Summer in the City interview

I’m over at Channeling Contessa today, answering some questions about summers in New York City. Read the interview here.

Beach day: Sandy Hook (Atlantic Highands, NJ)

Armed with his trusty rake, Hudson was ready to face the power of the Atlantic waves. And now that Hudson sleeps like a log in his car seat, we were more than ready to face the prospect of driving to the beach in the middle of a heat wave last week.

Sandy Hook is one of my all-time favorite day trips from the city in the summer. The drive is actually perfect for us–sitting alone with uninterrupted conversation and the city in the rearview mirror is pretty wonderful. But if you go, and you don’t have to consider a baby’s nap times, you should take your bike on the 40 minute ferry that leaves lower Manhattan in your rear view. Here’s a post about that version of this trip.

Also, how to visit Sandy Hook while nine months pregnant. And how to take a day trip to Fire Island.

Sailing into the sunset

We’re in full-on countdown mode now, and crossing things off of our “must-do in New York before we leave”-list with serious determination. Going for a sunset sail has been on a more general “must-do” list for some time now, however! I can’t tell you how many times we’ve pointed to the clipper ships and schooners sailing out toward the Statue of Liberty and remarked “we should do that!” All of this is to say: it took far too long. We boarded at 6:30 for a two-hour sail. Our glasses were filled with sparkling wine around the time we passed by Battery Park and heard passengers in the stern break into patriotic song. Most of the time, however, you could pretend you were on your own (semi) private date. We had plenty of room up in the bow; and while we were free to roam, we (and everyone else) kept to our spots, content to watch the water and the sky and changing colors of the buildings. We brought dinner along, but chose instead to eat in the grass by the piers after we docked. After all, the sun is just setting around 8:30pm lately–it was more of a sun almost-set sail.

Okay, here’s the thing about this to-do list: we’re going to be back.
Soon.
Often.
We don’t really have to check off anything. But if this was any indication, it’s going to be lovely trying. I think posting photos from this wish-list/bucket-list might form a dominant theme here this month. Under thirty days… whoah.