Editor’s Note: This is the lastest ediction of my biweekly column for The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review.
They’re coming! They’re coming! Hide in your homes.
Actually, they are already here and they aren’t nearly as bad as I’m probably making them sound. Who am I complaining about — while simultaneously mocking them just a bit? The pumpkin-pickers. The day-trippers from points west looking for a good old-fashioned day in the “country” with their families.
I like to joke about them and, yes, I do complain about them now and again, but I have a decidedly love-hate relationship with them.
On one hand, they bring a lot of money to the East End this time of year. Several local farms rely on this yearly influx of pumpkin money to survive and grow their businesses. But there is a downside, too. They clog our roads and just kind of get in the way. I know, first-world problems for sure.
I generally avoid the Hamptons on summer weekends, and the North Fork is a tough one this time of year, too. What is a local wine-obsessed family man to do?
Don’t give up. It is absolutely possible to weave your way through the cornstalk-topped SUVs from Nassau County. With a little planning and foresight, you can still get your Wine Country fix without too much trouble. You might even find a new way to enjoy the region, no matter the season.