Part of Suffolk County, Brookhaven has less than 4 thousand residents. It lies about an hour East of Manhattan and is a repository of history, culture and natural wealth. The town covers an area as large as 400 square miles and has a long and colorful past. A small group of English settlers first landed here in 1665 and bought large tracts of estate for a pittance. Shipbuilding and lumbar became major industries in the area and it was the seen of fierce battles during the Revolutionary War. Brookhaven is a choice for a vacation that the entire family, a couple seeking intimacy and an individual who prefers solitude, can enjoy in equal measure. You can have a beach holiday, circulation amongst the finest Arts performances of the season, enjoyable education of the country's past or an ecological interlude with nature. You could also bundle bits of all these attractions in to one vacation, though you need to drive to catch up with the relatively long distances involved.

The Long Island Museum in Stony Brook at Brookhaven's northern tip has a collection of more than 200 carriages. You will be fascinated to see how people in the 17th and 18th centuries build their vending and fire-fighting vehicles and used carriages with the same versatility as we do with automobiles today. This museum also has commendable collections of hunting decoys and American Art. Stony Brook also has a working mill and children can learn the traditional way of flour making, especially as it was practiced when the country was born. Stony Brook has kept up with the times and the city center is home to the first US market in to which one can drive. Up-market stores grace the area to this day. Children will love to see the mechanical eagle atop the post office, flaps its wings on every hour of the day.

Marine Scientists act as guides and take visitors on a cruise around Brookhaven waters, showing the rich wildlife and historic lighthouses. A pontoon boat leaves from Stony Brook, depending upon the tides and you can have a memorable learning experience for an hour or two. There are many fishing opportunities and plenty of short pelagic trips on offer as well. Golf is another sport to enjoy in Brookhaven, with no less than 12 public courses from which one can choose. Port Jefferson is another place to explore and in which you can find good- value souvenirs.

The Amphitheatre at Bald Hill is a major attraction in central Brookhaven with concerts and other performances throughout summer. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a prominent structure made from the same marble as used for the Capitol in Washington.

The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge is an important port of call in the southern part of Brookhaven. Beautiful birds and rare wildlife live amongst dense greenery and quiet water bodies. The Historic Museum in Bellport has an interesting collection of artifacts and is surrounded by quality outlets with curios and souvenirs. The waterfront is quite enchanting with facilities to rent boats and stroll on white sand for hours.