Attractions

During the Summer the heat in NYC is unbearable to most.  It is no wonder, come the weekend, hundreds of cars and buses carrying city dwellers will be stuck in traffic on their way to one of the coastal beaches.

Most New Yorkers love the Long Island beaches, such as Long Beach, Robert Moses, and Jones Beach, which is wonderful because Jones Beach also hosts Summer concerts.

Long Beach, NY

But I like to often venture in the opposite direction, towards Orchard Beach in the Bronx, if I manage to leave my apartment early enough in the day for Staten Island for a fun day in the sun.

Orchard Beach in The Bronx

Recently, I discovered a wonderful park and beach area in Staten Island called Great Kills Park and Beach. Though relatively smaller than most of the other beaches I am used to frequenting, this one is also easier to get to, not as crowded, and a lot quieter.

Great Kills Beach, Staten Island

The area offers plenty of options for other activities such as model airplane flying, bird-watching, biking, hiking, fishing, and boating.

Great Kills Marina

The beach has bathroom with shower facilities, and though there aren’t any restaurants nearby, there are truck vendors who sell grilled foods such as hot dogs and burgers, as well as ice cream, chips and sodas.

Great Kills Beach

The beach area has a wonderful play area for smaller kids, but these can also be found through out the park in the various picnic areas nearby. Parking is plentiful and free, and the locals who frequent the beach are friendly and helpful.

The ride from Manhattan, with no traffic, is no more than 30 minutes over the Verrazano Bridge. But my recommendation is that no matter what beach you are wanting to visit, your best bet is to always head out earlier in the day to avoid traffic, because as much as we New Yorkers love our city, when it comes to sunny, hot summer days, we tend to all love our beaches even more!   So pack a lunch, a blanket, and an umbrella, and join us on one the many wonderful beaches we have to offer.

Welcome to this edition of the Carnival of Cities, a blog carnival with posts from around the blogosphere about any aspect of a single city (or a fairly large town.)

The Carnival’s “home” blog is the Family Travel Logue on the BootsnAll Travel Network, but like any carnival, we travel around a bit and have stopped by UpTake a few times in the past.

The next edition is scheduled for July 1, back on the Family Travel Logue.

Let’s take a look around the world….

Cities in the Americas

Honolulu, Hawaii, USA On the Perceptive Travel blog, here are my thoughts on how to enjoy historic Waikiki hotels even if you can’t afford to stay there.

Orlando, Florida, USA Watch Me Eat explores food in Central Florida and the surrounding area; he presents Phở 88 posted at Watch Me Eat, saying, “A review of a Vietnamese food from a restaurant called Pho 88 in Orlando’s Little Vietnam neighborhood.”

Atlanta, Georgia, USA Amy @ The Q Family describes Outdoor Adventures Around Atlanta on her The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog, saying, “Fun family outdoor adventures around Atlanta that you can do with your kids this summer.”

Chicago, Illinois, USA Ms. Smarty Pants gets athletic with Chicago Force Women’s Tackle Football posted at Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All, saying, “They were right down the street, and I didn’t know it.”

Guatemala City, Guatemala Marina K. Villatoro presents Highway Entertainment at The Travel Expert(a), saying, “This post is about the highway entertainment surrounding Guatemala City, Guatemala.”

Seattle, Washington, USA Amir Marzouq says that Green Shopping Bags are a Must in Seattle posted at Guffly.

Washington, DC, USA Jon talks about the DC theater scene with Recording a “Loop” with the Original Hollywood Bad Girl – Tallulah Bankhead posted at his blog The DC Traveler, saying, “Valerie Harper starring as Hollywood icon and original silver screen bad girl Tallulah Bankhead in “Looped”. It’s on its way to Broadway after Washington, DC got an advanced run.”

New York, New York, USA Jennifer Miner is already thinking ahead to her holiday travels, as she responds to a reader question about What’s Open on Christmas Day in NYC? posted at Traveling Mamas.

Cities in Asia

Kathmandu, Nepal Shannon ODonnell presents a little culture…katmandu temples and stupas; she’s blogging around the world at a little adrift: a rtw travelogue and says this post is about “A tourist looking at the interweaving of Hindu and Buddhist culture.”

Osaka, Japan Tony Alexander, writes about and photographs in one of my favorite Asian countries, as he presents People of Osaka posted at The Soul of Japan.

Cities in Europe

Sitges (near Barcelona) Spain Liz Wright presents Swimming at Sitges: A Great Beach Day Trip From Barcelona posted at Travelogged.

London, England, United Kingdom Julian Dobson gets gritty with The market, the monolith and the mad axeman posted at Living with rats, saying, “The story of the market, the monolith and the mad axeman – the strange twists of life and history in east London.”

Tallinn, Estonia Brooke Allen presents an overview, mostly in photos, of Tallinn, Estonia posted at Rambling Brooke.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands Jack Norell presents 7 must-sees in Amsterdam posted at Eyeflare – Travel Articles and Tips, saying, “Amsterdam is a very compact city, but offers a world class range of things to do. There are cultural and outdoor attractions plenty, but often it’s the unique experiences that lure tourists to the city, like the coffeeshops and the Red Light District. Here are the 7 things I believe you absolutely have to see and do on your first visit to Amsterdam.”

Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Andy Hayes goes budget-minded in Travel Tips for Saving Money in Edinburgh posted at The Edinburgh Guide, saying, “It’s turning out to be a summer of fun here in Edinburgh! While a low exchange rate is a boon to many travellers, the recession is still looming large. So come to Edinburgh and enjoy it for less with these great tips.”

London, England, United Kingdom Tamara presents  Cannes do in Kensal Rise posted at Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels, saying, “The “London On Film Festival 2009″ launches this June at the Lexi Cinema in NW10, as part of the Mayor’s Story of London Festival.”

That concludes this edition, and thanks for visiting. Submit your (one, recent, non-commercial/spammy) blog post about ONE single city to the next edition of the Carnival of Cities using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl

The Boardwalk

Before the summer crowds arrive, I recommend a visit to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. It had been years since my last visit and on a recent trip with my family, I remembered all the good things (and some of the bad things!) about this amusement park on the beach in Santa Cruz.

First the good – the park is located right on the beach on the west side of Santa Cruz, and because the park uses ride tickets or wrist bands, you can come and go as you would like. Want to go have a dip in the ocean before tackling the Hurricane? Or how about a round of miniature golf or laser tag? You can bring a picnic lunch, find a sandy spot to stretch out, and while the kids relax, hit the rides.

Another plus- the Giant Dipper. Built in 1924, this wooden roller coaster is a real original. Featured in several movies, including “Sting II,” “The Lost Boys,” “Dangerous Minds,” and Clint Eastwood’s “Sudden Impact,”, the Giant Dipper is an institution in Santa Cruz and at the center of the Boardwalk, defines the shape of the park.

Giant Dipper

Our other favorites at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk include the 1911 Looff Carousel (with brass ring!), loads of faire foods including hot dogs on a stick and funnel cake, and the Casino Arcade with the special area of vintage games like PacMan and Centipede.

Carousel horses

The downsides to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk? During the summer, parking can be a royal pain. The ticketing system can be expensive – each ride is 3-6 tickets, a book of tickets is $39.95. Or, an all-day wrist band costs $29.95. Check out the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk site for discounts, as well as local grocery stores who sometimes offer summertime promotions. And, since the park is open, I don’t really feel comfortable letting my kids run around on their own.

Cave Train Adventures

For good family fun, I recommend the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and for the most fun, go during the week or before summer officially starts!

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

by Tamara Rice of The Rice Paper

If you ask me, sleeping outside is for the birds. However, it’s cheaper than a Hilton and my children love it.

Camping Site at San Elijo State Beach

After a few nightmarish camping excursions when my kids were little (note to self: don’t take a crawling baby camping in the dirt), I reluctantly agreed to pitch a tent with my family at the San Elijo State Beach. For this, you must make reservations in advance, and they are sometimes difficult to get.

If your kids are old enough to carry their own towels, know their limits in the ocean and not wander off–but are still young enough to like frolicking in cold waves–you’ll love this beach. I have friends who swear by it.

However, there are a few drawbacks you need to understand in advance before reserving yourself a campsite:

The Stairs of San Elijo State Beach

1. You’ll be camping on a cliff. I wouldn’t lie to you, friends, if you want the beachfront property, you’ll be walking down several flights of wooden stairs every time you want some waves–and back up them every time you forget something in the tent. Every single time.

2. Not every spot has an ocean view. If you want a direct ocean view, you need to camp along the edge of the cliff, where a chain link fence keeps campers safe without completely spoiling the view. You might not be very happy if you are camping for the view and get stuck in the back or behind the road.

3. It’s windy at night. It can be the middle of July and the temperature will still drop at night when the wind kicks up over the cliff. If you are from Minnesota, you might not care. If you are from Los Angeles, you will be cold.

4. They’ve got Wi-Fi. If you can’t leave your internet at home, AT&T provides it for you at the San Elijo State Beach.  If you don’t want your workaholic spouse checking his e-mail thrice a day, this is not the campground for you.

5. You’re camping next to the rails. This means you’ll be waking up in the night. A lot. Don’t think for one minute that the trains will care that you are tired, because they are thoughtless, loud and ugly beasts at two a.m.

The Wildlife of San Elijo Beach

Of course, my family was hit with a double whammy on our camping excursion. As if the trains weren’t enough to handle, a drunk wandered around the campground for most of the night yelling obscenities.

It was a night so terrible, my husband and I were eventually thrown past frustration into delirious giggles. Only a confused rooster could have made the monumentally bad night any worse for us.

And then, right as we began to estimate how long it might take us to pack up in the dark and scurry to a motel, our little girl woke up. She crawled out of her sleeping bag, across the tent, and onto our air mattress.

“This,” she said sleepily but with great conviction, “is the best vacation of my whole life.”

And that, my friends, is why–despite the steps, the wind, the trains and the drunk–we will eventually camp again at San Elijo.

Photos courtesy of Mark Goodkin (Flickr.com)

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

by Gudrun Enger, of Kitchen Gadget Girl

It had been years since I visited Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a wonderful outdoor tide pool and marine reserve on the San Mateo Coast, just north of Half Moon Bay, along highway 1. Well known as a destination for school children, it is also an interesting stop for any marine science enthusiasts.

The Tidepools at Fitzgerald

Before going, be sure to check the online tide chart, as it is not worth visiting unless the tide is low. When the tide is low, you can walk out and visit the tide pools, checking out starfish, sea anemones, hermit crabs and other creatures. Across the waves, we also spotted several harbor seals lounging in the sun.

Harbor Seals Basking in the Sun

Established in 1969 by James F. Fitzgerald, the reserve has deep historical importance for the area. Moss Beach is the site of several important fossil discoveries, including a baleen whale, estimated to be between 2 and 5 million years old. As you look up at the cliffs from the beach, you are drawn to think about how the coast has changed over these many years.

Cliffs and Beach at Fitzgerald

For picnicking, check out the tables near the ranger station at the top of the hill, or bring your picnic down to the beach. The beach is also lovely for walking, flying a kite, or building sand castles. Do not, however, bring your dog – they are not allowed on the beach and in the tidepools!

Starfish

Hermit Crab?

Beaches are some of our favorite destinations – depending on the weather, my family enjoys throwing footballs, running in and out of the surf and building sand monuments. Harbor Beach in Santa Cruz is a great, local beach, offering a good sand beach with many local amenities.

The Harbor Beach is the starting point for the Santa Cruz Outrigger Canoe Club (Akau Hana), which welcomes newcomers to join them on Sunday mornings at 9am. Many catamarans line the beach, as well as volleyball courts and outdoor dining.

On Saturdays between 10 and 12noon, and Wednesday nights at 5:30pm, the Sons of the Beach Ukulele Band gets together for a jam session. Setting themselves up on the beach, in front of the Kind Grind Coffee Shop, the band goes through their song book, playing such favorites as Somewhere Over the Rainbow and You are my Sunshine. Flowery Hawaiian shirts and festive hats complete the picture. Stop by and visit, sing along if the music moves you!

Several restaurants are within walking distance, including Café El Palomar (inexpensive café), Crow’s Nest (upscale and casual seafood) and Aldo’s (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Or bring a picnic, and camp out on the beach for the day!

Additional resources:

Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz
Ukulele Lady