5 Last-Minute Memorial Day Weekend Destinations Inline
Photo: Courtesy of Michael Yarinsky / @myarinsky1/5The Destination: Scene-y Surftown in Montauk, Long Island
The Distance: Roughly three and a half hours on the Hampton Jitney or LIRR, depending on traffic
Montauk’s reputation as the Hamptons for hipsters continues this summer with a see-and-be-seen schedule of surfside events. This weekend alone, chic sixties bungalow The Surf Lodge will have a pop-up crepe bar and Joni’s flax-coconut waffles, stand-up paddleboard yoga with the Paddle Diva, and the start of their indie concert series with Tove Lo on the beach Monday afternoon. With an Australian chef in the kitchen and newly appointed Australian-born creative director Sasha Benz collaborating with models like Hailey Baldwin and Gemma Ward, a “no worries” mood is bound to prevail.
Photo: Courtesy of Peter Maslov / @petermaslov2/5The Destination: Outdoors Adventure in High Falls, New York
The Distance: About two hours by car, depending on traffic
The seventeenth-century hamlet of High Falls in Ulster County, where the population has yet to pass 1,000, is surrounded by nature and a good choice for an alternative Hudson Valley escape (though it’s a short drive from Woodstock, should you desire). Drive 20 minutes from town to reach Minnewaska, a state park and preserve on the Shawangunk Ridge that’s full of steep cliffs, waterfalls, hardwood forests, and more than 70 miles of carriage roads and trails to explore. It’s not too late to book one of High Fall’s Airbnb’s, like this A-frame loft decorated in airy style with sheepskin throws and paper lanterns.
Photo: Courtesy of @_kristen3/5The Destination: B&B in Provincetown, Massachusetts
The Distance: Roughly five hours by car, or by Amtrak to Boston, followed by the Provincetown Ferry
On the tip of Cape Cod lies this vibrant, artistic beach community—there are bike rides along Commercial Street and gallery-hopping to do on the East End, plus a constant stream of al fresco brunches. Last summer, the city finally got the offbeat B&B it deserves in an 1850s shingle-style building that once housed salt mine workers. The Salt House Inn has fifteen rooms decorated in quirky, yet clean contemporary style—vintage red kerosene lanterns on the walls, a claw-foot, cast-iron tub in the loft—and a chalkboard wall lists the breakfast menu, weather forecast, and tide and sunset times each day.
Photo: Courtesy of Robin Knisley / @watchhilllife4/5The Destination: Seaside Resort in Watch Hill, Rhode Island
The Distance: Roughly three hours by car on I-95
Watch Hill on Little Narragansett Bay is a historic New England village, where Old Hollywood stars like Clark Gable once summered. For a taste of the classic coastal vibe, head to the recently renovated Watch Hill Inn, an 1845 villa that was first owned by the village lighthouse keeper. At the nearby Ocean House, the inn’s sister five-star resort, play squash on the house courts like Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., or relax at the spa, surrounded by beachside roses and lavender fields. Meals are seasonal and sea-focused, as you might expect—citrus-cured tuna carpaccio and perfect oysters.
Photo: Courtesy of @acklin5/5The Destination: Foodie Fest in Portland, Maine
The Distance: About five hours by rental car along CT-15 N, or a six-hour Amtrak from Penn Station
“Portland is the New Portland,” Bon Appétit declared in this month’s issue, a reputation the harborside city has been building up to for some time. Head to Tandem Coffee + Bakery, which opened in the West End last summer, to stock up on slices of malted chocolate cake—topped with malt balls and chocolate pearls—and rhubarb galettes with hazelnut frangipane. Continue down Congress, stopping on side streets to chow at Bao Bao Dumpling House and other local hotspots. At night, the new Press Hotel in the Old Port District serves farm-and-sea-to-table comfort food in the historic twenties Portland Press Herald building, which you can also order in-room.
