I’m incredibly grateful my family has a beach house in Shirley, Long Island. Two weeks ago, my husband had off, so we took advantage. The weather wasn’t great, but we had a great time regardless.

My daughter, Maxine, was obsessed with counting how many mermaids were in one of the rooms.

We took advantage of the time we had outside as much as possible.

My Uncle was nice enough to take us out on his boat. Maxine was not a fan of the boat going fast, but she was all smiles after awhile.

The beach is about a 10-15 min walk from the house. It was so windy, and no one was around because it was cold. It was extremely peaceful, regardless. Maxine did not care for the beach. I think it was too windy for her.

While we were out east, we enjoyed the Animal Farm Petting Zoo in Manorville.

They also had really cool playground areas within the zoo.

We also enjoyed some yummy food from the area. On our first night, we ordered from Fratelli’s Restaurant and Pizza.

One night, we steamed some clams my Aunt and Uncle caught; they were so tasty!

We also stopped by Varney’s in Brookhaven. They are known for their muscles, which were delicious (the red and white sauces were both good). I also couldn’t resist the lobster roll.

We also got ice cream and shakes at Carla Marlas Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Shoppe in Bellport. So good!

Hopefully, we will be back soon to create more amazing memories.