Here’s a vacation idea for the Summer of 2017: Set aside a week and pretend your home is an AirBnB.
Your excursion itinerary might look like this:
Monday: Rent paddleboards.
Tuesday: Secure a cabana at Splish Splash.
Wednesday: Tour some craft breweries.
Thursday: Hit up downtown Bay Shore and hop aboard a ferry to Fire Island.
Friday: Frolic among the vines in Instagram-friendly Wine Country.
Saturday: Head to a sleepier Fire Island hamlet, like Davis Park, then check out Patchogue Village and cab it home.
Sunday: Throw a frisbee while snacking at the Beach Hut at Cedar Beach, followed by shopping and dinner in the village. End the week with some HBO.
(The best part is not having to drive home.)
This is the type of week County Executive Steve Bellone and many others in government and tourism are hoping county residents will enjoy this summer season. The Discover Long Island tourism promotion agency has also built a Stay Suffolk web page for more excursion ideas.
It’s all part of the Stay Suffolk campaign to further enhance the county’s tourism industry.
Public service announcements and a social media push for staycationers to use the hashtag #staysuffolk are expected to boost awareness.
The latest phase of Stay Suffolk — a joint effort that launched in 2015 — is to promote and incorporate Suffolk’s downtown hubs.
“We have something for everyone here,” Bellone said Wednesday at The Oar Seafood Grille on Patchogue River. “We want our residents to think about our incredible downtowns from Babylon Village to Patchogue.”
He said the county’s world renowned beaches and other assets — which attract an estimated 9 million tourists to Long Island annually — are often overlooked by locals.
To help things along, Bellone on Wednesday announced summer bus services to Robert Moses State Park and the Montauk Lighthouse, as well as a free shuttle that will take Smith Point Park campers back and forth to the beach.
The new bus services to Robert Moses State Park will run daily from June 19-Sept. 4 on the S-47 line from the Babylon LIRR station, from 8:45 a.m to 6:55 p.m. every 60 minutes on weekdays, and from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. every 30 minutes on weekends and holidays. Click here for more.
And, on July 5 to Sept. 2, the S-94 will be available from Mondays to Saturdays from downtown Montauk to the lighthouse from 10:05 a.m to 5:45 p.m. every 60 minutes.
The announcement for new summer bus services comes amid controversial cuts to county bus and transportation services.
“We think this will promote tourism that will bring more revenue to the county,” Bellone said of the reasoning for the summer services.
According to the county, Long Island tourism is a $5.5 billion annual industry, with Suffolk County generating more than $365 million in local and state taxes through tourism.
Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri touted the benefits of being able to hop a ferry to Davis Park and have dinner on Patchogue River or Main Street without needing a car.
“It’s so easy to take the train, then walk to the ferry or walk to dinner,” he said.
“It’s been a long, colder winter,” added county Legislator William Lindsay of Bohemia. “This is what we suffer through the winter for.”
Top: Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri at Wednesday press event at The Oar Seafood Grille. (Michael White/GreaterPatchogue)
