South Side Sportsmen's Club, Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale, LI, NY

Today we visited Connetquot River State Park Preserve, once the home of the South Side Sportsmen's Club, which was incorporated on the 6th of April, 1866.  The club was originally started by a group of wealthy sportsmen who frequented the popular Snedecor's Tavern, which they eventually purchased and expanded. 

We took a house tour today at 1 and it certainly was a beautiful day for one, although cold and a bit windy.  Our tour guide was Ellie, who showed us the entire place from top to bottom and then some.

One of the smaller bedrooms on the second floor

Entering through the Main House into the gift shop (originally Snedecor's Tavern in 1820 before it was reframed and extended by the Club in 1868) the tour began in the Ladies  Sitting Room, which now houses the offices of the Connetquot River State Park Preserve Environmental Education.  Moving upstairs we caught a glimpse of the bedrooms which were expanded to house over 100 club members. A separate house, referred to as "the New Annex", was built in 1899 by eight members of the club who pooled their resources. It is currently the residence of the Park Manager.

Here I am in front of the New Annex

Moving back down to ground level, we entered the Ladies Dining Room.  None of the pieces are original, but Ellie explained that when the Club sold the property to New York State in 1973, everything was auctioned off, right down to the names on the lockers in the Rod and Gun Room, where the equipment was kept. This included the silverware that was used in the Ladies Dining Room, which is currently on display by a generous donation.  You can tell by the initials SSSC etched into the spoons, knives and forks on the table.

Ladies Dining Room

Moving from the small but lovely Trophy Room to the Men's Dining Room, Ellie pointed out a most unusual device that we have never seen before.  Attached to the radiator was a warming tray, a precursor to the more modern microwave oven.  Men placed their cold food inside to warm it up. 

Ellie showing off the Rod and Gun Room's beautiful wooden lockers

We moved into the large kitchen area which fed the entire club. After moving through the Rod and Gun Room, we entered another room toward the back, originally used to clean freshly caught game.  Currently in use as the BOCES-SCOPE Outdoor Learning Laboratory, it has been most recently used by the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts as well as school groups.  Look above and you will notice a skylight, which opens for ventilation, a rare sight seen in the late 1800's.  

Kitchen area

The last room we entered was the Billiard Room, the last room which was original to Snedecor's Tavern, and, according to the pamphlet we received, was moved 25 feet to the southwest and a three story section of the building was added between the Billiard Room and Snedecor's.

With a little help from the "Friends of Connetquot", the Billard Room is in the process of being refurbished to the way it looked originally.  Rocking chairs dot the wood floor while over in the corner is a small bar which featured a BYOB (there are little cabinets to furnish whatever bottle you brought yourself).  The room is filled with duck decoys (for which the club was famous).  A Ben Franklin stove from the Astor House in NYC sits against the wall in the center.  Originally, the Sportmen's Club could only be reached by carriage.  Later on, it could be reached by railroad where they had their own clubhouse.  An indoor weather vane still operates from 1820.

Many famous celebrities were guests here. Among them were Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. Grant, William "Tecumseh" Sherman and Mary Pickford to name a few.

Once outside, there are trails that lead almost anywhere.  There is a grist mill that is being refurbished.  It was started by the Nicoll family, a very prominent Long Island family that have many roads named after them.  Called the Oakdale Grist Mill, it was built in 1750 by William Nicoll the first and used by local farmers to grind  wheat and corn.  The mill was in use up until 1878, but the Club loved to look at it and was kept standing.  Damaged by a storm in the 20's the mill is currently being refurbished.

Nicoll's Mill

Many trails lead you around the Club and you can where you can see the Main Garage, the Carpenter's House, the Ice House and the Hatchery Building, which is a mile upward from the Club.  Built in 1890 and still in use today, it provides many local parks with brook, brown and rainbow trout.  We plan to visit it at another time, but it is one of the things that can be enjoyed at this preserve.

The Connetquot Park Preserve has its own unique history beginning with the Secatogue Native American tribe, who named the area Connetquot meaning "Great River".  The path leading up to the Club was originally an old Indian road which later became a stagecoach road and was once a split off of old Montauk Highway, Route 27A.

It was settled originally by the Nicoll family in 1684 and 1697.  In 1820, the family leased a portion of their land to Eliphalet Snedecor who built his Tavern.  It became the South Side Sportmen's Club in 1866 and they expanded their holdings, eventually totaling to 3,473 acres.

The Club sold the land to the New York State in 1963 for $6.2 million, but leased back the property for another ten years.  In August, 1973, the Club was opened to the public to be used as a recreational facility.  In 1978, it was was declared a State Park Preserve by the New York Legislature.

So please, if you are in the area, visit this beautiful state park and preserve.  There are many walking and hiking trails to enjoy.  The house and gift shop are open to the public.  You can walk where Native Americans, early settlers and wealthy sportsmen once walked, hunted and fished.  Become a part of history and visit the Connetquot River State Park Preserve in Oakdale, NY.  It's worth a trip. 

As usual, I am including some links:


Official site:

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/8/details.aspx

Wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connetquot_River_State_Park_Preserve

Friends of Connetquot official site
http://friendsofconnetquot.org/

Article in Newsday mentioning the Connetquot River State Park Preserve and Bayard Cutting Arboretum from May 1, 2001:
http://www.newsday.com/lifestyle/connetquot-river-park-and-bayard-cutting-arboretum-1.805699

The many trails inside the Connetquot River State Park Preserve:
 http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=HGN094-072

Leisurama Homes, Montauk, Long Island, NY

I'm sitting in front of what is known as a "Leisurama" home, one of several vacation homes built between 1963 to 1965 in Montauk, NY.

The developer's name and president of All State Properties, Herbert Sadkin, successfully featured a model of this home at the 1959 American Exhibition in Moscow.  Following his return to the United States, Sadkin began development of the Lauderhill community in Florida.  It was two years later that he started Leisurama, vacation homes that sold from $12,995 and $17,995.  Walk in models  were exhibited on the 9th floor of Macy's in Herald Square. There were two models available, one called a "convertible studio" containing a Murphy bed or an "expanded convertible" with two bedrooms and a Murphy bed.  All the homes had pictures windows and carports.  Each house was to be built on concrete slabs of 730 square inches or 1,200 square feet on a 75 x 100' plot.

The house was furnished with everything you could ask for.  Lamps, rugs, curtains, linens, dishes, utensils and even toothbrushes were provided.  General Electric supplied the appliances.  

The Leisurama homes were considered revolutionary and the project has been called "the first large-scale branded housing project in America."

Advertisement for a Leisurama home in Lauderhill, Florida

Andrew Geller, working for the architectural firm, Raymond Lowey and Associates, was contracted to design these one of a kind homes which were designed as an affordable second home used for summer vacations  out on Montauk, Long Island in a development named Culloden after the British warship, HMS Culloden, which ran aground during the Revolutionary War.

   Some of the homes were modeled at the 1964 World's Fair.   

There were 250 houses built out in Montauk by 1964.

Rob scoured the neighborhood looking for anything that was like the original, but could only find the blue one above, that seemed to match the original plans for the house.  Like anything else, the homes were modified and expanded.  We even passed some that had a second floor added to it.  

As usual, I have many links to sites.

An interesting article called "Leisurama Living"

http://www.designboom.com/trash/leisurama.html

Another interesting article where some of my information came from:

 http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=3227

This is a pamphlet advertising the Leisurama home, one that I found very interesting.  It includes all the amenities that come with the house, complete with specifications and recreational facilities that you can enjoy while on vacation.   The link to the documentary at the bottom of the page doesn't work, but check out the one in the Wikipedia article.  That one doesn't work either, but there are some pics for advertising that are interesting to check out.

 

http://www.designcommunity.com/scrapbook/2415.html

Wikipedia article:  Check out the external links, especially for the documentary, just to catch some of the interesting pics of the inside of the homes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leisurama

article in Dan's Papers of the Hamptons on Leisurama where I borrowed some information:

http://www.danshamptons.com/content/montaukpioneer/2008/issue13_2008/04.html

Mt Willard and Madison Boulder, Crawford Notch and Madison, NH

Here I am atop the summit of Mt. Willard and well worth the hike. It's a fairly easy hike upwards, not too steep and well traveled, especially on holidays and weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  In fact, this was a Labor Day weekend that we made the climb.  It wasn't the first time that Susan and Rob made the climb, but it was my first.  

The trail is next to the visitor center/railroad depot  and you will have to cross the tracks (which are still in use by the Conway Scenic Railroad in summer) where the trail splits.  There are signs pointing to the Avalon Trail, but follow the signs.  You will cross a brook before the trail takes a moderate path upward.  It soon joins with an old carriage road and will split off from there to the Hitchcock Flume, which takes a steep climb downhill.  It's a mile from there to the summit which is described as the best view anywhere.  It's about a 1.5 miles up to the top one way.  Believe me, it's worth every minute of it.  

A nearby hotel, Crawford House, would run carriages up to the summit of Mt. Willard.  The hotel is no longer there, but a hostel has been built on the site of the Crawford House where hikers can stay overnight.  I will include a link to the history of the Crawford House for all those who are interested.  

A sign at the summit of Mt. Willard

Here I am at the entrance to Madison Boulder, the largest known glacial erratic in New England and is among the largest in the world.  The huge granite boulder is 83 feet in length and 23 feet in height above ground and 37 feet in width and weighs 5,000 tons.  It is believed that this particular boulder was brought by an ice sheet from Mt Willard because it closely resembles the rocks from that area.

This natural area was acquired by the State of New Hampshire in 1946 and was designated a National Landmark in 1970.

Madison Boulder

 update 3/19/11

Rob, Susan and I stopped by the Stony Brook Carriage House Museum this afternoon to see a special exhibit on past World Fairs in the United States at the Art Museum, located in the back of the complex.   Rob and Susan had heard that the Carriage House Museum, which is the first building, had been updated since the last time the two saw it.  While walking around the museum's lower level, Susan discovered a Crawford House coach that traveled to the top of Mt. Willard via the carriage road.  I've decided to include it.

    

Coach preparing to take Crawford House guests to the top of Mt. Willard

 

 
Here are the usual links:

This is a link to the Long Island Carriage House Museum where we saw the Crawford House coach:
 http://www.longislandmuseum.org/

 This is a great site.  Hike New England.  Gives you lots of pics from the top of Mt. Willard, the start of the trial, the carriage road, etc.  Enjoy!
 http://www.hikenewengland.com/WillardHitchcockFlumeNH090920.html

Description of the Mount Willard Trail, including pictures of the carriage road. 

http://hikenh.netfirms.com/TDWillar.htm

History and pictures of the Crawford House.  This is a very interesting site. I borrowed the crowded Crawford House coach picture from this site. 

http://whitemountainhistory.org/Crawford_House.html

Full description of the Madison Boulder Natural Area in Madison, NH

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-parks-217184-madison_boulder_natural_area-i

 Wikipedia article on Madison Boulder

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_New_Hampshire

Crawford Notch Depot

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/whitemountains/highland/crawford/crawford-depot.cfm

Wikipedia article on the Conway Scenic Railroad which includes a link to their official website which I am having trouble accessing at the moment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway_Scenic_Railroad

 A FAQ page for the Crawford Notch Depot which includes some history of the area

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/whitemountains/highland/crawford/crawford-depot-faq.cfm

John Coltrane Home, Dix Hills, Long Island, NY

Back on Long Island again, this time in front of the home of renowned jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane.  Coltrane moved his wife and four children in 1964.  He lived here three years until he died of liver cancer in 1967.  His wife, Alice, lived in this home until 1973.  

This "Farm Ranch" house, built in 1952, is comprised of four bedrooms, a living room and a practice room above the garage.  There is also a recording studio in the basement, Coltrane Studios, where many demo recordings were made.  The practice room is credited as being the place where he composed the album "Love is Supreme."

The living room

The 3.4 acre plot and house were marked for demolition by developer Ash Agrawal in 2002 until a local historian by the name of Steve Fulgoni launched a campaign to save it in 2004.  By 2006,  the Town of Huntington purchased the house and was given to a local non-profit group known as "The Friends of the Coltrane Home." In 2007, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The house, which according to an article "Winter Threatens John Coltrane House" speaks of intensive repairs, which will cost close to one million dollars, but is still "miraculously intact". The article, published in 2009, is the most updated information that I can get on the house. 

Mr. Fulgoni, who sits on the Board of Directors of "The Friends" along with Coltrane family,  would like to turn the house into a museum where kids can learn more about John Coltrane and his music.  The picture of me sitting in the driveway was taken on July 4, 2010 and the gate was open at the time. 

If in the neighborhood, the house is located at 247 Candlewood Path in Dix Hills. 

As usual, I am including a few links:


Wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane_Home

The article "Winter Threatens John Coltrane Home" where I borrowed two pictures from.

http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/todays-news/winter-threatens-john-coltrane-house.html

New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/realestate/02lizo.html?ex=1354251600&en=d65615aa461a30be&ei=5089

the official John Coltrane site.  The link to the Dix Hills house does not seem to work and I wonder if the site has been taken down. 

http://www.johncoltrane.com/news.html

Town of Huntington article:

http://town.huntington.ny.us/newsdetails.cfm?id=1093

Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, Boca Raton, FL

Hello again from sunny Florida.  This time I'm here at the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex in Boca.  The first few times that Susan and Rob visited Florida, the complex was always closed, but when we finally got to see this remarkable facility, they keep going back.

It was known as the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center back then and is surrounded by two parks, Spanish River and Red Reef.  Gumbo Limbo started out in Spanish River, later moved to Red Reef as the master plans called for.  The Nature Center on the right, contains a butterfly nursery, gopher tortoise exhibit and a sea turtle garden to name a few.  While there, you can visit the gift shop, sign up for public programs and/or pick up some literature on nature and conservation.

You can also walk along their elevated boardwalk and visit the Hardwood Hammock, which will give you a glimpse of what Florida looked like back before modern civilization and climb the 40 foot observation tower where you can see for miles around you.  Discover what the state tree of Florida is and what a strangler fig is.    

The North Trail features a butterfly garden which is in full bloom in May and June. Relax in the Seminole chiki that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway where, if you are lucky enough, you can spot a manatee.

Exhibits also include four seawater tanks where you are encouraged to touch and handle.  Included are the Mangrove Tank, the Reef Tank, the Shark and Ray tank and a Sea Turtle Tank. 

Their Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is new having opened in January of 2010.  In the past, Gumbo Limbo saved sick and injured sea turtles, but always sent them to other facilities to be treated.  Of  5000 endangered green turtles,177 of them were treated here and released from this new facility due to a cold snap on January 1st.  

An endangered sea turtle in one of the four outdoor tanks .

I am including the official site of the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex which includes pictures and a detailed history of the creation of the park.    It is worth looking at especially if you've never been there.  It will give you some idea of how important the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is to the area and what they are involved in.  I would also like to thank them for providing some of the pictures that you see on this blog.


http://www.gumbolimbo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.main&

Wakodahatchee Wetlands and Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, FL

Well, I suppose after all the snow we just had you'd like to see something warm.  So here I am in Florida at a great place called Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach.  Here you'll find everything you are looking for.  From rare birds to alligators, Wakodahatchee has it all.

Wakodahatchee means "created waters" and comes from the language of the Seminoles. Fifty acres of unused utilities creates this great place to enjoy nature at its finest.   

There is a three mile boardwalk so you can walk through and enjoy the wildlife and learn how these wetlands were created and how it is maintained.  In the site I will provide in my usual links, you can take a virtual tour of these wetlands and learn a little more about this popular spot.  Walkers, joggers, bird watchers and just plain local folk come to this place every day to learn more. 

Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands in Boynton Beach is similar yet different.  It's a bit newer than Wakodahatchee and provides a 1.5 mile boardwalk which snakes through the 100 acre habitat. There is also a large modern nature center as you enter the wetlands from the parking lot.  There are lots of exhibits you can enjoy and it's a great place for adults as well as children.

Here are the links:

Here is a virtual tour of the Wakodahatchee Wetlands.  Explore, then read about this great spot.
http://www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/tour.htm


The link to Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands.  I borrowed the picture above from this site.
http://www.pbcgov.com/parks/nature/green_cay_nature_center/

Pastrami N Friends, Commack, LI, New York

Look at the size of that sandwich.  You can't get any better pastrami than that.  Wash it down with a little Dr. Brown's Cel-Rey and you've got the perfect deli meal.

Welcome to Pastrami N Friends, one of three Kosher delis in Suffolk County, but believe me, this one is the best.  It actually beats the pants off one of the biggest and most well-known Kosher delis in the area.

It's actually new to Rob and Susan, but it's not new to the area.  Partners Ernie and Don (Don is now retired and Ronnie has taken his place) opened  Pastrami N Friends in 1975 and are still in the same location.  They were recently voted Best Pastrami on Long Island for 2011 and they do deserve the honor.  Ernie believes that it's because he uses only top quality products and he will not settle for anything less. 

It may be a little smaller than other well known delis, but it's big on quality and warm in heart.  Ernie treats his employees and patrons equally, like one big happy family.  Sharon, our waitress for this evening, has worked there for 20 years.  When you walk in, you get treated with kid gloves.  Everyone welcomes you with a smile and the servers will bend over backwards to bring you a great meal.  Everyone is warm and friendly with excellent service with prices that can't be beat.

The yellow paneling on the walls and the doo-wop oldies playing over the speakers help to enhance this fabulous restaurant.  The pictures and posters on either side of the deli cover the periods from the 1930's to the present and make you feel right at home. If you so desire, you can purchase any one of them.

One of the better things about this particular deli is that it serves a cup of any soup you want, unlike other delis in the area, which only serve a large bowl.  Try  all the homemade soups, all of which are out of this world.  Specials written on the board are named after a borough or section of Brooklyn.

Tonight Susan and Rob were served an open sandwich of the best tasting corned beef and pastrami served with delicious derma over barley.  Rob had a large potato pancake while Susan had the traditional fries.  Both served with Dr. Brown's Cel-Rey soda.

So the next time you are looking for a great Kosher deli with a "little bit of Brooklyn", please consider Pastrami N Friends as your stopping off point. It is located off Commack Road in the Meat Farms Mall and is the second store on the left.  When you click on their menu link below, it will give you directions how to get there.

Towards the rear of the deli, you will glimpse a sign that reads "Good Food - Good Times - Good Friends."  This says it all.

As usual, I am including a few links


Their menu:
http://www.pastraminfriends.com/

reviews
http://www.allmenus.com/ny/huntington/54073-pastrami-n-friends/reviews/