Bucket #4 (Fire Island…or as Tony likes to sing, “This island’s on FIRE!”)

June 23-25, 2014

Temp: 73 degrees

Highlights: Walking on the beach at sunset, outdoor shower, biking and trekking to the lighthouse, beach photo shoots, and fun and games with wonderful friends!

Fire Island, New York Travel Guide | News, Events & Things to Do

I must admit, this entry is so daunting because there was just so much fun and so many details on our adventure! If you get bored, just scroll through and look at some great photos! 🙂

We have Tony, Stephanie, and Robin, Stephanie’s awesome boss, to thank for our Fire Island Adventure! We trekked to the island later than expected due to auditions and a last minute deadline that popped up, so when we got there, we were ready to relax….

But getting there, that was a whole adventure in and of itself. Lindsay and I took off (twice…but that’s another story) and walked to the R train Steinway stop. We took the R for awhile to connect with the E train and took the E almost to the last stop where it connected with the LIRR (Long Island Railroad). Let me tell you, I don’t know how people figure out these railroads. They don’t post your track until minutes before you board and then middle aged men are shoving past you, stealing all the seats. (Yes folks, chivalry is pretty much dead in NYC…it’s every person for themselves apparently!) We found two seats on (we hoped) the right train and jumped on with our many pounds of luggage. After arriving in Bay Shore, Linds and I quickly found a taxi/shuttle to take us to the Ferry. These guys charge $5 a person for a mile long ride…they’ve figured out how to make bank on peak times! (On the way home, I think there were 17 people riding…$85 for a couple minutes of driving…awesome for them!) After waiting for a few minutes, we boarded the ferry and soon decided to venture up to the top deck. What a ride! It was windy and freezing, so with Lindsay’s direction, I figured out how to do a quick change in broad daylight.

Wind in the hair makes for a great look 😉

Lovin’ that hair!

Successful quick change!

While on the ferry we overheard a crazy woman yelling at her man for ruining her vacation. Five minutes later she was laughing and petting her dog. (We ran into them on the beach later and she still appeared to be crazy!)

Tony and Stephanie met us at the dock, and we quickly figured out what relaxed and happy looked like. We knew we wanted a little bit of that therapy they’d already experienced on the island. We walked to the amazing beach house that Robin so graciously let Tony and Stephanie use for a few days, and we debated dinner plans.

There are pretty much no cars allowed on the island, and we later figured out, there really isn’t much of a path connecting all the neighborhoods with each other. I read an article later about how the residents want to keep it that way. (Interesting place!) Anyway, for dinner we decided on the 45 minute walk along the water to the touristy area where there were a few restaurants still open. What a magnificent walk…simply amazing! We didn’t see a soul, except for the crazy lady and her dog.

We had an amazing dinner outside by the water. The food and company were equally impressive! After dinner, we stopped at a bakery that was open until 4 am!! Lindsay and I both got gluten free Rice Krispie treats and Tony and Stephanie picked up two fabulous looking treats. We walked home along the water with Stephanie using her phone flashlight to lead the way. We were going to go through the neighborhoods, but that’s when we discovered the undeveloped areas that creeped us out a little. (Plus Tony scared me into thinking I would get a tick bite and develop Lyme Disease. That had me freaked out for the entirety of the trip!)

We slept extremely well that night and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the island. First stop, was the outdoor shower that Stephanie had excitedly prepared us for. I was hesitant at first, but showering while the sun beams down on you is a heavenly experience.

We applied sunscreen (apparently I was a little too excited to get to the beach and did the worst sun tan lotion application of anyone…) and walked right down to the beach. There were a few people out enjoying the day but absolutely nothing like my crowded beach experiences at Long Beach and Clearwater Beach in Florida.

We finally “braved” the water…or rather Tony did. Us girls dipped our toes and got a little wet but didn’t want to dive right in. With temps in the 70’s, the Atlantic just isn’t quite warmed up yet, but Tony didn’t seem to mind. We also got to have photo shoots on the beach. With a backdrop like that, how could you not?!

The next part of our adventure included riding the bikes to the next town over! We were going to try to bike to the same area we had been the night before, but when we asked a girl on the way for directions, she warned us we would be pushing the bikes through loose sand for over a mile. That didn’t sound too appealing, so we turned around and headed back to a town called Kismet. They have an “In” Restaurant and an “Out.” Tony and Stephanie had been at the “In” the day before, so we tried the “Out.” We sat outside and enjoyed more delicious food and conversation and made plans to travel to the lighthouse which seemed pretty close by. After a quick came of cornhole…Sutton’s vs. Ramos’s…we departed for the lighthouse.

The first part of the ride was great until we hit yet another undeveloped area without a path. This is where we got our workout, pushing the bikes through the sand. We got to the lighthouse and learned they charge a bit more than we wanted to pay to get to the top, so we decided in that moment the journey to see it was more important than the actual destination. We headed back with a deadline to get to the grocery store before closing at 6! (or we would have had to go back to the same restaurant for Taco Tuesday, which Tony desperately wanted to attend but was vetoed by the girls with the promise of Taco Tuesday in Astoria!)

After a strenuous trip to the store, we got what we needed and headed back to the house for an afternoon shower and siesta. That night Linds and Stephanie cooked a delicious dinner and we played a couple rounds of cards and an epic game of Settlers where our man Tony won the game!

After cleaning up a bit in the morning, we said farewell to Fire Island aboard the ferry. Tony remarked that the island was sad to see us go as it was a drizzly, cloudy day. It definitely made us realized how fortunate we were to have the fantastic weather we did throughout the trip. Our trek home was a quiet, tired and satisfied one where we reflected on the importance of allowing ourselves to play and rest and share experiences with wonderful friends. Lindsay and I are extremely blessed to have Tony and Stephanie as friends and to have shared such an unforgettable adventure with them. And thanks to Robin for sharing her lovely home and beach with four middle-of-the-country folk!