once a destination is found through the Table of Contents or one of the two Indexes available a brief summary of the site is given. Beneath is information about the site. It includes names, addresses, phone numbers web sites and information on when to visit.

Very helpful are a few other bits of information in the book. It notes any charges or fees, information as to restroom facilities, handicapped access, eating facilities, and additional information that may include gift shops and the like.

School Groups and More

The information is helpful to those planning school trips and more information is noted for places that accommodate such visits. Besides basic information the book also notes whether speakers are available on site and whether the destination has any packets that will enhance the student's visit. Suggested grades and/or ages are included along with maximum groups and whether tours are available or not.

A Variety of Sites

Though I may have given an over-view of sites included I do want to note the diversity of destinations in the book. It's wonderful for families because it has educational and historical places like Teddy Roosevelt's Sagamore Hill. It also has fun and popular places like Adventureland and the Long Island Game Farm Children's Zoo and Family Ride Park. Inside the pages are also destinations that are unique to Long Island like "The Duck", an unusual formed building that has moved from place to place. FYI Long Island was known for its multitude of duck farms years back. It still has some.

For adults the many art, science, performing arts and nature study sites included bring forward much to entertain and educate.

Wineries, hiking trails, canoe adventures, playhouses and theaters, wild life refuges, grand mansions, small town museums, light house walks and so much more are included in Where To Go and What To Do On Long Island that is published by SCOPE, (Suffolk County Organization for the Promotion of Education).

Not Everything Included

Though the book does list some state parks on Long Island, it lacks a comprehensive list of all of them and what each may have within their borders. An example is the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center that is in Jones Beach. It's a wonderful little place for kids to learn about nature that is not in the pages of this publication.

Camp Hero State Park happens to be an interesting place with bunkers from WWII and a secret village that still stands today. It too is not listed in the book.

Part of this may be due to the fact that this book, that first came out in 1993, was revised again in 1998 and a third time in 2002. It needs to be amended once again for the most up-to-date information out there. That said, there is so much information and destinations noted in the book that some sites would not even be missed for years.

Last Thoughts

This book does not have many pictures or photographs. The few it has, about twenty five, are black and white and grainy. A detailed Long Island map would be a good companion to this book that has no directional guidance at all. I give this four stars because, though it is drab visually and it is a bit dated, it is a treasure trove of suggestions and ideas that are good for adults, children and families. If one lives on Long Island or plans to visit they could spend many a weekend for years on end discovering a wealth of gems and valuable nuggets that would enlighten and entertain. I'll be checking out some this summer.

This is an entry into What I'm Doing on my Summer Vacation Write Off
Hosted by Echo (BeastieGirl)




Long Island as reviewed by popsrocks

Hagstrom's Map of Nassau County, Long Island
Hagstrom's Map of Suffolk County, Long Island


An Excellent book about Long Island Destinations
Discover Long Island: Exploring The Great Places From Sea To Sound

Zagat Listings of Long Island Restaurants



Recommended: Yes