Boat, historic, bike and haunted tours to take this fall on Long Island
A group of friends from East Meadow take part in a Food Done It? mystery tour in Rockville Centre. Credit: Linda Rosier
For fans of historic houses (haunted and not), wildlife and mysteries with tasty clues, this autumn’s walking, bike and boat tours can be a real hoot.
"I’m into owls and learned so much from the gentleman doing the presentation," says Kimm Schmidt, 57, of Smithtown, a Vanderbilt Museum educator who took a recent Owl Prowl at the historic estate. "Being out on the property at night is amazing," says Schmidt.
This season offers tours for all interests including foodies who have a knack for crime solving.
Natalie Chery, of Queens, took a Food Done It? culinary tour that made her a fan of Rockville Centre and honey garlic wings. "We went back a week later and brought the kids," she says.
Here are five tours you might have a taste for.
Mansion tour: Manor House tour
Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, 440 Montauk Hwy., Great River
Visitors take a tour of the Westbrook manor house at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River. Credit: Linda Rosier
Westbrook Manor House offers a glimpse of the Gilded Age on the shore opposite the better-known Gold Coast, Thursdays through Sundays at 1 p.m. In this preserved estate, railroad magnate William Bayard Cutting, his wife, Olivia, and their four children lived in splendor through the early 20th century. Tour the first floor, second floor and annex. Attendees can also stroll the gardens designed by New York City Central Park landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
Cost $15, $7 ages 5 to 12
More info 631-581-1002, bayardcuttingarboretum.com
Boat tour: Whale-watching cruises
The Atlantic Pearl/Capt. Lou Fleet, 111 Woodcleft Ave., Nautical Mile, Freeport
Naturalist Linnea Carr, 27, of Huntington, teaches tourgoers about the local marine and wildlife. Arpita Barua, 24, of Mineola, and husband, Rashu Barua, 37, of Mineola, stand along the side of the Atlantic Pearl. Credit: Jeremy Bales
The humpback whales and dolphins put on a spectacular show for passengers as the 100-foot Atlantic Pearl plies their Atlantic playground just offshore weekends through November.
A humpback whale seen while aboard the Atlantic Pearl in the open seas during a Capt. Lou Fleet's voyage out of Freeport. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Take your binoculars and smartphones and lend an ear to the onboard naturalist expert on the annual marine life migration.
Cost $60
More info 516-623-5823, captloufleet.com
Haunted tour: Historic Spirits tour at Raynham Hall Museum
30 W. Main St., Oyster Bay
Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay was originally a Colonial era saltbox home dating back to 1740, but the museum has been transformed over the years and now stands as an educational exhibition space. Credit: Daniel Brennan
Two guides tell the hall’s purportedly haunted history from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 22. Docent Mary Kenny, 25, of Bayville, discusses the three Townsend generations who lived there, including lovelorn Sally, whose specter is said to haunt the premises. "We guide them through the whole house," Kenny says. "Including ghostly hot spots such as the Colonial master bedroom then the medium guide talks about what she sees," referring to spiritual healer Samantha Lynn Difronzo.
Cost $35
More info 516-922-6808, raynhamhallmuseum.org
Foodie tour: Food Done It? with a twist of crime
Multiple locations: Babylon, Patchogue, Farmingdale, Bay Shore, Huntington and Rockville Centre
Orlando Rodriguez, Debbie Abrons and Holli Rodriguez during the “Food Done it” mystery tour in Rockville Centre on Oct. 13. Credit: Linda Rosier
In the mood for a downtown stroll and a taste of local cuisine? Kevin and Elizabeth Hindley, of East Patchogue, cofounded this foodie tour where mystery solvers use an app to solve a puzzle or riddle leading them to the next stop. Currently, Food Done It? itineraries include Babylon, Huntington, Bay Shore, Farmingdale, Patchogue, and, since August, a Rockville Centre stop called "The Tour You Can't Refuse," which has a "Godfather" theme.
Holli Rodriguez enjoys a bubble tea during the Food Done It Tour? in Rockville Centre. Teams must figure out clues to solve the mystery. Credit: Linda Rosier
Cost $87 includes five courses (three savory and two sweet). Tours must be booked two days in advance; self-guided and for groups of four to 10.
More info 631-438-1288, fooddoneit.com
Bike tour: Brands weekly group rides
Brands Cycle & Fitness, 1966 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh
Strong legs, a road bike and a sense of adventure are needed for this long-standing Saturday morning bicycle tour. The approximately 50-mile ride is for experienced riders or "pretty fit" first timers, says tour leader Sean Metz, 34, of Wantagh. The route follows "safer roads with less traffic" before turning back to the shop. "A lot of people like this ride because they can be home by 10 a.m. on Saturday morning," Metz says. Wearing bike helmets is mandatory to participate. Meets Saturdays at 7:15 a.m. through November in the store's parking lot.
Cost Free
More info 516-781-6100, brandscycle.com
Nature Tour: Owl Prowl at Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport
The Eastern screech owl, a pint-sized owl that can be found wherever there are trees, emits a whinnying trill at night. Credit: istock
For a real hoot, be on the lookout for owls on a guided walk of the estate grounds on Nov. 23 and 29, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The guide, wildlife biologist Eric Powers, of Brookhaven Hamlet, starts with an indoor talk about owl species found on Long Island, how to identify them and what their calls sound like. "Then we head outside in the darkness where I try to call in a screech owl and a great-horned owl," Powers says. "Sometimes we get lucky and an owl will return a call."
Cost $15
More info 631-854-5579, vanderbiltmuseum.org