FeatureA travel guide in real time: the

locals and the tourists on theground give us the lowdown on

where to go and what to see.Co

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coured by salty winds and warmed by thesun, it is a bright and pristine place, anurbane town with history and picture-

postcard quaintness. Indeed, the sharpness of scenicMMaaiinn SSttrreeeett, its parks, and the crystalline sunlightdancing on the water’s surface makes you feel like youare in a live stage set. The sky is too blue, the water toomirror-like, and the air too fresh; it’s almost too clean andpretty to be real. It’s like stepping out of humdrumgrubby life and into another realm, one of quietAmericana and good breeding. Charming Main Street —with its wooden-framed emporiums, complete withshutters and glass-front bays — evokes New Englandwithout excessive commercialism.

It is Cold Spring Harbor, an old maritime settlement onthe north shore of Long Island, an easy day trip from thetri-state area, perfect for summer or Chol Hamoed.

Although technically not part of New England andlocated in New York State, at the border of Nassau andSuffolk counties, the town is just across the Long IslandSound from Connecticut. Like its neighbor across severalmiles of water, it too has a history of whaling. During the1800s, Yankee whalers owned large and small tracts ofland here and made their fortunes from the seagoingvessels that embarked from the eponymous long andnarrow harbor.

The harbor is sheltered by land from both sides of thecounty line, and by hills on the Suffolk side. It gets itsname from the numerous freshwater springs that emptyinto the harbor. Even the native Matinecock Indians gaveit a name connected with the quality of the water; theEnglish came here in 1650 and gave it its permanentname.

The attractions here are small scale, but numerousenough to justify a full day. Needless to say, they arerelated to the water. If you are taking children, the firststop would be the CCoolldd SSpprriinngg FFiisshh HHaattcchheerryy, located ona river that empties into the harbor. Trout have beenraised at this location for over a hundred years. Manylarge outdoor ponds are fed by artesian wells, and thefish can be fed with pellets. You can also fish with the

kids and tour indoor exhibits containing a very largecollection of freshwater fish, amphibians, and reptiles.Natural oddities such as the two-headed seahorses willintrigue the little ones, and some art activities forchildren are offered.

When we visited in August, we needed to cool off fromthe midday sun at the hatchery, so we headed towardstown, a few minutes north. We were attracted by the

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•Main Street

•Cold Spring Fish Hatchery

•Dolan DNA Learning Center of the Cold

Spring Harbor Laboratory

•Whaling Museum and Education Center

MUST-SEES

Main street

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new-looking Cold Spring Harbor Libraryperched high above the boat launch nearMain Street and made our way there for theair conditioning. But what we found was ahotel for books! With a granite checkoutdesk at the front like a concierge’s stationand huge comfortable leather armchairs, itsreading room was like the lobby of a grandhotel. We explored the building and itsbalconies and found an array of specialtyrooms for music, performances, children,and more. We left with souvenirs that wefrequently pick up on car trips — qualityused children’s books for the grandchildren.

We like to vary activities, so we wereready for easy outdoor activities on MainStreet, which had several specialty shops inbuildings with bright painted woodwork.The gift shops, antiques stores, andchildren’s clothing boutiques featuredoutstanding presentation and refinedselections. They were perfect for browsing.

One cute store had themed sections withnovelties for children, toys, and outdoorgear in room-like groupings. It washeadlined as “the best little store on LongIsland.” I would agree! It was original andeasy on the feet. After all that genteelcommercialism, we escaped temptation andheaded further up Main Street, pastbeautifully preserved old homes, to theDDoollaann DDNNAA LLeeaarrnniinngg CCeenntteerr ooff tthhee CCoollddSSpprriinngg HHaarrbboorr LLaabboorraattoorryy.

Previously known as the Cold SpringHarbor National Laboratory, this researchcenter is over one hundred years old. It wasffoouunnddeedd iinn 11889900 aass aa bbiioollooggyy tteeaacchheerr--ttrraaiinniinngg llaabboorraattoorryy ffoorr BBrrooookkllyynn tteeaacchheerrssaanndd was originally part of the even olderBrooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. TheInstitute was the organization thatdeveloped the Brooklyn Museum, theBrooklyn Children’s Museum, and theBrooklyn Botanic Garden.

The Laboratory became independent overthe years, as did the other parts of theinstitution, and eventually specialized ingenetic and cancer research. The famousJames Watson, who together with FrancisCrick was awarded the Nobel Prize formapping the double helix construction ofDNA, led the Laboratory for many years.

The Dolan Center is a small, hands-on

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A. Whaling Museum and

Education Center

B. Enterence to Cold Spring

Harbor Park

C-E. Cold Spring Fish Hatchery

F. Dolan DNA Learning Center

of the Cold

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genetics museum housed in a formerschoolhouse. We enjoyed learning through doingin the small exhibits about basic principles ofgenes and how they work. The activities werevaried and would be enjoyed by middle schoolersand older kids. The center still does teachertraining, and we were surprised to meet a frumwoman studying there that summer. A short filmabout Long Island’s past told us of the Indianswho lived there and showcased the town’s role inthe Revolutionary War. It also showed localattractions across Long Island.

Back in town, in a small picnic-perfect park atthe bottom of Main Street, the WWhhaalliinngg MMuusseeuummaanndd EEdduuccaattiioonn CCeenntteerr offers a chance to see andexperience the seagoing life of the nineteenth-century town.

A fully equipped hundred-year-old whaleboatcomplete with harpoons demonstrates whatequipment was needed to capture whales, cutthem, render the blubber into oil, and use thebones for various purposes. The voyages werelong and there was little entertainment, so thesailors spent their free time carving bone andteeth into intricate pieces of art called scrimshaw.

Ambergris, which is found in the intestine ofwhales, was a very valuable ingredient inperfumes once it was processed. Every part of awhale was profitable and useful, making whalingexpeditions well worth the risk and investment.

Films, tours, and children’s activities at themuseum reinforce the importance of thisindustry during the 1800s and the reasons for itsultimate demise.

The town includes CCoolldd SSpprriinngg HHaarrbboorr SSttaatteePPaarrkk, which has forty acres of trails andwoodlands. You can see it from the library.However, most visitors find the town — with itsquaint, New-England feel and its immaculatecool atmosphere — more attractive than the statepark.

It’s very civilized and free of crowds. You canwander and visit where you will, withoutworrying about waits, crowds, tznius issues, andnoise. Residents are upper-middle class and livethe Long Island life amidst picturesquesurroundings. This harbor-side town is an easy1½-hour drive from Brooklyn.—————————

Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S. in Management, isa writer, career counselor and community activist. Sheteaches life skills to women of all ages and is therebbetzin of Bais Medrash Agudas Achim in Lawrence,NY. She, can be reached at faigiehorowitzss@aol.com orat (516) 754-9440.

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