Travel Fix

Many of New York City's best outdoor sites are not conveniently located. Often they are found in the outer boroughs and take a while to reach by car or public transportation. The result is that when it comes to outdoor activities, you usually find large numbers of locals and visitors in places like Central Park or Coney Island, but far fewer at equally beautiful places like Rockaway Beach, the Cloisters, or the New York Botanical Gardens.

Today I am going to discuss the special technique which my wife and I utilize on weekends to increase our exposure to less travelled places without inconvenience or discomfort. Our secret involves the Sunday New York Times, which everyone knows is particularly large and engrossing. What many New Yorkers including us typically do on Sunday is wake up, eat breakfast or brunch, and then settle down to continue reading it for up to several hours.

What we increasingly do, instead, is select a place to visit, grab a quick bite, and head out with "the paper" for our destination via the NYC Transit System, otherwise known as the subway. As you know, our subway system is one of the largest and busiest in the world, with lines reaching out to many remote areas of the City. While we read, the subway goes the hour or more it may take to reach our destination. Although typically packed during the week, the subway on Sunday is usually quiet and often almost deserted. There's always a seat, good lighting, welcome air conditioning during hot weather, and a gentle rocking motion. Before you know it, an hour or more has passed (sometimes with a required connection) and you've arrived at your destination. A collateral benefit is you're accomplishing something and not having to say--"Oh nothing, we just sat home and read the paper."

In addition to the destinations listed above, we plan future visits to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, and Van Cortlandt Park and Wave Hill (free shuttle from train) in the Bronx. Other destinations include Inwood Park and Alexander Hamilton's home in upper Manhattan, and Governor's Island (free ferry from train). As a beach and water lover, I'm always ready to revisit Manhattan Beach and Sheepshead Bay or go to Red Hook (connecting bus) in Brooklyn for canoeing or kayaking.

Hope this idea is helpful to you. We'll know you've taken our suggestion if we get off the train on a future weekend at a remote location and see another couple looking around while carrying the Sunday Times with them.