Things to Do in Hampton Bays

Schooner Inc began in 1975 as a means to highlight the plight of the Long Island Sound and to help amplify the positive difference that the Clean Water Act was starting to make in US waters. Today, the company connects more than 8,000 people each year to the beauty and history of New Haven Harbor via public sails, summer camps, and educational programs.

For the last 23 years, the Quinnipiack—central Connecticut's only traditionally rigged tall ship—has hosted hands-on marine experiences for kids and adults. The New Haven mayor has officially decreed the schooner to be the city's flagship, as well as the ship Most Likely to Wear Couture Sails. The spacious boat was named to honor the Native Americans who inhabited the region and is helmed by an experienced and friendly crew.

Located amid Mashantucket's rolling hills in the middle of the Foxwoods Resort Casino, Comix treats laugh-seeking audiences to shows by the country's top touring performers. The club hosts national headliners, up-and-comers, and musical acts; its shows in the 1,400-seat Fox Theater give jokesters the chance to share their act with a larger but still intimate audience; and its shows in the 4,000-person MGM Grand Theater host such hilarity-generating superstars as Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan, and Margaret Cho. Before shows, guests can take advantage of happy hour, perusing a menu of tasty appetizers and thirst-quenching drinks.

Sandy beaches, eye-catching architecture, and the Montauk Point Lighthouse await groups on Amagansett Beach & Bicycle Company's tours. On these excursions, skilled guides fuse the chance to view breathtaking sights with instruction on bikes and various watercrafts, including kayaks, standup paddleboards, and saddled leviathans. Back on land, staff members tune up gear and help customers scour through a sea of water- and land-based sports equipment. Everything from BMX bikes to tandem bikes take patrons on rolling adventures through the verdant Hither Hills. Although only a small portion of Amagansett Beach & Bicycle Company's business, watersport equipment such as wakeboards and tubes beckon customers to speed and bounce over harbor waters, while skateboards let adrenaline junkies stand motionless on moving treadmills.

Jim Scoggins first felt the rocking of a ship's deck in the 1950s on the rolling waters of Lake Champlain. Though he traveled south and found himself in healthcare administration for the next few decades, he never lost the passion for sailing—and eventually returned to New England to conquer more waves in the 1980s. With Sail the Sounds LLC established at three local ports, Captain Jim now uses his original sailing craft, an O'Day 39, as part of his training and charter fleet. He and his wife, Teresa, helm an ASA-certified training center, charter service, and cruising club to set guests out on the sparkling waters of Mystic River and Mystic Harbor. Captains pilot three Hunter yachts for chartered trips, as well as six Hunter 240 sailboats for captain rentals, sailing-club events, and classes teaching technique for keelboats, coastal navigation, and safely chartering parties of water-fearing cats.