78 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • NOVEMBER 2019
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
SMITHTOWN:
By BRENDAN MANLEY
You can’t miss it as you drive through
the hectic intersection of Routes 25
and 25A in Smithtown: a massive
statue of a bronze bull, the type
which looks more at home on Wall
Street than a busy Long Island thoroughfare.
And as you might imagine
of any farm animal deemed worthy of
a statue, in Smithtown — first settled
around 1665 — the monument honors
no ordinary bull.
According to the popular—albeit
largely fictional—story, English
settler Richard Smythe rescued the
captured daughter of a Native American
chief, who rewarded Smythe by
granting him all the land Smythe
could encircle in one day on a bull.
(Historians say it was really Lion
Gardiner, not Smythe, who rescued
the daughter. Chief Wyandanch
then gave Gardiner the land, which
Smythe either bought or won in a
card game.)
The myth, however, has a more memorable
conclusion: Smythe, apparently
no dim bulb, purportedly opted to
ride “Whisper,” his prized bull, on
the summer solstice — the longest
day of the year — thereby acquiring
the land once called “Smithfield,” and
now known as Smithtown. The bull,
meanwhile, got a statue.
Now 350 years later, Smithtown
remains as vital a component of the
North Shore tapestry as ever. Today,
it comprises one of Long Island’s most
active and colorful townships, offering
fine dining, eclectic retail, historic
and natural attractions, arts and
entertainment, nightlife and a host
of outdoor recreational options. It’s
a great place to work, live and visit,
and continues to evolve and expand
with the times.
Of course, no trip to Smithtown is
complete without a quick gander at
the bronze Whisper the Bull Statue
at the crossroads of Routes 25 and
25A. And by quick, I mean you’ll
literally need to look quickly as you
drive past, since there’s nowhere
nearby to park. Instead, tap your
horn in reverence of the majestic
creature as you whizz by. After that,
our other mandatory Smithtown
suggestions include:
GREEN LIVING
Smithtown strikes a healthy balance
between picturesque natural scenery
and modern suburban convenience.
To bask in the former, there’s Caleb
Smith State Park Preserve (581 West
Jericho Tpke., 631-265-1054, parks.
ny.gov/parks/124), boasting 543 passive
use acres and multiple habitats,
accessible by several hiking trails.
Keep an eye out for birds like prothonotary
warblers, Virginia rails and
osprey, as well as rare plants like pink
lady slipper, trailing arbutus and
Indian pipe. There’s also its recently
renovated Nature Museum, which
presents nature programs and natural
history exhibits, including a great
blue heron, red fox, flying squirrel
and river otter. Fishing is permitted,
in season, on the Nissequogue River
and Willow Pond; in winter, trails
double as paths for snowshoeing and
cross-country skiing.
If your hike at Caleb Smith doesn’t
yield enough wildlife sightings (or if
you just dig animals), continue on to
Sweetbriar Nature Center (62 Eckerncamp
Dr., 631-979-6344, sweetbriarnc.
org), a haven for natural science
education and wildlife rehabilitation.
Located on 54 acres of gardens, woodlands,
fields and wetlands on the
Nissequogue, hundreds of species
of plants and animals reside there.
Stroll through the outdoor enclosed
Butterfly Vivarium; meet the denizens
of the Reptile Room and Rainforest
Room; play in the Discovery
Area; and create in the Art Center.
Many special events are also held at
Sweetbriar throughout the year, as
well as children’s environmental education
weeks and birthday parties.
The Smithtown Bull statue greets visitors on Route 25. (Long Island Press photo)
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