Travel
D
ashing families of history
buffs usually get the short
end of the stick when it
comes to travel. Instead of
getting to relax on beautiful
beaches alongside crystal-clear
seas in quaint cities with stellar
shopping, they get dragged to
stuffy, dark structures with teeny
gift shops, while their loved ones
explore hundred-year histories with
smiles stretched across their tanned
faces. There aren’t many locales
where history and luxury meet to
form a one-of-a-kind vacation.
However, it never has to be this way.
Southampton, the legendary village
tucked within New York’s exclusive
Hamptons, is a famous gem worthy
of the hype, yet without the glitz
and the gauche that some other
high-class hotspots are packaged
with. Never needing bright, sparkling
amenities, while equipped with
classic beauty and quiet luxury,
Southampton is a destination finely
suited to the East Coast elite with
a taste for history.
As a true Jersey girl with only
a few precious sunny weekends left
in a much-needed summer, I decided
to take a break from my chronic
Jersey Shore weekends and instead,
step outside the box and onto route
495 into New York to a more
subdued destination.
To someone used to fluorescent-lit
boardwalks, stuffed Shore cottages
and loud locals, Southampton was
a breath of fresh sea air from the
moment we drove into this charming
old-world village of weeping willows,
coastal homes, pastel beach cruisers
and posh boutiques. However, I still
clutched my homemade list of
Southampton attractions with some
angst, as there didn’t seem to be
many; especially not many that
seemed to serve any particularly
high levels of excitement.
ALL PHOTOS BY JENNA INTERSIMONE
I would soon find that Southampton
never needed amenities to make
it noteworthy, as all of the real
attractions of Southampton lie
in its natal, untouched loveliness.
Founded in 1640, Southampton was
developed by settlers from Lynn,
Massachusetts, and eventually
became the refined beach getaway
that many families came to
appreciate as the years went on.
I would be one of them.
First, we checked into our hotel for
the long weekend, the Southampton
Inn, a sprawling yet homey cottage-
Secretive driveway
of First Neck Lane
BELOW
Vintage shops near
Tate’s Bake Shop on
North Sea Rd
like inn. It was equipped with an
award-winning restaurant, Café Oso,
a medium-sized outdoor pool, several
colorful lounging areas on the lawn,
and a small, friendly library with
a welcoming staff. The Inn, which
was voted Best Family-Friendly Hotel
by the Travel Channel, offered
a complimentary shuttle to Cooper’s
Beach, nestled within the exclusive
Meadow Lane, of which we
immediately took advantage upon
arriving in the small village.
Pulling up to Cooper’s Beach after
winding down t