NYC and East Coast Summer Travel Ideas Post Pandemic

Looking for Summer travel ideas?

We are primed for a great Summer! The ballparks are at full capacity, and restaurants no longer have to close early. Heck, the New York Mets are in FIRST place in their division (barely). Life is good.

I feel like we should all be dancing in the streets – we’re free! We can breathe without masks on and actually hug each other. People are making travel plans again.

Am I the only one smiling from ear to ear?

What are you doing now that you haven’t been able to do because of the pandemic? Have you booked any travel? Where are you going?

Living on Long Island, we have so many options for Summer vacations. For starters, we can take time off and do some back-yarding. We are lucky to have a pool, hot tub, and fire pit in our backyard. We are also twenty minutes from the ocean beaches.

We definitely upped our backyard design as a result of the pandemic. It is a lovely space but, sometimes, you just want to get out of town. Right?

Recommended Summer Driving Trips

I love driving vacations. We live in Nassau County on Long Island, about an hour east of Manhattan. The area is so beautiful that hitting the road always affords us great views of beaches, mountains, and skylines. How can you go wrong? Here’s a couple of trips I personally would be interested in taking. How about you?

• Take the ferry from Orient Point, NY to New London, CT and head north to Boston for the weekend. https://www.longislandferry.com/
• Drive to Newport, RI and meander on the Cliff Walk to view all the historic mansions. https://www.discovernewport.org/things-to-do/cliff-walk/
• Head south on the Garden State Parkway to Cape May, NJ. Enjoy the beach, the great restaurants and explore all the Victorian mansions. ( I would have loved to have lived during this period and worn all the fancy clothes!) https://www.capemay.com/
• Rent a house on Long Beach Island, NJ and stay in a home town beach community where ice cream shops are within walking distance. So lovely! https://welcometolbi.com/

Sightseeing in The Big Apple

Of course, there are plenty of things to do in Manhattan if you are interested in a city vacation. Restaurant Week has been extended for FIVE weeks this year (used to be a single week). You can find participating restaurants at https://www.nycgo.com/restaurant-week/. Lunches are priced at $21.00 and dinner at $39.00 per person. Quite a deal! The promotion is running from July 19th through August 22nd.

For a unique experience in New York City, you can go “glamping” on Governor’s Island. The views are spectacular — the NY Skyline to the right and the Statue of Liberty to your left. Accommodations are air-conditioned tents (a must for me). We have never been there but know people that have, and they absolutely loved it. For more information, click here https://www.collectiveretreats.com/retreat/collective-governors-island/.

There are a plethora of activities available to you in New York City. Be sure and check online for discount tickets to everything and to make your reservations ahead of time. On overcast days, I recommend taking one of the city bus tours. (If it is a bright sunny day, the seats are brutally hot.) The tour is very informative, and you can get on and off to visit individual attractions like The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, etc. For more info: https://www.viator.com/tours/New-York-City/New-York-in-One-Day-Guided-Sightseeing-Tour/d687-7081NYCDAY

My all-time favorite recommendation to someone visiting the Big Apple is The Circle Line Cruise. It’s a narrated tour around Manhattan island on a huge boat. Big boats always make me feel safer! I learn something new every time I take the ride. It brings you really close to The Statue of Liberty. Very impressive! Details can be found here: https://www.circleline.com.

Besides planning a vacation, is there anything else you are looking forward to?

I cannot wait to go to a movie and see my beloved New York Mets live. I love seeing films on a great big screen, and I’ve missed that. (Truthfully, I have really missed the buttered popcorn.) I have also missed being at the ballpark. Citifield, here I come!

Let me know in the comments below if you have different plans/recommendations. Or, if you go somewhere I have suggested, please let me know if you enjoyed it.

Happy Summer to all! Wear your sunscreen, stay hydrated, and don’t forget to put on some lipstick (chapstick) when you head out–since you won’t be wearing a mask. Doesn’t that make you want to dance in the street?