If there is a quiet, little-known, and top of the list beach for me around NYC, then it has to be Robert Moses State Park on the western end of Fire Island!

It has been a while since our feet touched sand. Besides, the summer fleeted by without any memory of wanderlust. Be that as it may, this was our last chance this season to enjoy the faint taste of salt on the breeze and let the warm, golden sand run between our toes.

Even though there was a slight dip in temperature for Labor day, we parted with our small apartment balcony haven and headed to Long Island Atlantic shore. I enjoy a crisp and clean scent in the air as the frigid wild waves carelessly dribble onto the sand, and the seagulls circle the sky. For me, it is not immersing and scuffling with the tides as the whole idea. Rather, it is the seaside, walking on the line where foam banks the sand and the sun gleams on blues’ expanse. I almost like to commit it to memory that lasts, at least through the frosty winter, bleak and grim times. Somehow, we are still in the middle of a pandemic; there will be elections, more disarray, and tumultuous times.

Yet, the sunshine goes on here, and with every step, the sand shifts. I can breathe this fresh wind.

Canvas in the view

I am awestruck by the ever-changing shades of colors and movement at the beach. The fleeting and effusive surf as the tide plays low and high. We see the colors of the sky’s duvet, puffed up clouds, and glint of light on water. And, of the sand, inside of seashells and the driftwood washed ashore. There is a sense of nostalgia, an aura of mystique that surrounds us. Moreover, it offers a contemplative and reflecting mood. There are inspirations and applications of this softness and dreams to form of design and art.

As an ode to these palettes,  the dress and cardigan I am wearing with these earthy colors make me feel one with nature’s own beauty.

Beach, Lighthouse, and Seashore

We spent time building sand-castles, filling the little water cans with seawater, unwinding time on our chairs, and relishing on all the packed sandwiches and strawberries (hiding food from the gulls and sometimes kids on the beach chasing them out with shovels!). Soon after, Beachcombing was our favorite activity looking for treasures to fill up our tiny buckets. In retrospect, I think Robert Moses beach is perfect for spending some relaxing time, being less traversed, and muted compared to other beaches on Long Island’s Atlantic shore.

It started to get a tidbit chilly, and we decided to explore the Fire Island Lighthouse. It is a short walk from Field 5, where we parked. The Seashore trail is a graded boardwalk and crosses through preserved seashore habitat. The lighthouse stands tall on the shore, black and white, stark against the sky. 

On the way back, a few viewpoints overlook the lighthouse amid jagged trees and rough-hewn terrain. Overall, a relaxing and inspirational day at the shore. Ready to take on anything…what’s next? 

Just a Little Bit More…

~ Kiddo’s sweatshirt, similar.

~ Our picnic basket, similar.

~ Carry your food containers, water bottle, and travel cutlery. During pandemic and forever times, methinks.

~ My Make-Believe Beach list – a chair to relax, an umbrella for shade, this sweet beach bucket & spade, a set of shovels to dig with, and a sturdy tote to haul          everything.

~ Among other things, a climate emergency unfolding before our eyes

~ New York’s favorite Trash-strewn beach

~ But, a Beachcomber’s print will do, for now.