APRIL 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 67
FROM WHALING HUB TO SCIENCE LEGEND
Canoe Association-certified instructors.
The 2019 season begins at the
end of May and runs through October.
Memberships are available for
repeat guests, and JK also sells used
craft and equipment for those making
a more permanent commitment.
NATURAL PASTIMES
As locals know, nature is another
integral component of what makes
Cold Spring Harbor great. Don’t let
LI’s typically flat landscape fool you.
Hikers can experience a real up-anddown
challenge on the trails at Cold
Spring Harbor State Park (95 Harbor
Rd., 631-423-1770, parks.ny.gov/
parks/115/details.aspx) encompassing
40 acres of hilly terrain that provides
excellent views of the harbor. Stroll
(or snowshoe, in season) among its
impressive large oak trees, which
measure as much as three feet in
diameter, as well as thickets of wild
mountain laurel. The park is a key
spot for observing spring and fall
songbird migrations and is home
to great horned owls and red-tailed
hawks. It is also the northern trailhead
of the Nassau Suffolk Greenbelt
Trail, extending to Bethpage State
Park and Nassau County’s South
Shore. Pets are permitted but must
be kept on a leash.
A less strenuous yet similarly rewarding
nature experience can be
enjoyed at Cold Spring Harbor Fish
Hatchery & Aquarium (1660 NY 25A,
516-692-6768, aquaticcommunity.com/
cshfha), a public aquarium and fish
hatchery founded in 1883. It features
a wide variety of native fish and reptiles,
including trout, carp and bowfin
among 30 fish species showcased in its
aquariums and numerous fish ponds,
as well as the largest living collection
of native amphibians in the Northeast
and a large outdoor turtle pond. Visitors
can purchase food to feed the fish,
and there is a gift shop and discovery
area for the kids. Fishing for trout is
also permitted, for a $5 fee plus an additional
fee for each fish caught (you
must keep your catch). Anglers are
permitted to either use their own gear
or rent equipment at the hatchery.
While on that note, a trip to the
Uplands Farm Sanctuary (250
Lawrence Hill Rd, 631-367-3225, dec.
ny.gov/outdoor/63816.html), is another
welcome diversion. The former
dairy farm, still containing a silo
and the remnants of cattle pastures,
is now the 97-acre headquarters for
The Nature Conservancy’s Long
Island Chapter. Take the sanctuary’s
double-loop trail through bird and
butterfly meadows, deciduous forests
and a ravine shaded by white
pine, keeping an eye out for wildlife
such as bobolinks, meadowlarks, redtailed
hawks and migratory warblers.
CSH’S BRAVEST
Cold Spring Harbor also boasts a
proud firefighting history, which you
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
can explore at the Cold Spring Harbor
Fire House Museum (84 Main
St., 631-367-0400, cshfirehousemuseum.
org). Displays include an 1852
Phenix Hand Tub, the department’s
first piece of equipment; a 1920s
Ford Model TT Chemical Truck and
1919 Ford Model TT Delivery Truck;
fire hats, clothing and gear; historic
ledgers and photos; a restored cupola
from the fire house; “fire grenades”
used to stop fires in the 1800s; a memorial
to those who were killed at
the World Trade Center in the Sept.
11, 2001 attacks; and much more.
SUBLIME TRANQUILITY
Regardless of your spiritual
WHERE TO DINE
Cold Spring Plaza Delicatessen
15 Harbor Rd., 631-367-3533
The Gourmet Whaler
111 Main St., 631-659-2977, gourmetwhalerny.
com
Grasso’s
134 Main St., 631-367-6060,
grassosrestaurant.com
Harbor Mist Restaurant
105 Harbor Rd., 631-659-3888,
harbormistrestaurant.com
Sandbar
55 Main St., 631-498-6188, lessings.
com/corporate/restaurants/
venue/sandbar
Sweetie Pies on Main
181 Main St., Ste. A, 631-367-9500,
sweetiepiesonmain.com
leaning, another recommended
stopping point is St. John’s Episcopal
Church (1670 Route 25A, 516-
692-6368, stjcsh.org), founded in its
current location in 1835. Walking
the church’s lakeside grounds is
pure bliss, as is time spent inside
the building, viewing its dazzling
stained-glass windows, including
panels crafted by Louis Comfort Tiffany,
who built Laurelton Hall, his
84-room, 600-acre country estate,
nearby in Laurel Hollow. Many of
the church’s famous windows have
undergone recent restoration and
provide a breathtaking backdrop
for Sunday service.
Finally, witness the rebirth of another
Cold Spring Harbor place of
worship — the former Methodist
Episcopal Church — as home base
for Preservation Long Island (161
Main St., 631-692-4664, preservationlongisland.
org), featuring exhibits
celebrating LI’s cultural heritage.
Past exhibits have spotlighted LI
decorative arts, landmarks, maps,
antiques and photography; this season’s
upcoming new exhibit (details
TBA) opens Memorial Day and runs
through fall 2019.
The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum recounts the region's rich
maritime past. (Getty Images)
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/aquaticcommunity.com
/63816.html)
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