Head to Bailie Beach in Time for Sunset

After , most likely complete with over-indulgence in all sorts of washed down with a , you might be so inclined to wrap up your vacation with a refreshing — and somewhat redeeming — run.

Having recently relocated to a quiet and woodsy neighborhood off Wickham Avenue in Mattituck (I just can't seem to tear myself from my favorite hamlet), I recommend a great four-mile jaunt from Matt-A-Mar Marina north on Wickham to — the underrated (but still very pretty) counterpart to the ever-popular near the on the Sound.

I think little Bailie Beach has a lot of character, at no matter what time of day. It's not nearly as expansive and sandy as Breakwater and it is less populated in-season. And it's home to a summertime display of "driftwood art" put together in a bizarre shrine-like fashion on the beach by part-time resident Garrett Cutler.

I wrote about Cutler a few years ago for the Suffolk Times. He's a cool cat and will welcome you to stop in at his driftwood shrine, hang out and write your thoughts down in a guest book while watching the sun go down over the big water.

As the weather gets hotter and muggier, I try to run later in the day when it's potentially cooler. This route is exactly four miles from the marina to the beach and back, just in time for sunset. Park your car at the on Route 48 if you want to add another mile or so to this route featuring everything from lush vegetable fields, quirky residential neighborhoods, and dramatic views of the inlet and the Sound on a quiet community beach.