Hallelujah for the Hamptons!

Good morning! I was lucky to have spent the other day with one of my dearest friends in the world in the glorious picture perfect Hamptons. It was a very long overdue "day off" which we both needed. Despite the temperatures that hovered around 100, we had a fantastic day, it was so great to catch up and spend some quality time with each other. Some of our outdoor activities were curtailed due to the intense heat so I decided to take a bunch of pictures in our travels.......... The Hamptons is one of those places that means different things to different people. Some go for the world class restaurants, some for the glitzy night life and flashy clubs, many flock to the tony country and beach clubs, some to mingle and rub elbows with celebrities (not a difficult thing to do in the Hamptons), some to stroll down the  ritzy streets lined with every fashionsinstas must have designer boutiques,  and last some like myself go to the Hamptons to experience the old fashioned side of the Hamptons, what it once was and still is albeit less so. Anyone who knows me knows that I always say I feel like I was born in the wrong era...........
 Make no mistake, I love many of the fabulous restaurants, enjoy going into the gorgeous stores, and won't say no to a game of tennis at one of the fabulous clubs but the real reason I go is for the beautiful quaint still family owned farm stands....is there anything better than choosing still warm tomatoes and perfectly ripe peaches just off the vine? I go to discover the little antique shops and creaky floored bookstores still being run by the old timer whose grandfather started the business. I look for the unpopulated beaches that are quiet and calm and equate to what a perfect day means to me. I go for bike rides to the Montauk lighthouse armed with a small picnic lunch to sit on the lawn with the vast Atlantic ocean as my backdrop. I go to meet friends and family for lunch at the roadside, "lunch on a paper plate" seafood bars that dot the road in Montauk. I go to take "house tours" of the incredible "beach cottages" that dot the shore.  Last I go to breath the ocean air, feel the coastal breeze and take in the beauty that is the Hamptons. That to me, is the ultimate getaway, a refuge to clear my head, and feel renewed and indeed I always leave there with a sense of calm and of being recharged. There truly is a Hamptons for everyone. So here are some highlights of my day, meet my Hamptons.

The beautiful ocean is a natural draw

Like hydrangeas? You will see them EVERYWHERE in every color here....

The landscape is so lush and green

This is a must stop for my kids and I when we are out in Montauk...

Casual but with a view

These are the farmstands that I cannot wait to visit when I head out east

Love the gorgeous sunflowers!

A typical Hamptons shingled beach house....love the coloration

Love the way the lattice was done on the garages

A classic weathered shingle home...so stately

The majestic Maidstone club, looks beautiful even in 104 degrees!

Of course the gorgeous beaches speak for themsevles

Even the Ralph Lauren in East Hampton is totally charming

The Palm steakhouse, one of the mainstays in the East Hampton dining scene

The Ladies Village Improvement Society in East Hampton, building dates from the 1800's

Charming building in East Hampton laden with American flags

Beautiful bed and breakfast, could it be any more charming?

Love the touch of the old fashioned red bicycles!

Couldn't you sit in those adirondack chairs all day with a big glass of ice tea?

Charm galore!

Picture perfect......

Pretty flowerboxes

The side view of "the perfect house"

Another in town charmer

Love the way this is done.....

Love this row of goregous hydrangeas aginast the privet hedges..perfect!

Beautiful lakes and ponds abound

This house, right as you enter the town of East Hampton is referred to by my kids as "the perfect house", and there is not a blade of grass out of place!

Upon entering East Hampton

The Maidsone, a beautiful bed and breakfast right in town in East Hampton

Plenty of wineries to choose from!

Puts me in a Napa state of mind!

Ahhh..love this house!

The lines are perfect..........

Everything just looks greener here! Love the circle of white impatients under the tree

The cornerstore Candy Kitchen has been around for a long long time

Urban Archologoy has beautiful things, fun to go in and fantastize

One of my favorite stops!

The sunflowers are the first to welcome you...and there is always room in my car for them

If this isn't divine inspiration to whip up something good, what is?

Picture perfect produce.......

Even the cucumbers are great looking!

No these are not fake!

Onions as art? Why not!

The pink pickup truck delivers the days fresh produce....

The nurseries are as you can imagine filled with all kinds of lush plantations

The beautiful nurseries are brimming with lush and beautiful plants of every variation

More vineyards.....

Outside at Duckwalk vineyards.....

And on this note, I will be sure to have a glass of Pinot Grigio later on and make a toast to the beautiful Hamptons! Hope you enjoyed this little stroll through the picturesque Hamptons. Have you been? If so do you have a favorite thing to do? If you haven't been and ever get the chance...I urge you to make the trip, I promise you will find your "Hamptons" too! Enjoy your day........