Calling Point Lookout a high point is a joke the place itself would appreciate: it sits barely above sea level at the eastern tip of the Long Beach barrier island, where the Atlantic meets Jones Inlet. What it offers instead is a lookout in the literal sense, a wide view across the inlet to Jones Beach, with its famous water tower, and out over the ocean, where container ships wait their turn for New York Harbor.
The hamlet is a quiet community of beach houses, seafood restaurants and fishing boats, far more relaxed than the busy resort of Long Beach to the west. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy flooded much of the barrier island, and the scars of that storm, along with the rebuilt dunes and raised houses, are a reminder of the fragility of life on the edge of the sea. The beaches here are wide and sandy, and the marshes behind the island are full of birds.
The riding here is about the coast rather than curves. The Loop Parkway connects Point Lookout to Jones Beach across the inlet, and the Ocean Parkway runs east along the barrier islands towards Fire Island, a long, flat ride with the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. Wind is a constant factor, and sand can blow onto the road. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic to the beaches.
Point Lookout has a few restaurants and delis, but fuel is more easily found in Long Beach or Oceanside. A plate of clams or a lobster roll by the water is the classic choice. The Vermont mountains are a world away to the north, but the sea breeze here is a fine start.