Easily this recent trip ranks up there as one of my top vacations ever – even though it wasn’t officially a ‘vacation’, just a long weekend away.  The impetus for heading here rather than to the Cape or Nantucket was that my company recently expanded to Long Island  – I needed to conduct an interview in our Garden City office, so why not take advantage and explore a new place? 

With the interview behind me on Thursday I was giddy with excitement – slipped into the ladies room to change my top and throw on a hat as hubby awaited to whisk me away!  Headed out to the oceanfront resort that I found online, in a village of South Hampton…

Imagine me in the outfit above arriving to this “resort”???  

To be perfectly blunt, it was a dump. In different circumstances we would have left to find another place, but we decided to make the best of the situation and just spend as little time here as possible. Easy to do with the paradise surrounding us…

Less than a mile away, we found three fun outdoor bars at a local marina…

Let the party begin!   And what a party it was…with some great recommendations from a colleague who has a home in East Hampton, it was one ‘wow’ after the next.  Our first dinner was at Redbar, in the town of South Hampton. As we always prefer, no reservations, just grabbed seats at the intimate bar and began making friends with those around us…a nice couple who owned a fireplace business, a cute blonde who worked at a local boutique… Patrick the bartender knew everyone and made each person feel like part of the community…people came and went as we lingered and enjoyed cocktails, tequila shots, delicious food, and fun conversation…enter a woman by herself who joins us, as two fellows at the bar introduce us: “Brooke, this is Candy and Peter.” We exchange friendly hellos….I turn to Peter.  Look him in the eye. He gives me a slight nod – yeah, it’s Brooke Shields.   Ha! What a riot!

That was fun.  But not as much fun as our day at Coopers Beach, truly one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen…miles of soft sand and continuous HUGE waves that we played in like a couple of kids. SO MUCH FUN.

After the beach we had a late lunch at 75 Main and explored the picturesque town of South Hampton…

When happy hour approached we headed for Dockers, up the street from our hotel…What a party scene it was! Great people watching, and best of all, a live band with dancing for hours…good to burn some calories!

Pristine beaches, glorious scenery, yummy food, great wine, upbeat music, dancing, nice people, well-dressed people…what more could one want??? Of course ladies. You guessed right. Shopping. Shopping to die for!

Both South Hampton and East Hampton had enough boutiques to please any gal, but East Hampton was by far my favorite; fewer well-known stores and plenty of unique boutiques. I was so excited going from shop to shop that I know my heart rate was elevated!

Here is a sneak peek of a few of my purchases…

While the last thing I needed was another swimsuit, I could not resist this high waisted two piece in a fun jungle print…

This black strapless ruffled cotton dress is from Poupette St Barth – looks so French, doesn’t it? Hot pink drop earrings discovered in the Jennifer Miller boutique keeps with the island girl vibe.

These super cool gold leather sandals are by Figue – handmade in India…they had so many wild styles/colors it was hard to choose!  Thought solid gold would go with everything…super comfy!

One of the many beautiful Ralph Lauren shops…

Took a brief break from shopping – to refuel and catch my breath at Cittanuova, a favorite lunch spot of the locals…here enjoying some time with colleague Caryl and her friend Lisa – two local ladies that are in the know!

Our last night! Heading out to Tutto Il Giorno for dinner (owned by Donna Karan’s daughter)…Notice my ‘beach hair’ – with the lack of tools/products I decided to go natural/wavy. A touch of ‘Got2b Playful’ creme pomade and that’s it. Thanks to my great haircut by Robert, it looked fabulous, and was a fun change. 

The trip home on Sunday was an adventure of its own…we learned that the most efficient route was to take two small ferries out of Sag Harbor to Orient Point, then a larger ferry to New London, CT. From there, just a 2 hour ride home.

OMG – Sag Harbor!  What do you mean we only have thirty minutes here??? I did not want to leave – it was so very charming, a step back in time, with even more upscale, unique boutiques…can’t wait to come back!

This was truly a weekend in paradise – even considering the hotel situation.  We are already talking about our next time and where we will stay.  Have you heard of Gurney’s? 😉