New York Travel: Escaping to Elsewhere

New York Travel: Escaping to Elsewhere
By P.J.S. Dougherty

New York travel is remarkable in its diversity. A mere two hours from the buzzing epicenter of New York City, one can find placid peace in completely natural surroundings – and then be back in the city in time for cocktails at a swanky lounge. Here are three New York travel excursions that transport visitors to another realm – faraway, yet close to the towering skyline.

Fire Island’s Sunken Forest
For most, the name “Fire Island” conjures images of beaches, sand dunes, the spread of the Atlantic, quaint shops and restaurants. As New York City weekend escapees catch the Fire Island ferry to towns like Ocean Beach, Cherry Grove, and Fire Island Pines, they carry with them vestiges of the big city’s vibrancy – which is seen in some of the elaborate and raucous parties and nightlife that these Fire Island communities offer.

However, for those seeking a unique Fire Island travel sanctuary, wedged between the flamboyant nightlife of Cherry Grove and Ocean Beach lies one of the few maritime forests left on the eastern seaboard: The Sunken Forest.

Sunken Forest is snugly nestled between two sets of sand dunes, the protection of which allows this peaceful wooded refuge to exist. Due to exposure to harsh, salty winds, trees do not usually fare well on narrow barrier islands like Fire Island. Parts of Sunken Forest appear as a surreal Halloween dream, with shrunken, twisted trees kept at a uniform height of 20-30 feet by the ocean’s salt spray.

The result is a truly singular canopied 40-acre wilderness, through which miles of well-maintained boardwalks meander and wind. For hikers, explorers, and naturalists, Fire Island’s Sunken Forest is an alluring New York state travel destination. In the off-season, when crowds dissipate, Sunken Forest possesses an especially potent magic. Standing outside the forest’s entrance, where the boardwalk disappears into a yawning opening in the trees, excitement and curiosity follow. The first step into the shady grove urges silence. One can sense wildlife, but a hush fills the air. Progressing deeper into Sunken Forest, nature’s music strikes up, once the inhabitants sense you mean them no harm.

In Sunken Forest’s depths, keen-eyed naturalists will recognize the American holly, sassafras, and shadblow trees that make up the oldest continuously growing forest on Long Island. Other plant species like the winged sumac, bayberry, blueberry, wild grape, bearberry, and poison ivy color the forest floor. Wildlife watchers will be thrilled at Sunken Forest’s 300 species of birds, and may even catch a glimpse of deer, red fox, raccoons, and other locals.

Sunken Forest can be reached by the Sayville Fire Island ferry to Sailor’s Haven during the summertime. At other times of the year, the closest Fire Island ferry stop is at Cherry Grove, a mile east. Once at Cherry Grove, you can walk up and down the two rows of sand dunes that shield the forest on a boardwalk, and then take the Sunken Forest Nature Trail, a 1.5 mile boardwalk that winds through the multiple ecosystems in the forest. In the summer, ranger-guided tours are available.

Gone Fishin’: the Atlantic Ocean
Emerging from Sunken Forest’s meandering boardwalks to the beach side, a trail leads over protective dunes to reveal a spectacular view of the majestic Atlantic. For those seeking New York travel adventure, this sight may inspire a desire to venture out to sea—a yearning easily satisfied by the many charter boats that offer intense Long Island fishing and off-shore fishing action. Prepare for a very early start, bring coffee, bring beer, and bring a camera! Boarding a charter boat and chugging out to sea, the Fire Island shoreline disappears in the distance until you’re well out to sea, singing shanties and clinking beer bottles with buddies while bait dangles in the briny deep.

There are numerous options for charter fishing on Long Island’s South Shore. Most boats depart from Babylon, Freeport, or Captree State Park. Fishing can range from striped and black sea bass, fluke, mackerel, and bluefish inshore to mako and blue sharks, cod, tilefish, tuna, and marlin offshore.

There are two types of chartering services: private and party. Private boats usually require a group of 1-6 people and charge at a flat rate, while party boats usually charge per person and have a minimum person per group requirement that can range anywhere from 15 to 150 people. Inshore charter trips for Long Island fishing typically last eight hours, while offshore charter trips can be as many as 24 hours. The type of fish sought and party size, as well as the size of the boat and quality of its equipment, determines the cost.

Typically, the cost includes bait, ice, equipment, and cleaning of any fish you catch. Beer is usually allowed on board, but hard liquor is not. You should also remember that certain fish are only available during certain seasons.

The following chart is an approximate range of costs for various excursions:

Private charter boats:
Inshore

Fluke / Flounder / Mackerel / Striped Bass $425 - $800
Sea Bass / Blackfish $525 - $900
Offshore

Trolling / Shark $800 - $1400
Ocean tuna / Dolphin / Bluefin $675 - $1100
Cod $900
Ocean Fluke $500 - $700

Party:
Inshore: $18 - $35 per person
Offshore $20 - $50 per person

With the Fire Island Lighthouse flashing its beacon far in the distance, charter boat adventurers can evoke the sensation of ships from bygone days – one with the sea, fishing for food, with urban life well out of sight and out of mind.

In Vino Veritas: Touring New York Vineyards
Hauling in a catch and chugging for home, thoughts turn to dining – what white wine would go well with this flounder, or red with this tuna? As New York wines gain momentum among the most snooty of sommeliers, local vineyards become an increasingly popular New York travel destination, offering a range of full-bodied vintages to accompany any catch of the sea.

New York travel guides will detail six different wine regions across the state, each with a number of wineries. Each of these regions is unique, having ideal growing conditions for different types of wine. Many of these areas have wine trails, which are a cooperative effort by the area’s wineries to encourage and educate visitors. With fun events and programs including tastings and wine and food pairing events and other wine-related educational programs, these vineyards draw visitors seeking a different New York travel experience; something bound to nature, timeless and true.`

With water surroundings keeping temperatures moderate, the 1,602 acres of vineyard in the Long Island North Fork and Hamptons region enjoy outstanding conditions for merlot, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and red blends. The Long Island Wine Council, the area’s wine trail, hosts summer wine tasting classes and has a winemakers series wine camp. In addition, individual wineries hold their own tastings and events such as the Peconic Bay Winery, which holds a tour every Saturday and Sunday; or the Palmer Vineyards, which hosts live music on a weekly basis.

As we map New York from Long Island wines to upstate wines, we find even more lush, stunningly beautiful vineyards to explore. Upstate New York’s Lake Erie region features 18,885 acres of vineyard, which benefit from the temperature-moderating conditions of the lake and the Alleghany plateau. This region is known for its Seyval and Riesling. The area’s Chautaugua Wine Trail hosts wine weekends where guests visit eight participating wineries to sample wine and food at each.

The Finger Lakes region is another popular upstate New York state travel destination, with 10,140 acres of vineyard known for producing sparkling wine, Riesling, and pinot noir. The Canandaigua wine trail has recently released a “Sips & Savors Recipe Kit,” and the area winery Casa Larga regularly holds wine tastings. The Cayuka wine trail holds seasonal events such as the Holiday Shopping Spree in December and Mardi Gras at the Wineries in February. The Keuka Lake Wine Route also holds seasonal events including an Oktoberfest and December Holiday events. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail holds food and wine tastings on a monthly basis. Central New York and Lake Ontario regions, as well as the Hudson River Valley and Catskills regions, also feature hundreds of acres of vineyards—offering upstate explorers many options for wine-themed New York travel excursions. Though the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of touring these vineyards may evoke sensations of an Italian countryside, it’s all right here; on Long Island, and in upstate New York.

From a mystical Sunken Forest to the deep Atlantic sea; from the tip of Long Island’s east end to the mountains and forests of upstate, New York is a rich and complex tapestry of sights begging to be seen and experiences waiting to be lived. There’s more to this state than New York City travel packages, and no New York travel guide could ever express the essence of these off-the-asphalt excursions. Only time, open-mindedness, and the burning desire to explore will realize the adventure that is New York travel.


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