Mom Makes Pandemic Memories With Grown Son On Montauk Hike

MONTAUK, NY — As a mother whose son left home for college in 2010, I learned to treasure the visits home for Christmas, spring break — and, oh, how I looked forward to summer vacations.

Every time he left to go back to school, my heart broke a little. And when he graduated and headed off to pursue his dreams, I — like so many parents — had to adjust to the new normal, to visits that came less often, to long summer beach days that didn't include my boy.

The pandemic changed everything. And when he came home to stay for the first time in years, I felt as though I literally was being given the best gift of my life. The gift of time. Precious, beautiful time to make memories with this young man who has a whole life to live and future to shape, a future that will never just be the two of us again, most likely. I'm fully aware of how fleeting all this is, and so grateful for these days and weeks.

Being that it's the pandemic, the list of things we can do isn't that long. But the best things are the little things. Walks on the sand finding beach glass, vying for the best piece. Trips to Cupsogue and to Orient Point, where we trekked for miles to see the lighthouse.

Another thing I'd forgotten was how much I love just plain old watching TV with my son. He's introduced me to so many shows that we love — "Schitt's Creek," "The Amazing Race."

And now, "Stranger Things." Living on the East End, I had always known there are rumors that the series is based on Camp Hero, a former military base in Montauk.

The site, which has belonged to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation since the '80s, has a rich history and was a Revolutionary War cannon practice site.

According to Camp Hero State Park information, the camp itself was established in 1943 as a coastal defense site during World War II; the camp was demilitarized in 1949, and in 1951, the U.S. Air Force used the site for anti-aircraft artillery training.

But "Stranger Things" shone a new spotlight on the site, at first glance a sprawling 700-plus-acre expanse of trails, parkland, and dramatic bluffs dropping to the Atlantic Ocean beneath and beyond — not to mention the stunning view of the Montauk Lighthouse.

"Stranger Things," which will reportedly be back with Season 4 sometime in 2021, left scores of viewers wondering just what exactly happened at Camp Hero, where a radar tower creaks in the wind and where signs warn visitors not to venture past the fence that surrounds the structure.

"Stranger Things," a Netflix series that debuted in 2016, combines horror, the supernatural, humor and a soundtrack of '80s pop hits. The show takes place in Hawkins, Indiana, where not everything is as it appears — a place where a group of "Dungeons and Dragon"-playing kids find themselves front and center in the midst of a mystery involving Demogorgon, a wormhole into the "upside-down" alternate universe, and a mysterious laboratory where experiments are reportedly taking place on a group of children.

My son and I have binge-watched all three seasons since he's been home, and headed out on a socially distanced day trip to Montauk recently to check out the real-life Camp Hero.

Whether you believe Camp Hero is shrouded in "Stranger Things"-inspired conspiracy theories and mystery or is just a site rich in history and jaw-dropping natural beauty, it's a must-see on the East End.

As we walked past the old radar tower, surrounded by boarded-up buildings and a crumbling old "town" once created to perpetuate the myth that the camp was a seaside fishing village, it was easy to get caught up in the "what ifs," to allow minds to wander as our own conspiracy theories were spun.

But no matter what did, or didn't happen, at Camp Hero. What stands out from that magical day by the sea was the time I shared with my son. Walking along leafy trails, crossing a narrow wooden bridge over a creek, hiking up to the bluffs for that view of the Atlantic Ocean, those moments were spent making memories. Talking, laughing, sharing the gift of time and place with no cell phones or laptops to shatter the experience.

I always said, when he left for college, that if only I were given another chance, just one more summer vacation or uninterrupted expanse of time with my son, I'd make the most of every minute. I've long regretted those times, however few, when, as a busy working mom, I didn't play that game of Mousetrap or watch that episode of "Rugrats" because I had a call to take or a dishwasher to empty.

I will always regret that last Halloween when he went trick-or-treating, his last time ever — and I missed it because of a work deadline. Small things, things he probably doesn't remember.

But I do.

And now, this pandemic has given me the most amazing gift of all. A second chance. The second chance I never thought would come, to make these memories. And this time, I'm not missing a minute.

Whether it's soaking up the beauty of the East End's parks and trails, hiking on the beach, cooking endless meals together, bingeing a new series on Netflix, or talking about his dreams and fears and hope for the future, I'm all in.

For this magical little window of time, I'm a full-time mother again.

And I'll cherish these days for the rest of my life.