Summer days in East Hampton are long and hot. New Yorkers and other East Coast varietals have made their way east on NY-27 to Long Island’s South Fork. The village is swamped. Heat + noise + density make a visit into town almost unbearable…but there’s a small, almost secret, escape off of Davids Lane.

Drive down the lane away from the village. Take the pull-off before Egypt Lane. The lip of the pond is surprisingly close to the road. It’s quiet and shaded, insulated by a thick copse of trees. Wild vines and pockets of ferns. A short marshy creek feeds into the pond. Ducks, geese all around your feet. There’s a walking trail that runs along the creek and off into the woods.

Bring stale bread and leave time for a stroll.