Day Trip to Wine Country

One of my favorite things about summer is vacation. Every summer since finishing school, I have pined for a summer break. Unfortunately, the world of adulthood and responsibility doesn't allow me two to three months off work. So, even without an actual day off work, I like to create mini weekend vacations. Day trips can be such a great cost savings, and I still get the full effect of an escape from the city without the hassle of a flight or packing. 

No matter where you are, there are so many great day trip options just a short drive away. One of our favorite trips out of New York City is to the wine country on the North Fork of Long Island. It's absolutely amazing that such a gorgeous setting is just a couple of hours outside of this major metropolis. This past weekend, we went to pick up our wine club shipment from Sparkling Pointe, one of my favorite North Fork Wineries. Sparkling Pointe specializes in, no surprise, sparkling wines. They have delicious tastings in a really beautiful tasting room, but when the weather is nice, you can sit outside and enjoy views of the vineyards. We were blessed with just such a weekend.

Instead of packing a lunch for this trip, we decided to explore once we got there. The area is filled with small organic farms with road side stands, so we figured we could find something delicious to eat. We stumbled on award winning goat cheese. The goat cheese at Catapano Dairy Farm won the award for best fresh goat cheese from the American Cheese Society, and it truly lived up to its reputation. It was smooth and creamy, almost like a cream cheese. They give free samples of the cheese, and, of course, once we tried it, we had to buy some. We snacked on cheese and crackers and watched the goats watch us.

It was such a great escape from the city. We started planning our next trip back when we were on the car ride home.