Once upon a time, or specifically, mid-pandemic last year, an average Long Island family was looking for a place to plan a vacation. Montauk wasn't terribly appealing, they were tired of the Outer Banks and the Hudson Valley, and Kennebunkport, Me., was attractive but too distant. The spot needed to be secluded enough for social distancing but welcoming and entertaining enough for a family of 10 with two small children.
What you need to know as you drive toward the Great Smoky Mountains is that the land is a rain forest. The hills, valleys, gullies, cracks, and seams are filled with hickory, fir, sugar maple, wild cherry, birch, chestnut, pine, cedar, and tulip poplar -- a tree that rises straight up out of the ground and nine stories later pops open with large, white magnolia-looking flowers (okay, tulips). The vegetation is so abundant that it comes described as shingled, shagged, big-toothed, winged, slippery, sweet, bitter, chalked, and weeping.
Several upcoming hikes and paddles are ideal for those who want to take advantage of the late summer and early fall weather outdoors.
Much to the chagrin of her legions of loyal customers, Mary Schoenlein announced this week that her retail bakery and takeout spot Mary's Marvelous on East Hampton's Newtown Lane will be shutting its doors for good at the close of business on Sunday.
