Looking to be outside this weekend and do some exploring? Take the ferry over to Shelter Island [aka “The Rock”] and cruise around the island. Here’s a list of my favorite things to do and my photo diary from last weekend….

* Catch the Shelter Island Ferry from North Haven around 5:30 pm. They run every 15 minutes or so, no need to book ahead. The sunshine will just be starting to saturate across the water and you can take some great photos on the boat ride over to Shelter Island.

* Once you are on The Rock, take a drive around the island to Dering Harbor, a bucolic village and picturesque harbor that was named after Thomas Dering, a prominent Boston merchant who married Mary Sylvester of Shelter Island’s founding family on March 9, 1756.  Not many people know about this little village with 64 summer residents and 13 in winter. Dering Harbor lies on the north side of Shelter Island facing Greenport, and boasts some of the most beautiful architectural estates and stunning vistas on the East End.

* Head over to Andre Balazs Sunset Beach for sunset cocktails and a delicious sea to table dinner. The view can’t be beat and the crowd is always a great mix of locals, hip New Yorkers, and chic Euros.

* The quick drive back to the ferry will be full of stops if you are into photography as you will find so many beautiful spots to shoot the sunset poking through the trees, deer drinking from a lake, or swans swimming with their babies.  Board the ferry, turn the car off, and take in the salt air and sound of the waves pulling you back to the main land. Enjoy!