By the Sea

Every year in August, the city empties out. Maybe it's a final hold-out from an era when wives would take the children to the country for all of the summer months, or maybe it's because August is traditionally the most sweltering (and therefore most stinky) of the summer months in New york City, or maybe it's simply because everyone suddenly realizes that summer has gone by far too quickly and we need a last hurrah. Whatever the reason, the end of summer can be a peaceful time if one stays behind in NYC.

This year, the end of summer was not a peaceful time in the city for me. After coming down with what seemed to be a really, really bad flu mid-August, I visited multiple doctors and was given all sorts of pills, creams and syrups, which helped enough to allow me to get out of bed, but not quite enough to manage much more. Thankfully, after several days of feeling miserable, I was at least well enough to hold my newly baptized godson, and to attend to my own plans of escaping the city for the end of summer.

As is the tradition, my family's last summer hurrah has been to enjoy a beautiful house on the ocean. To me, there is nothing better than the ocean to revive the spirit, and this year I think it helped to relieve me of my physical ailments as well. Here are a few pictures from my travels to the ocean along with some of those reviving moments by the sea…

Amtrak took me up and down its Northeast Corridor.

We waited for the ferry...

…While a couple Vineyard Vines launches waited to be called.

Big stairs and bigger waves.

Beautiful room with even more beautiful views.

The grandson meets the "grandson."

Practice.

A walk along the rocky bluffs revealed the carcass of an old ship and some stacking stones.

Wishing on a paper lantern.

And the best part: Spending lots of time in the water. Summer always goes by too fast, but this year it felt particularly short, didn't it? Thank Goodness for a last hurrah.