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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

A Lazy, Hazy, Day of Summer


After our visit to Gateway National Recreation Area (my last blog post), my husband and I drove across The Marine - Gil Hodges Bridge which connects the south east section of Brooklyn, New York to the Rockaway peninsula in Queens. On the other side of the peninsula are the beaches and the Atlantic Ocean, and if you look to the left under the bridge you can see the historic bathhouse towers of Jacob Riis Park.


We drove to Rockaway to visit a cozy little bar/restuarnat called "The Wharf," as it has a nice view of Jamaica Bay.

The Wharf deck is connected to a gang plank and most of the customers arrive by boat.....

....and yachts..

...and even kayaks!

On a weekend, or a hot day, it is a busy place.

We stopped by for some clams on the half shell...


...and fish tacos that had a tasty creamy cilantro lime dressing.


It was a cool and relaxing way to spend an afternoon during the July 4th weekend.


If you look closely in this photo, through the summer haze, on the left you can see the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the distance, and the island in the center is one of the Jamaica Bay's Wildlife Refuge areas.  A birder's paradise, there are more than 330 bird species that have been sighted at the refuge over the last 25 years; that is nearly half the species in the Northeast. It is one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the Northeastern United States and one of the best places in New York City to observe migrating species.

Watching the sailboat made me wish I was sailing on the bright blue water of the bay... and hopefully I may get my wish tomorrow, if weather permits. 


I'm adding this post to Jenny Matlock's "Alphabe Thursday."  The letter this week is "Y" and I hope the yacht in this post qualifies. I'm also adding it to Claudia's "Friday Finding Beauty" on her blog Dippity Road.  Please visit both blogs and join in all the fun!



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62 comments:

  1. I love the visit. The yacht counts in my book. Sullen and sulky sounds terrible.

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  2. I am stopping by from Alphabe-Thursday. I enjoyed all your pictures, especially the ones of the clams on the half shell and the fish tacos with creamy cilantro lime dressing. (Here's another Y - yummy!)

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  3. What a beautiful day Pat! It's just amazing to me that this is so close to the hustle and bustle of New York. And those fish tacos look delicious :) Kat

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  4. I'm Yearning to visit Jamaica Bay & have a fish taco now...sounds like a great day :-)

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  5. That looks like a fabulous way to spend a hot July day... The lunch looked great ---and I'd love to be out on that sailboat... Hope you get to do that!!!!

    Be careful if you are out in that extreme heat... It's pretty miserable here too.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  6. Beautiful water photos! And that cilantro/lime dressing sounds wonderful. My husband loves fish tacos, we use to go to Mexico often when we lived in CA, and he just loved eating those fish tacos. (There not so available or popular here in Puerto Rico.)

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  7. Beautiful post and a very busy weekend.

    Darryl and Ruth : )

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  8. Last time I checked, Yacht did indeed start with y, so I think it qualifies. Fish tacos are my fave!
    Visiting from Alphabe-Thursday.

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  9. Wow, has Jamaica Bay ever changed.I am amazed. As someone who grew up in Jamaica, I do remember smelling not-so-grand aromas during the summer and being told that's Jamaica Bay. I clearly need a return visit. Especially for some seafood! Sending this tomy family.

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  10. the bridge is cool,
    love the bay and open space.

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  11. I love the water photos! How do you fit them so large? Blogspot always cuts my x-tra large ones off.

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  12. What a wonderful way to spend the day!!

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  13. What a great view, Pat! One of the things I loved most about visiting in Connecticut was going to a little place that was a lobster shack, and moored nearby were lots of sailboats where people just sailed in and ate. This is wonderful, and that bird sanctuary sounds fabulous. NYC really does have the best of all worlds!

    Hope you get to go sailing. It is SO relaxing...

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  14. What a great day! and you give me nice memories of the Marine Park Bridge, wasn't called Gil Hodges back then, my brother used to go to Broad Channel Day camp across that bridge!

    Hope you're staying cool in this crazy weather! That fish taco looks great!

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  15. All that wonderful food and a yacht ride ...I want to go... great post...bkm

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  16. I've never tasted a fish taco - next time I'm across the line I'll have to find a place that serves them.
    I so enjoy these tours of a New York that few of us will ever see, let alone come to know. I loved the post about the art work figures positioned around the city - that must have been fun to follow!

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  17. I love your lazy, hazy Manhatten skyline photo!

    And it looks like a wonderful place to spend some time on a summer day. Thanks for taking us along.

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  18. I would say your yacht definitely qualifies!
    You go to the best places Pat. I hope you take pictures when you are sailing too.
    : )

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  19. what a great Y post ... it looks like the perfect summer day ... sun, water, good food, good breezes ... colour me green with envy!

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  20. I love the pictures! Gorgeous!

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  21. I know these places well. Sounds like a good weekend indeed.

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  22. What lovely pictures. The water is beautiful. I especially like the picture with the seagull (It is a seagull isn't it?) in it. Have a grand day! Cathy

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  23. I feel refreshed after viewing those photos! What a nice place to spend a summer day!

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  24. I hope you got to sail Pat. It looked like a lovely way to spend the weekend.

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  25. "The Wharf" looks like a nice place to have a sweet summer meal, it sounds so glamourous that people arrive on yachts, but I'm probably the only one that thinks so - I don't get out much...

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  26. What a lovely languid way to spend the day! Jamaica Bay and the Wildlife Refuge is beautiful! I love the idea of people going to the Wharf restaurants by boat! Thanks for the links to these places run by the New York Harbour Parks. Jacob Riis Park is an eyeopener! The bathhouse towers look like Battersea Power station towers here in south London! Except that these are part of a bathhouse! Wonderful.

    Thanks for sharing another fascinating part of NYC!

    Take care
    x

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  27. Wonderful ‘Y’ post – so enjoyable it felt like a mini vacation!

    Have a great Alphabe-Thursday,

    LOLA:)

    PS Mine this week is HERE. Hope you can join me!

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  28. What an amazing view! And I have never had a fish taco...but would love to try one! What a beautiful day! ♥

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  29. Thanks for your reply on my DC questions. I think the tour bus idea sounds great. I look forward to seeing all the monuments, too!
    Your time on the waterfront looks so fun and interesting!

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  30. All of the various bridges around NYC are incredibly fascinating. So much visual detail and interest. I loved seeing your photos from the July 4th weekend. Particularly love the last one of the sailboat, with the skyscrapers in the background. Thank you for providing so much eye candy to those of us who live far away from these wonderful sights.

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  31. You can find anything you want in New York - even a beach vacation and clams on the half shell by the waterfront. just loved it.

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  32. Your pictures are terrific (as usual)

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  33. Wasn't through with comment/ha
    I have never had a fish taco but I am hearing so much about them....I want one....they look delicious!

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  34. Beautiful photos of New York. Especially the skyline in the distance. Have a great week. Debbie

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  35. I too would love to be sailing on the water. It would be so relaxing and fun to be in NYC on the 4th! I adore fish tacos, I make them for my family...i use a rub and grill the fish,I use cabbage instead of lettuce and a sour cream/mayo/hot sauce dressing.

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  36. Your last photo with the view of Manhattan in the hazy distance is especially striking. You make New York and environs look very appealing, as I am sure it is...perhaps one day I will get to see it myself. Particularly as I have recently discovered some early family connections with New Amsterdam and New York a few centuries ago.

    Wish I had some of those fish tacos right now!

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  37. Beautiful photographs. I always enjoy my visits to your blog. Stay cool!

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  38. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  39. I really enjoyed your post about the statues on top of buildings in New York – how original. I also love your mosaic of pink hydrangeas – did you use Picasa to do the mosaic?

    Your photos of the water and the view of the wildlife refuge with Manhattan in the background are excellent. It looked like a wonderful day to be by the water.

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  40. I always love your pictures! I feel like I am visiting NYC too. You have the most interesting posts each time. Thanks so much for sharing the city with all of us who visit via your blog. I have only been to NYC once, but some day, I am coming back. Have a great weekend. Love & blessings from NC!

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  41. Pat...again such a wonderful post on your favorite place. I cannot decide if I prefer the fish tacos or the birding opportunities...maybe do a bit of birding and then lunch ;-) Peace and blessings

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  42. My gosh, your food looked wonderful and the scenery wasn't bad (lol). Looked like a fun day.

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  43. you have me longing for summer already with your lovely photos..those fish tacos look pretty deiish too :) x

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  44. That is my kind of summer restaurant. Not sure if i would like clam but the fish wrap looks delicious.

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  45. I'd drink my husband's green health food before I'd eat either the clams or the fish tacos! Yuck!

    The water views are magnificent.

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  46. Pat, you were right "down the road" from my inlaws- they're in Belle Harbor/Rockaway Park. LOVE it there. We're in FL for another week, but your pics took Ray home :)
    xoxo Pattie

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  47. What wonderful pictures of the weekend and they do show the lazy days of summer. Perfect.

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  48. Quite clearly that was a wonderful day for you! I don't know New York at all, but could appreciate that your photos were not typical of the usual views we see. They were great!
    Thanks very much for visiting my blog and leaving your comment, Pat.

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  49. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving such an interesting comment. I’d love to see the Botanical and Japanese Garden in Brooklyn. We are going back to visit New York for 4 days in October, maybe we can go and see it. I wrote a post on cemeteries last year and one mentioned was Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. I was planning to go and see it this time (we go to New York every couple of years for a few days and try to see something different. Last time we went to the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the time before to the Bronx Zoo.) There is so much to see in the New York area, it’s a pleasure to visit.

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  50. Good Morning Pat Sweetie...
    What a beautiful share today. I could feel the wind in my hair. I can smell the ocean air, and hear the seagulls calling for a bite or two. I loved the sailboats in the water. I could even hear the water lapping at the dock. Such a relaxing sound, and the movement has always been so comforting to me.

    I love your photo with the Manhattan skyline in the background. It is truly BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for sharing this gorgeous post today.

    Please stop by and let me share my post with you.

    Country hugs sweetie...Sherry

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  51. HI Pat. Thank you for your good wishes for our National team in the worldcup final.All people in Holland are so excited and we all "know" we are going to win. LOL
    It is fun you can see the matches in New York and I am sure by now you all know we love orange. There will be a lot of orange in South Africa.
    I love your Yacht photo's . One minite I thought you were in Belgium because I saw Leuven Belgium on the hoods on the terrace. They must sell Belgian beer there. So funny.
    Have a great weekend.

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  52. What a neat way to spend a hot summer day. Your photos are beautiful. I'd love to join you on that sail boat ride.

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  53. What beautiful photos, I would say the yacht qualifies, but I'm not in charge here...

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  54. what gorgeous photos and such a beautiful day. that fish taco makes me yearn for a trip to the beach!

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  55. Hi Pat...oh how this post made me want to be back near the water...any water...I sure miss not being close to the beach..We'll be coming back to Jersey in a few weeks so I will just have to have the Boss take me down the shore one day...You sure made it look appealing....except for those raw clams....Have a great weekend..Hope your heat wave has passed...Sue.

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  56. Beautiful pictures!! I am sure it was a fun day!!

    Doris

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  57. What beautiful scenery and those clams on the half shell look luscious. I like those and steamers and raw oysters which I can down by the dozen. Being on the water is always such fun. The boats have been out on San Francisco Bay in the gorgeous weather we've been having.

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  58. Looks like a wonderful day, the view from the restaurant is great. The fish taco looks delicious. I have heard of the wildlife refuge and would like to visit there someday! Have a great weekend!

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  59. That water looks so cool that I feel like leaping in!

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  60. Pat, what a beautiful and interesting stop on our little journey through Alphabe-Thursday's letter "Y"!

    Well, almost all of it - ha!

    If I come to NY will be you be my tour guide? That actually might make me do that long trip!

    I am always fascinated by my stops here. I always feel like I have been walking right beside you!

    Yippee for us getting to visit your lovely area!

    A+

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  61. That's so fun to see boats/yachts dock up to restaurants. Really neat pictures. Just lovely. Great Y post.

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  62. I am totally craving fish tacos now and clams. Yum!

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