North America, Travel
Fire Island, New York
Oct
Welp, it’s safe to say, the cold weather is officially here. One day I’m sweating when I walk outside, the next, I’m shivering and not wearing nearly enough layers. How does that happen? It’s like night and day.
So, I figured now is the perfect time to toast to the summer, as I’m sure we’re all wishing we could rewind time to a month or two ago.
Where: Season’s Bed & Breakfast, Fire Island, NY
What: A Weekend Getaway
When: Labor Day Weekend
Why: Regroup and Relaxation
How: A long story
It was a bit of a last minute planned trip, but I love being spontaneous! And well, I LOVE traveling and doing new things. Labor day you ask? Yep! Prices were a bit higher than normal, but we found an incredible deal at this quint B&B literally in the heart of Ocean Beach. I had never been before but traveled with a bestie who knew the ropes. She spent her childhood summers building sand castles and eating ice-cream at her family home in a town on the other side of the island.
Needless to say, we were hesitant when we booked this B&B, it was the only thing available and the pictures online looked a bit dark and dingy. But we hoped for the best, I mean, all we would be in the room for is sleeping and showering the sand and ocean water off our bodies. There’s no need to be in the room during vacation! This was to be a low maintenance trip, and that is exactly what it was.
Getting to Fire Island from Jersey is a bit of a headache, that’s if you dare take public transportation to avoid holiday weekend traffic. Let’s be honest, I’m a bit of a public transportation brat (for a lack of better words), I don’t like it, and I’d rather be happy driving my car, far away from all the rude, miserable, and unhappy people that unfortunately take up space in this world. BUT, this was inevitably the better route to take this particular weekend. Again, traveling with someone who knows the trains, buses, and boats to take to get there it alleviated ‘some’ of the anxiety.
Note: Labor Day weekend – Picture Penn station with thousands of people running to catch their trains or fervently trying to buy a ticket to catch their train…eek! AND, this is precisely why I avoid it…A middle aged man cussed me out as I was trying to get my suitcase into the overhead compartment because I was taking too long. Trust me when I tell you, I’m no damsel in distress, but damn! This is why I prefer to just stick to driving my car. I’m no public transportation amateur, I just don’t like unhappy people! Luckily I don’t allow people’s negative energy to effect me (clearly not, because why else would I be telling the story? My article would be mundane without it hehe). However, the trip itself was a painless experience, it was fun and exciting,….so what if I over packed!).
The route:
Path to 33rd Street.
Walk to Penn Station.
LIRR to (some station about an hour out)
<transfer trains>
LIRR to Bay Shore
Shuttle from Bay Shore to Marina
Fairy to Fire Island
x2
Once we arrived we were pleasantly surprised. The B&B that we were semi terrified of what we had gotten ourselves into, was just perfect. It was very simple, 2 beds, a tv, AC, a dresser, and a communal shower. (I know this sounds terrible, but it couldn’t have been any better, that was all we needed!)
We spent our very early mornings working out, either running, walking the beach, or biking through the island, exploring and getting lost. I do not sleep in when I’m on vacation, there’s just too much to do and too many places to explore, why sleep it away?
Our post workout meal: we’d feast at a local diner or grab the surprisingly decent continental breakfast (that was included in our package) on the roof. We spent our days daydreaming on the beach (I guess I should speak for myself), reading books, and relaxing. Our evenings were full of amazing seafood, people watching, and live music (it’s safe to say I’m obsessed with live music). We squeezed in a tiny bit of shopping (if you call us going into one shop, shopping), only buying ONE thing from Hanalei & Kula’s boutique, I found my very first high waisted bikini. Haven’t worn it yet, but there will be a special occasion sometime this winter to wear it.
I would absolutely go back to this quant mom and pop’s Bed and Breakfast and I loved everything about the causal beach town, where their parking lots are for wagons only. Who doesn’t love an island that has NO cars? The only means of transportation? Bicycles.
It was just what the Doctor ordered!
Want to see more photographs from my trip? Click here to see Fire Island, Part 2!