Shortly after leaving Great Barrington, I got into a New York state of mind by listening to a live recording of one of Billy Joel’s monthly concerts in Madison Square Garden, while driving almost the full length of the Taconic Parkway and passing through our old town, Yorktown. Once I arrived in Long Island I first visited the Planting Fields Arboretum, where about the only living plants and flowers are in the two greenhouses. My next stop was the mansion built by William Vanderbilt, great-grandson of Commodore Cornelius. I took a tour and saw the old autos he used during car races that took place on the streets of Long Island. But I made a rookie mistake of not charging my phone while driving, so I had to go back to the car and charge it in the parking lot in order to take exterior pictures of the mansion – see one picture below.
Finally, I made it to Montauk at the far eastern tip of the island. Very few people were there when I saw the lighthouse and a lot of beaches. But I did spot one very hardy soul parasailing in cold air and water.
I added a second song, to honor a town I visited that’s mentioned in one of the songs I listened to – “The Ballad of Billy the Kid” by Billy Joel. The other song “Ain’t We Got Fun” was written in the 1920’s. This reference is somewhat obscure. My esteem will go to the first person who tells me why I picked this song. If nobody answers correctly, I will give the answer tomorrow. Good night from BayShore!
Mark's cross-country trip 