Want to wake up to fresh local duck eggs at a farmhouse that is surrounded by a vineyard? Spend the night at a working fruit farm and gather raspberries after breakfast? Bring your dog to spend the night? Stargaze from a backyard observatory?
All these adventures and more await you at bed and breakfasts on the
North Fork of Long Island. (There are unique stays on the South Fork, too, but we couldn't cram everything into one story. More later.)
Though many of the bed-and-breakfasts are in handsomely restored farmhouses, they often offer the usual Wi-Fi service and other modern embellishments. Summer is, of course, high season on the East End - many B&B's have a two-night minimum stay on the weekends. Still, many are happy to accommodate guests for a single night, particularly during quieter times of the year.
Below are some of the more unusual B&B's ready to open their doors to you. Rates quoted are for a night, based on double occupancy.
Andrew's Legacy
35995 Main Rd., Cutchogue
631-734-6052,
andrewslegacy.com
Rates: $190-$220
Details: The MacNish family, which runs this B&B with three guest rooms, is rich in family lore and legend. Earlier generations were avid duck hunters as well as innkeepers, but today, Mark MacNish said, they keep chickens so they can serve the guests fresh-laid eggs for breakfast.
What's special: All food served is made on the premises, including jams and jellies made from homegrown herbs and fruits, and house-baked bread.
On the grounds there is an herb garden, a shade garden, a cutting garden, a rose garden and, in the front, a cottage-style garden. Some "learning vacations" are offered, on the themes of making jelly and jam, cultivating and preserving herbs, collecting antiques, and starting a garden from seeds, cuttings and root divisions. The B&B is next door to Bedell Cellars and is within walking distance of five other wineries and several farm stands. The resident Westie is named Emily.
Red Barn B&B
733 Herricks Lane, Jamesport
631-722-3695,
redbarnbandb.com
Rates: $195-$295
Details: James Slezak owns this 1898 farmhouse B&B with his wife, Linda, who makes three-course breakfasts as well as goodies for teatime. Jim leaves a decanter of brandy in the common sitting room for guests who want a nightcap. Woodside, an apple orchard, is nearby, as is Martha Clara Vineyards.
What's special: In the backyard you'll find the most modern stargazing equipment. James has a small observatory with a telescope linked to a computerized mount. Deep-space objects and faraway galaxies can be found in the night sky, using celestial coordinates.
Orient Inn
25-500 Main Rd., Orient
631-323-2300,
orientinn-ny.com
