Catskills River Run

I’ve been wanting to do the Catskill River Run for awhile now and my 33rd birthday week gave us a chance to finally check it out. You can read about their plans for social distancing here. Parking is a small gravel lot. Restrooms are in the form of a portable restroom trailer and there’s even a little gift shop. Check in time was 15 minutes before our trip time slot. They run a tight ship and our party left promptly on time so I’d highly suggest being on time. There aren’t refunds given for being late and missing your group’s departure time. We completed our liability waivers online before we left for our trip so check in was a breeze.

For some reason, both Mitchell and I imagined that you just get assigned a railbike and you’re sent on your merry way. In reality, there are multiple parties that’ll go at the same time as your timed reservation. Then to cross NY 28, all the railbikes get coupled up and cross at the same time.

There’s a small basket where a backpack (or a small, soft sided cooler like the railbike passengers in front of us brought) can fit. We were instructed to take anything loose out of our pockets unless they were zippered pockets. Note that cell reception is spotty at best. I also spied two umbrellas included with our railbike.

Blue teeth courtesy of a blue raspberry Airhead.

Each railbike will have a name tag. Ours was easy to spot since it was the only one with a toddler harness. I’m glad I took the time to inspect the buckles because one was slightly cracked so that if you gently tugged at it, it would come apart. A staff member replaced it with one that securely fastened. The railbikes can gain a decent amount of speed so I’m glad that Theo was strapped in snugly.

NY 28 to our right on our way to the halfway point

Esopus Creek on our left. NY 28 on our right.

The halfway point. We got off the railbikes once we reached the halfway point and waited a bit while staff turned the railbikes around with a hydraulic press. Another group had packed drinks and snacks and were having a blast while we waited. If we were to ever go again, I’d definitely do the same.

Don’t hesitate bringing your jacket! We left ours behind because we figured we’d work up a sweat. Pedaling warmed us up a little bit but I would have definitely appreciated having the option of having my jacket since it’s breezy as you zip along the track.

The kids were allowed to sit together and insisted upon doing so on our way back to the station. For reference, they were 7 and 2 years old at the time of our visit. There’s a little switch you can activate that’ll give you a slight motorized boost. It won’t work unless you’re also pedaling though. This switch is only by the seat that also controls the hand break. For our quad railbike, it was the seat in the back right.

Both kids wound up loving this experience, especially Theodore - our little aficionado of all things on wheels. I mean look at that face!

Phoenicia’s Main Street is nearby. You can find a gas station, small market, and an ice cream spot. If you check out the Phoenicia Diner, the bourbon bacon burger was delicious.

New Hampshire

When everything began closing back in March, one of the things I was really upset and worried about was the possibility that I wouldn’t be able to spend any time with one of my best friends, Lauren. She’d recently moved from SoCal to New Hampshire last year.

It’s the closest I’ve lived by a someone near and dear to me in nearly ten years and it’s such a treat! The closest we lived to loved ones before this was when we lived in Metro Detroit and I had family in the suburbs of Chicago, more than a 5 hour drive.

I like to say Lauren’s only a Vegas drive away since it typically takes about 4 hours to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. I’ve done the NY to NH drive solo with the kids multiple times already and I’m quite thankful that they do very well with longer car rides. I’ve come to realize in recent years that long drives aren’t typical for everyone though. It seems like all the SoCal folks I know don’t bat an eyelash at 3+ hour drives whereas it seems like our Midwest and East coast friends and family tend to avoid them.

This is basically a long winded way of saying, I was getting acclimated to having a loved one near me and was super distraught that I wouldn’t be able to see her, especially during a special time like her first pregnancy. Our third best friend, Victoria, and I decided to move forward and do a completely virtual baby shower for late July. We were going to celebrate our friend and her baby girl, come hell or high water. As COVID-19 cases went down drastically in NY and NH remained relatively quiet, I decided I’d fully quarantine with the kids for two weeks so that we could go in person for the baby shower. I’m especially thankful that we were able to make this trip happen after everything that’s happened these past few months.

Watching a fellow ortho wife take maternity pictures inspired me to attempt some as well. Lauren was super gracious and willing to be my guinea pig. These shots are from her backyard. I think they came out rather well despite the fact I still struggle to comprehend what the heck ISO, aperture, and shutter speed are and how they relate despite reading so many articles.

The shot above of Lauren and her husband, Scott, as well as the rest of the photos in this post were taken at Trombly Gardens. If you’re ever in the area, I highly suggest going for ice cream or sorbet. They are heavy handed with their scoops and the ice cream is creamy and tasty. Ava gave the sorbets two thumbs up. Our favorites were the campfire ice cream and strawberry lemonade sorbet flavors.

Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge

The kids and I were invited to come along on an excursion last week and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get out again and explore. A fellow ortho wife had offered to take maternity photos for another ortho wife. I came along to help out with the former’s toddler, who’s a month younger than Theodore. Funny enough, her name is Thea and our husbands are co-residents (residents that are the same year). Completely unplanned and just overall a fun coincidence.

Our pregnant friend chose Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge as the location for her maternity shoot. We did a preliminary scan of the parking and hours details before heading out. So we were confused as to why the gate was closed at 6 p.m. when the website states the closing times were much later. Much to our luck, a caretaker happened to come to the gates. We chatted with her and she explained that numerous people had been trespassing during later hours so the gates were being closed by 6 p.m. for now during COVID-19 times. We asked if she could just let us in to take maternity photos and she generously agreed. Parking fees weren’t collected. There are portapotties available for use. The permanent bathroom buildings were locked.

I was curious to see how photos would come out with the darker weather. After examining the ones I took on the first day, I can say I’d be open to going out more often on dreary days. This is part of the path to the shoreline. The way the sunshine light up the trees ahead made me stop and snap this photo.

We wound up visiting Target Rock twice that week. The first time the weather was dark and moody and punctuated with drizzle spells. I was a little hesitant about going but decided to bite the bullet because I’d already committed and didn’t want to flake on my friends. I’ve never really ventured out to the beach during such weather. It was surprisingly enjoyable and haunting in some ways with the sound of the bell on the buoy in the distance ringing, the horn of the Port Jefferson ferry sounding off and its engine humming, and the mist slowly rolling onshore.

Posted above are more photos from the first day where it was overcast and gloomy. Below left is Theodore from the first day we visited and below right is Ava during the second day, which was bright and sunny. I actually enjoyed the first day more because we discovered quickly that the clear, hot weather brought out biting flies that loved nibbling on us.

I’d heartily recommend Target Rock to anyone who enjoys a substantial walk to a shoreline. The terrain was easy enough that we were able to push a wagon through the second time. If you stay after sunset like we did, I’d strongly recommend packing flashlights for the trek back to the car because the woods are pitch black. We didn’t know this and stumbled through it with just the light from my cellphone the first time around.

Garvies Point

When we moved to Michigan as a young family with a tight medical student and stay-at-home parent budget, one thing we really enjoyed doing was just exploring the outdoors. It was generally free and tons of fun to be outside. With the move to New York and the beginning of residency and Ava attending school, I think we kind of lost this habit of seeking nature. Shelter in place mandates forced us to slow down and whet our appetites to go on adventures once more.

Mitchell finally got a weekend off and we decided to make the most of it. I asked a fellow residency wife for hiking suggestions and one on her list was Garvies Point Museum and Preserve. The museum itself is still closed right now. New York is in the process of opening back up slowly and the museum is poised to open during later phases. The trails are open though. We made our way to behind the museum and spied several trails. We opted to take one marked by several big boulders and followed signs that pointed to the shoreline.

It was the kids’ first time stepping out of the car beyond our neighborhood since mid-March when everything first closed down. They’ve accompanied me to drive ups at Target and various drive thrus for french fries but they never physically got out of the car. So today was extra special for all of us.

Once we reached the shoreline, we begun exploring in earnest. There are natural clay deposits that you can find here and there. Mitchell and Ava found three different colors of clay. It was fun to just squish and mold. Since Garvies Point is a preserve, we made sure to not pick any foliage or bring anything back with us.

The shoreline was rocky enough that it wasn’t very pleasant on bare feet. We’d worn our socks and sneakers though and the temptation of dipping our feet into the soft, lapping water was hard to resist. For future visits, I’d be comfortable with the kids wearing their saltwater sandals since the trails aren’t strenuous by any means (at least for us). Then we wouldn’t have to fuss with wet feet, sand, and sneakers. I’m sure any sort of water shoes would work well too. We’re still not completely used to the often rocky shorelines of Long Island.

Shaded areas were ample when we visited around 11 a.m. I’d probably pack a blanket to sit on and lunch for future visits. The water in Hempstead Bay was generally quite gentle and the kids had fun exploring the water independently.

We saw a pair of turtles, numerous horseshoe crab exoskeletons strewn about the beach, and even had a lone horseshoe crab swim up to us in the most shallow parts of the water. I’d say Garvies Point is a great place to go with young children. The trails are short enough so that it’s not miserable for the most novice walkers and yet there’s still so much to see and do. Best of all, it’s free!