North Fork Fall Weekend

If you’re looking for the perfect weekend escape, head to Aqua Beach Hotel in the North Fork region of Long Island. Situated directly on the Peconic Bay, this boutique hotel has direct beach access and so many areas to lounge outside, including a dockside lawn with lounge chairs and hammocks and seats on your private terrace. It also has a fire pit, making this the perfect place to spend chilly nights. Only 1 ½ hours from Manhattan, Aqua Beach is located in the heart of wine country, so you’ll have easy access to all of the North Fork vineyards and villages. The rooms are beautifully decorated and the staff is very hospitable, especially Javier, who was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. 

 

Day 1

On our first night, we set up a picnic right on the dockside beach at sunset with some picnic-friendly food and lots of rosé. Here’s a rundown of what we used to create the perfect beach picnic:

Beach Picnic Essentials

Decor: First, pick your color palette. We opted for blush pinks and neutrals. We started with this throw as our base and added several tasseled and fringe pillows from Anthropologie and Nordstrom Rack to create a comfy place to sit. We also added a basket and picked up fresh flowers to elevate the look.

Tip: For an inexpensive route for decor, use items you already have in your home. We used our bedroom pillows that had removable covers, which made for easy cleaning after the picnic.

Drinks & Food: For dinner, we ordered pizza and a charcuterie platter from local Lombardi’s Love Lane Market, which comes with three kinds of cheese and three types of meat of your choice. Their smallest platter serves 5-10 people, so we had leftovers for the next day. It was delicious and definitely worth the price, but if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, we recommend making your own charcuterie board. Here are some great ideas! For drinks, we had a few bottles of rosé! *Aqua Beach Hotel does not have a bar on-site, so we recommend stopping for wine or your drink of choice beforehand.

Servingware: We used the hotel’s forks and plates but brought our own wine glasses. We also purchased two rattan tablemats that we could use to place the drinks on.

Watch how you can recreate your own picnic on our Instragram reel!

Day 2 

Start your morning by renting bikes and enjoy a relaxing ride to breakfast at Main Road Biscuit Co. Get a little workout in before enjoying their buttery biscuit breakfast, which is to die for. Order and pick up your food from their outdoor pick-up window and enjoy it in their backyard seating. *If you’re staying at Aqua Beach Hotel, there are four bikes available for rent at $25/hour!

If you’re looking for true fall vibes, head to Woodside Orchards. They have six different hard ciders to choose from and the best home-made cider doughnuts. We opted for the four cider tasting (or you can do all six); the raspberry flavor was our favorite! This place has a lot of outdoor picnic tables, but it sure does fill up quickly! 

For more fall fun, stop by Bayview Farms & Market for everything you could possibly want from a farmers market! They have fresh fruits, vegetables, jams, herbs, and flowers. For the season, they also have a wide variety of pumpkins and pies. We stopped here specifically for a pre-dinner snack - their fresh warm sweet corn covered with butter and salt. Yum! 

For dinner, we recommend Farm Country Kitchen, which sits on beautiful natural scenery & offers a cozy atmosphere, especially now during the cooler months. It currently has a covered terrace area, including a fire pit, which makes outdoor seating a much more enjoyable experience. They also have Adirondack chairs down by the river where you can wait to be seated. Choosing from the menu will be difficult, as the food is absolutely delicious. Our must-haves include the Burrata Antipasto, Hangar Steak, and the Rigatoni Bolognese!

Day 3

Love Lane Kitchen is a gem that will have you craving breakfast all day long! The breakfast bowl & sandwiches are out of this world. Enjoy your meal in their cute outdoor seating section or order in advance and grab your food at their convenient pick-up window handed to you by a super welcoming & friendly staff member. We are looking forward to another trip to explore the menu some more. 

Spend your afternoon elevating your wine snob game with a private wine tasting experience at RGNY. Not only did we have a fun time, our great host Nico was very knowledgeable about the specific selection of wines chosen for our group. The tasting includes four delicious wines, along with some yummy snacks to bring out its true flavors. *This experience is by reservation only.