GO SOMEWHERE
Sometimes you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps. Luckily, New York offers many more scenic and relaxing places and ways to get there than the 7 train to the concrete jungle.
Summer Catch
The Angler
158-35 Cross Bay Blvd.
Howard Beach
The Angler II, one of Queens premier “Party Fishing” boats, is up and running for an exciting summer season. The Angler II offers a calm, family-friendly open-boat fishing experience on the waters of Jamaica Bay.
Reasonably priced 1/2 day trips sail two times daily at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Bait and tackle are provided free of charge. The Angler II offers discounts for seniors and kids under 12. At the end of each trip the Angler II’s crew will professionally clean and bag your catch ready for the frying pan. Special night fishing trips and private charters are available.
A particularly unique event will occur on July 1 in the “Fishing and Fireworks Cruise.” This trip is a very relaxed atmosphere with The Breezy Point Cooperative staging their annual fireworks display. Geared towards family, the Angler II will fluke fish before the fireworks. As sunset approaches the Angler II will anchor up near the fireworks barge to get a perfect view of the show. At this time the boat will chunk for Stripers or you can just sit back and enjoy the fireworks. For complete information and rates, check the official Web site at www.theangler.com.Howard Beach.
Newtown Voyage
Newtown Creek Cruise
Brooklyn
On July 15 take the tour of New York City that provides a glimpse into how the metropolis must’ve looked 100 years ago. The Newtown Creek Cruise, led by urban geography expert Jack Eichenbaum, takes passengers down the tidal arm of the East River that divides Brooklyn and Queens.
From the comfort of a ship, you’ll learn about the city’s industrial rise and decline. While getting an even tan, you’ll discover the historical significance of various bridges and neighborhood boundaries.
The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment sponsors the 2-1/2-hour tour. You’re encouraged to book tickets early by calling (718) 788-8500.
On The Open Sea
Whale Watching
Montauk
(631) 668-5700
www.vikingfleet.com
Whale watching is some of the most fun you can have out on the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The Viking Fleet is just the right company to take you there, with a 140-foot long boat and a keen instinct on where to spot some of the ocean’s beefiest, bluest whales.
Watchers will have the opportunity to spot finbacks, minke, and humpback whales, as well as dolphins, seabirds and sea turtles. Sightings are not guaranteed, but keep your eyes peeled.
With the help of the Okeanos Ocean Research Foundation, folks can learn about the whales’ feeding and behavioral habits.
The cost for a whale watching tour on the Viking Starship is $30 per adult, $27 for seniors and $15 for children under 13.
Hampton Bound
Weekends In The Hamptons
Long Island’s East End
If you don’t have your summer share for the Hamptons yet, odds are you’ll have to wait to next year.
But if you are one of the fortunate who get to head out to Long Island’s East End and party with the celebrities, you’re in for a treat.
When in East Hampton, take a stroll along Railroad Avenue and don’t be afraid to enter the pricey shops. Cruise over to the Green Thumb organic produce stand on Montauk Highway for some of the best goodies you can find.
Whatever you do, there’ll be plenty of good food, great company, shiny cars and skimpy outwear. Enjoy summer at its finest.
The Great Lake
Lake George, NY
For a family trying to escape the city or a couple looking for a romantic respite, delving into options at Lake George would be a great vacation spot.
The upstate getaway offers so much for vacationers: hotels, houses, condos, bed and breakfasts, jet skiing, white water rafting, rock climbing and so much more. It’s as beautiful as it is serene and it’s the perfect morale refresher for those working through long hot summer days and nights.
Most townhouses, which are furnished, offer free amenities, including kayaks, canoes, paddle boats. Speedboat and Jet Ski could get pricy, but are enjoyable nonetheless. Fishing is the sport of choice and mornings are the operative time dropping the lines.
For more information, visit www.lakegeorge.com.
Ocean Ready
Nautical Mile
Woodcleft Avenue
Freeport
Go whale watching on Long Island. |
On any given day throughout the summer, Freeport’s Nautical Mile is filled with exciting activities geared toward all age groups, which include great fishing trips, fine cuisine and even a happening nightlife all along the Woodcleft Canal on the South Shore of Nassau County.
As you enter the mile long strip, you’ll find a vast array of charter fishing boats, great restaurants and outdoor bars along the water’s edge. If it’s fishing you’re into, try a half day fluke trip or a full day blue fish and striped bass adventure and hop aboard any of the commercial boats and be prepared to reel in some hefty seafood, fresh from the Atlantic.
Go for a trip on the Angler II out of Howard Beach. |
Most trips start early and the boats fill up fast. With fluke season just around the corner, the Nautical Mile provides and exciting getaway, as you board a boat, grab a spot, pick your lucky pole and prepare to reel in a keeper.
For those who would prefer to stay on land and feast a on a great dish rather than catch one, try any of the restaurants along the mile. They offer some of the best seafood dishes around. There’s even a floating casino that can be boarded from the shore and plenty of places to shop.
Turn Over A New Stone
Turning Stone Resort
Vernon, NY
(800) 771-7711
www.turningstone.com
Not everything that’s fun in the summer can be found outdoors. Sure, some of the best golfing in New York state may lie on the greens at Turning Stone, on land owned by the Oneida Nation just south of Syracuse, but what is inside cannot be beat north of New York City.
The casinos are expansive and not expensive, with well-priced poker tables, a wide array of slots and row after row of table games. The shopping on site is all native – not cheesy vendors but actual Native Americans trained in crafts handed down from one generation to the next – picture Southwestern art without having to fly across the country!
And the amenities make Turning Stone the visit of the summer. Check in to the Lodge at Turning Stone and enjoy lush suites and an almost eerie sense of privacy – even when the hotel is booked at full occupancy. Following your morning 18 holes wander down the hall into the Skana Spa for a luxurious afternoon, starting with the Oneida Balancing Waters ritual to prepare you for the treatments, and then let well-trained hands pull your worries away.
That night, head over to Wildflowers, the Four Diamond restaurant on site that makes the most incredible culinary delight – from hazelnut oil-infused salads to a doughnut soup dessert.
When you’re well-fed and relaxed, head on over the casino to play and enjoy the night, or stop in at the arena and enjoy world-class entertainment.
Bring the kids, there’s plenty to do beyond the casino, unlike some of the Native cousins in Connecticut.
Wuthering Heights
Seaside Heights
New Jersey Shore
Seaside Heights in New Jersey has all the ingredients of a summer getaway: a road trip, a beach, restaurants, a mini-amusement park and a boardwalk. Those components scream summer.
From its beautiful beaches and its mile-long boardwalk filled with many attractions to its magnificent sunrises and sunsets and exhilarating ocean air, Seaside Heights is magnetic. A community of 3,100 year-round residents, Seaside Heights expands to more than 30,000 in the summer. It’s a compact town: almost a mile long and a third of a mile wide with everything within walking distance.
Hotels and townhouses accommodate family vacations and college and high school students looking for a good time. Jenkinson’s Breakwater Beach Water Park is also loads of fun for all ages. There is a vibrant nightlife that suits the 21-and-over crowd.
For more information about Seaside Heights, go to www.seasideheights.net.
Sailin’ On
AMC Sail
The Appalachian Mountain Club takes to the seas this summer and offers New Yorkers several opportunities to learn basic sailing skills. For just $40, you’ll enjoy sailing on the Long Island Sound under the guidance of a trained AMC instructor.
Check out www.trips.outdoors.org and register today! Lessons are available throughout July and August.
Soon you’ll be navigating open waters, hopping off now and then for a quick swim. Feel free to pack a lunch and eat while dipping your toes in the water. It’s never too late to discover the joys of steering, tacking and tying knots.
So visit the AMC Web site, sign up, fasten your life jacket and realize your sailing potential. What could be a more satisfying summer activity than captaining your own boat?
Mohonk Some Rest
Mohonk Mountain House
1000 Mountain Rest Road
New Paltz, NY
Whether it’s for a day trip or the weekend, taking a trip to the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY will be as rich an experience as the owners of the 138-year-old Victorian castle.
The 265-room resort, one of America’s oldest family-owned resorts, sits in the Hudson Valley, on the waters of Lake Mohonk and is surrounded by inimitable scenic wilderness.
Patrons have access to 85 miles of hiking trails and thousands of acres of untouched forest. And if nature walks weren’t enough, visitors can easily participate in other activities offered at Mohonk, including tennis, golf, lake swimming, boating, horseback riding and carriage rides, among others.
A 90-minute drive from New York City is all it takes to become acquainted with the pricey but nonetheless enchanted bastion.
Visit www.mohonk.com for more information.
Groovy Getaway
New Paltz, NY
If you’re into colorful houses, tie-dye, mom and pop shops and nature, New Paltz is the place for you.
This small village in the heart of the Hudson Valley, only 90 minutes from New York City, is a seamless spot for a weekend getaway. Mornings there open with a cup of coffee and sweet pastry from one of the local bakeries and are followed by various activities.
Days can be spent riding bicycles or jogging along the tree canopy-shaded Rail Trail, visiting the vintage shops, such as the 1960s- and ’70s-themed Groovy Blueberry, or dining in one of the various ethnic restaurants in town.
After fun in the sun, visitors can enjoy New Paltz nightlife, which consists primarily of pubs like the 60-year-old P&G’s and hip Bacchus, strolls down the quiet neighborhood streets and mingling with the always amiable locals.
The New Paltz Hostel, a sleek, quiet and stylishly decorated abode, is more than welcome to sleepy guests who need to rest their bones after such an eventful day.
The Web sites www.newpaltz.com and www.newpaltz.org offer more information about local events and activities.
Camp For Everyone
Club Getaway
Kent, Conn.
www.clubgetaway.com
The Mohonk Mountain House. |
Just 90 minutes from Queens is the place to relive your childhood summer sleep away camp fantasies, to meet singles from the area, to bring your kids for family fun and to have amazing outdoor adventures – all depending on the weekend you choose to go.
Club Getaway, located just over the state border in Kent Conn., is a full-service summer cap for adults that is many things to many people. Situated on 300 acres along an enormous lake, the rustic charm is tempered with modern amenities. The cabins are clean and air conditioned, the dining hall serves delicious, family style meals (with plenty of wine) and the activities are great for kids and adults.
On family weekends there are plenty of activities for the kids, including a performance in which all the kid groups participate. On singles weekends, the boathouse turns into a nightclub with drinks served, treats all around, a campfire and plenty of dark corners to get to know each other.
Enjoy the Skara Spa’s mineral bath. |
The days are filled with activities including trapeze, water skiing, biking, hiking, tennis, softball, water sports and more. There are special weekends set aside for Jewish singles, for families, for sort enthusiasts and more.
So get ready to make a friendship bracelet, sing songs by the lake and have a great time reliving your youth – but with a twist that makes it so much more enjoyable.
