otis pike wilderness, ny

A few weeks ago, I made a somewhat snarky post on Instagram.  I like to consider it more of a public service announcement but regardless the comment was made. It was referring to the sudden shift from summer bliss to back-to-school fall mayhem. That particular time of year when all social media are suddenly flooded with images of beanies and references to a certain pumpkin flavored drink.  It was my duty to remind the interwebs (ahem, myself) that summer is not actually over until late September so pull it together people.   

The funny not-so-funny thing is that somehow we are very fast approaching the end of summer despite what this past weekend's sunshine and heat may have otherwise led us to believe.  Pretty soon, despite my ongoing pleas and constant denial, the air will have that distinct autumn chill and tri-colored leaves will be crunching underfoot.  With this impending doom (I’m not the least bit dramatic), I made one last trek out to Fire Island to soak up the last of what this summer sun has to offer, backpack and obliging friend in tow.

I've written about camping out on Fire Island before, albeit under different circumstances, and I think this may need to become an annual tradition. There's something magical about trading in the hubbub of hurried people and glowing computer screens for a foxy neighbor and the starry night sky.

I need a fair amount of quiet space to recharge from time to time. The sights and sounds of the daily grind build up and overwhelm my senses.  The urge to runaway from it all and start over goes from a whisper to a resounding alarm.  I like to think this is primarily a result of city living but who knows.  Introverts unite?

Much of the past three weeks were spent in pursuit of constant distraction and I am not going to lie - a whole lot of this distraction came in the form of screens.  Due to the nature of my job, it is very easy for me to plop my person down in front of a computer for a good (bad) eight hours and call it work.  Hell, I am being paid for it.  I am being downright productive. 

I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not the only one who does this.  Despite our ubiquitous kindergarten education, when it comes down to it, we are not all unique snowflakes.  OK, so maybe part of that is true but I would be hard-pressed to find that no one could relate to my current sentiments splayed out for you in the ramblings above.  That's part of the beauty of this whole human existence, isn't it?  To know that you are never truly alone no matter how much you may feel at any given point in time.  We all seek to escape at one time or another from the day-to-day and if the news has gotten anything right, it is that we all spend a wee bit too much in front of the ole screens.  It's fascinating how little of your life you need to actively engage in when you always have a computer, phone, tablet, etc. in front of your noggin.

The beauty (sarcasm) of all of this nonsense is that I am, and likely you are too, in the midst of this culture of can't stop, won't stop.  I am totally justified in my overloaded schedule of job, 2nd job, school, travel, family, etc.  I tell myself that it is temporary but the truth is I have a long-standing habit of overbooking, followed by feeling completely overwhelmed by life, followed by retreating into my hermitage aka my brain… welcome.  To a certain extent, I am limited by what I can do to remedy this situation.  I have commitments that cannot be abandoned no matter how much I may dream about it.

So I do the next best thing.  I grab my pack, the bare necessities, and a friend who was kind enough to indulge me in my last minute, plan changing, ferry missing craze.  The night was far from perfect.  Besides the previously mentioned transportation mishap, we also encountered swarms of mosquitoes attracted to our bug spray-less bodies and a fox who was rather smitten with my friend’s boot.  But when it came down to it, it was just what I needed – some space to unplug, the company of a good friend, the sound of the waves crashing nearby, and perhaps even a night cap in hand.

notes:

- i know.  how interesting is it that i am writing about my tour de force of life distraction via screens while obviously staring at a screen to write this all down.  have some grace, people. it's all about the baby steps, no?  well let's call this therapeutic venting and leave it at that.

- if you plan on making your own backpacking adventure out on fire island national seashore, it bears repeating - don’t leave home without the bug spray.  we did and have all the regrets that come with all of the bites.  seriously.  we look sad and diseased and are itchy. oh so very itchy. (more packing ideas can be found here.)

- last but not least, it takes a special kind of person to not only let you nominate them as your backup plan but then actually fulfill that role when previous plans go awry. find these people in your life and be this person for others. without this becoming a complete cheese fest, these people are the types of friends that make all the difference.

watch hill, ny

I've had this post hanging out as a draft for a while, as in a month's while, always with the intention to finish it. Life has a tendency to get busy and messy, and full of people and places, and shoulds and shouldn’ts.  And this space was never meant to be a chore.  We have enough checklists in our lives as it is. But this little section of beach out on Long Island is just too good to keep to myself and with the summer season dwindling down, I thought it was high time to share.

Since the beginning of this year, I’ve mentioned multiple times about school starting this summer and life as I knew it would be turned upside down. (I promise, I'll stop mentioning it after this... I'm sick of it too.)  And it was.  But not nearly as terrible as I anticipated.  Sure, my schedule was full and my days contained much less sunshine and nature than I would have liked but it was manageable.  Adventures were still to be had; they were just a tad less frequent and a bit more organized. 

It was a bit of a lesson for me as I am not much of a planner.  I love spur of the moment, where ever one's heart leads kinds of escapades but I've learned that there is joy to be had in the scheduled getaway.  When I felt the need to have some space to breathe or at the very least run away from the city heat, I reached out to see who was with me for some planned adventuring.  Funny thing is people are more available (and willing) to go along with my shenanigans when I asked them in advance and have some sort of a thought out agenda. Fascinating.

It is no secret that I am a bit obsessed with the beach.  I need sand beneath my feet, sun on my skin, and salt in my lungs.  Therefore it should come as no surprise that every chance I got, my scheduled fun involved sandy shores and salt water.  While it would have been easier to spend the day at the Rockaways, I've found myself drawn to Watch Hill this summer.  Sure it requires a combination of train/car/ferry/boat but it's worth it.  Let's just add it all as part of the adventure.

Watch Hill is part of the Fire Island National Seashore, a unique little national park off the southern coast of Long Island.  It is magical. A quick 20 minute ferry ride across the bay and you find yourself surrounded by sand dunes and pitch pine.  There are no automobiles (save for park rangers), few amenities, and limited cell service which means you can give the beach the undivided attention it deserves.  Summer always seems to short and soon we will be faced with cooler temps and cozy sweaters.  Why not spend the next few official weeks of the season soaking up the sun on a quiet stretch of beach to claim as your own?  

notes:

- to have your own beach day at watch hill, take the lirr to patchogue and walk to the ferry terminal.  a quick 20 minute ride will land you at the seashore.  be sure to check the ferry schedule though - only a few run per day and you will have to make the trek to one of the westerly communities should you miss the last ferry. 

- there's booze and grub to be had should you find yourself in short supply of snacks.  unless you eat at the restaurant, you will need cash but don't fret the little harbor store has an atm. 

kayaks and canoes

The little blue backpack was put to good use last week during the aforementioned family tradition.  While my grand hiking plans were thwarted, I did get to adventure along one of my favorite paddling routes.  You win some; you lose some.

I (generally speaking) have a fairly strong aversion to the unsalted-ness of lakes and ponds. Fresh water folks do not understand this.  They try to tell me that what they have is where it's at with their lack of post bathing sticky skin and absence of Jaws-related fish.  (That last one is false by the way if you've been keeping up with Shark Week.)  

There are, however, exceptions to every rule (or irrational fear as the case may be) and Rollins Pond encompasses two of them.  Foremost, it is deep enough at points for me to ignore the fact that all things wrong in this world lie at the bottom of it. And secondly, it is connected via a variety of creeks and rivers to other ponds and lakes.  This means I can focus my attention on the adventuring aspect and less on the leeches lurking below the surface.  (They are worms and therefore they take no prisoners. Scientific fact.) 

As my family likes to make it a habit to invade where ever we may go, we enlisted our full flotilla of kayaks and canoes for our descent on Rollins Pond and the surrounding areas.  That above photo is only a fraction of the group.  I told you - we do not mess around. We slowly meandered our way from one pond to the next, regaling anyone within a mile radius with our never-ending Pocahontas inspired sing-a-longs.  (Spoiler alert: smallpox was just around the river bend.)    

While these pictures may indicate otherwise, it actually ended up being a beautiful, sunny day. No one unintentionally ended up in the water, hazardous run-ins with the local fauna and flora were kept to a minimum, and as far as I know everyone was still on speaking terms at the end of our journey - which may be related to points 1 and 2.  All in all, it was a successful family outing in the great outdoors, fresh water included.

Should you find yourself in this neck of the woods and looking for a paddling adventure, here's a breakdown of ours:

Route: Rollins Pond --> Floodwood Pond --> Little Square Pond --> Whey Pond --> Rollins Pond

Mileage: ~6.5 

Time: 4 hours (we moseyed, stopped for lunch, and indulged all whims)

Canoe Carries: 2 (one is about 1/3 mi, the other is a hundred yards or so)

Tears Shed: 0 (whining not included but it was kept to a minimum, especially post lunch)

Number of Disagreements Regarding Paddles versus Oars: 5,926 (and counting)

notes:

- the tri-lakes region (tupper/saranac/placid) is home to a plethora of paddling adventures.  we mostly bring our own gear but i have heard good things about the folks at st. regis.  they even have a list of suggested routes and trip planning tips. so fancy.

- if scavenger hunts are your jam, there are a bunch of geocaches in the area which could easily be incorporated into the trip or be their own separate adventure.  we indulged in the latter and good times were had by all.  don't forget to bring a trinket to add to the stash.

north woods, ny

As soon as I took the last exam for my summer semester,  I drove my well-packed vehicle north into the mountains.  While my recent return to school has been better than what I anticipated, life lately has still been ridiculously busy.   By the end of finals, I knew I would be due for life away from computer screens so I coordinated time off from work with time off from school and made the 6+ hour drive to New York’s Adirondack Park. 

My extended family has an annual summer tradition of descending on the North Woods.  As each of us winds our way down one of my favorite wooded paths to the designated campsites we will call home for the next week, a regression occurs.   The past weaves in and out with the present and we all fall back into the familiar rhythms of lovingly harassing one another through the routine of sleep, eat, play, repeat.  The sheer number of bug bites and bruises on my body attest to this undeniable fact about family vacations.

Time has a funny way of nonlinearity when family traditions are involved.  We run and scamper, and poke and prod, and tease and tangle our way back into the familiarity of unchanging relationships.  I am yours and you are mine and I will love you until the end of time.  Isn't that the rhyming vow of all families?  Sure the attendance may vary a bit from year to year as relationships begin and turn into marriages, extraneous commitments take precedence, and the traveling to a place where there is no longer a living family member at times seem a bit too much to bear.

But even with the hubbub and the schlepping and the rigmarole of it all, this yearly ritual is an utmost necessity.  We play games both old and new, tell mostly true stories, and go on the most epic of adventures.  We stay up late, endearing ourselves to our neighbors with our deafening laughter well past the quiet hours curfew.  We sneak out onto the lake in the middle of the night for just one more glimpse of the Milky Way and maybe even just one more shooting star. 

This tradition did not begin with my generation but I will do everything in my power to ensure that it sticks around for the next one. There is something undeniably magically about intentionally gathering together year after year in this little piece of the woods we claim as our own.  Something that I hope to experience with this family of mine for a very long time.

notes:

- there are many places to lay claim to in new york’s adirondack park, including public and private campgrounds.  we stay near tupper lake as per tradition and fortunately it is also an ideal locale since it provides easy access to the tri-lakes area for a variety of hiking/paddling opportunities as well as rainy day adventures.

- related to the above note: if you happen to be in the area and looking for mild outdoorsy/rainy day activities check out the wild center or the lake placid olympic sites.  we checked out the ski jumps which host extreme summer tubing during the latter half of the week.  sadly, we visited on a tuesday but fear not; we have big plans in place for next year.

- my big brother got engaged to one of my favorite people while we were camping.  krissy has been a voting member of the family for many years but i am ridiculously excited for them to make it all official.  obviously my excitement is not real unless i announce it onthe interwebs.  obviously.

summering

So... maybe we've taken a break from blogging over the past month? Don't get us wrong, it wasn't intentional. We were summering and adventuring and having such a good time that we forgot to write about it. Maybe that means we're doing it right?

It's looked a lot like this:

NAAATTTUUURRREEEE 🙌 #vacay #grandtetons #jacksonhole #nationalpark #thehillsarealive #imeanmountains #freemanadventure #slomo #soundofmusic #wanderlust #wyoming

A video posted by grace freeman (@graceefree) on Jul 3, 2015 at 8:01pm PDT

and this:

and this: 

When we weren't able to escape the NYC area, we found all the things we love about summer in the city to cope. Those things most always include sunsets, rooftops, beaches, and cupcakes. 

Perhaps we enjoyed the glass of wine on the roof or savored the last moment of the sun setting over the Hudson a little too much... as the last thing I've wanted to do is go to my computer and tell you about it at the end of the day. I rather soak up these moments than sit in front of a computer screen. Do you get me? Sometimes screens seem like the loneliest thing to me. I know cell phones and social media have connected our world in a way never imagined, but there is nothing sadder than watching someone taking a selfie on a sunset-lit pier to prove to all of these mythical followers of theirs that they're having a blast, when really they're alone and they want someone to share it with. So they share it with a screen. I wonder if all these bloggers and travel writers out there actually enjoy their present? It's hard to balance being where you are and trying to document and share it all the time. How do you balance? We're trying to experience our summer, our friends, and the places we wander and share what we find. Not plan out our photo shoot of a journey before we've even taken it. We don't want to go on such predictable journeys. That's not how we roll :) And I'm so thankful for it. But boy, do we have some stories to share! And we promise we're taking the time to start sharing them again here! Sorry for the delay, we were too busy summering. 

nashville, tn

This past weekend I got to sneak away from NYC for a bit and mosey on down south to Nashville.  One my job’s perks is that a few times a year they pay me to travel.  Sure, it's for a conference, which usually means I am at an obligatory conference center destination, but I have yet to be disappointed.  That may also have something to do with me usually tacking on a vacation to these trips.  I mean if I am already going to be some place new, why not?  I was unable to add on any extra days/excursions this time around but I tried to explore a bit.

The conference and therefore my hotel was near Music City Center which in the so-called SoBro neighborhood of downtown Nashville.  It is aptly named.  The area is so bro as in pastel shorts and popped collared polos galore.  Please note that I say this with absolutely no hate.  Strictly fact. There is also an abundance of bachelor and bachelorette parties.  I have never seen so many in such close proximity to each other and I have spent considerable time on the North Fork, which is also known for this phenomenon (beware of the prevalence of party buses when you pull into a vineyard – you’ve been warned).  Again, I say this with no judgment – mostly just with oldness.  Large groups of people generally translates into loud groups of people which translates into me being generally confused throughout the evening.  We’ll make no comments on whether that is truly due to the loudness of crowds.

My second night was spent just across the river in East Nashville.  For all intents and purposes it is the suburbs and it is lovely.  Again.  I am old.  I was with friends and we shared a bunch of plates at Holland House and then made our way to Red Door Saloon.  Another warning – you will smell like you smoked a pack of cigarettes upon leaving this place.  I didn’t notice all the smoking while I was there.  Like I was aware of it but didn’t think it was to the extent that I smelled the next day.  Stale smoke never smells good people.  I don’t know that I would necessarily recommend this bar.  It’s fine.  I just think that East Nashville probably has more to offer than what we were able to drag our tired selves to.  Please feel free to tell me where I should have gone.

Before heading to the airport Sunday afternoon, my friend and I spent some time walking about the capitol.  The weather was beautiful and it was nice to see a bit more than you know bars.  Nashville is a quirky place.  It apparently has had quite the growth spurt in recent years and it shows.  Plenty of old relics juxtaposed to shiny new skyscrapers.

I sadly didn’t get to check out much music while I was in Nashville.  Ideally, I would go back with a car for better exploration.  I was limited to my own two feet or a cab.  Also, being in Nashville makes me really want to go to Memphis.  I think this means I need to plan a road trip.  We’ll just throw the Smokies and Dollywood into the mix while we’re at it.

How did you all weekend?  Anyone else have a work-sponsored escape?

notes:

- i stayed at the hermitage hotel and it was lovely.  firstly, so many free cookies.  i have priorities people.  secondly, the staff are just the friendliest.

- don’t eat at bb kings.  or perhaps i should say don’t eat at bb kings and expect to eat within 2-3 hours of when you order.  (this post is turning into a series of warnings… awkward).

- do eat at acme feed and seed.  the music was great and so was the food.  it is oh so very loud and right on broadway but very much worth it.

- i mentioned that i didn’t get to truly explore the music scene but if i had the chance i would have like to check out bluebird cafe’s in the round or perhaps mercy lounge.  and let’s be real i probably would have liked to see the grand ole opry because when in nashville, right?