To Water Mill (January 2nd - January 4th)

After a chilly night in Napeague State Park I was back on my bike and headed west. Early in the day's ride I passed through East Hampton, NY. The beautiful Maidstone Golf Club was just a bit off the road to my left. Maidstone typically makes it onto the list of Golf Digest's 100 Greatest American Golf Courses, but is also accused by some to be a haven of racism. As of 2015, the private club has zero non-white members.

After a few more miles, I came to Wainscott, NY. I stopped for a bit to visit my good friend Mike. If we had more time, Mike would have suggested that we head to Estia's Little Kitchen to grab some brunch. Estia's is a nice little cottage surrounded by gardens. Much of the produce is harvested from the garden (though probably not in January). All of the foods are sourced from local farmers. Alas, I didn't have time to head up to Sag Harbor with Mike, so I kept right on riding until I reached Water Mill, NY. Here is a map of my 16.1 mile ride (from B to C):

It is here in Water Mill that I would spend the nights of January 2, 3, and 4. Water Mill is a small Hamlet within the larger Town of Southampton. As I researched this tiny community, I was shocked to learn that the name Water Mill comes from the fact that the hamlet was originally settled around a watermill. This origin story dates back to the English in 1644.

On my first night in Water Mill, I checked out the Parrish Art Museum. Though the museum dates back much further, it's current location was opened in 2012 and the building itself is worth the visit. It was designed by Herzog & de Meuron, and attempts to fit naturally into its East End setting by evoking the landscape of the area, and the studios of famous Long Island artists. The museum itself is host to a great collection of modern art with a focus on artists who made their name on the East End of Long Island.

During the next couple of days I enjoyed a wine tasting at Duck Walk Vineyards, picked up some fresh produce at Hank's Pumpkintown (closed for the season in real life) and a pie at The Milk Pail (open year round!).

All things considered, it was a lovely stay in Water Mill, but January 4th had now come and gone, and I had only ridden 29.2 total miles. I was already more than 10 miles behind the pace to make it across the country in 2015. Hopefully the next few days would give me a chance to play catchup!

Real life: I was still in the Washington, DC area and took a Capital Bikeshare back down to the National Mall and then out to Reagan National Airport to meet my wife. Daily mileage: January 2nd - 16.1 miles, January 3rd - 0 miles, January 4th - 0 miles. Total annual mileage: 29.2 miles.