Fire Island Summer 2020 Recap + Mini Travel Guide
We recently spent a week at the beach in Fire Island and it was my family’s third time out there this summer. We usually go out during Memorial Day weekend, but this year, we waited until July 4th weekend for our first trip to the island. If you had asked me a few months ago, I wasn’t even sure if we’d go out at all this year due to Covid-19. But thankfully, the cases in NY have been improving so much and people are taking safety precautions very seriously on the island. If you’ve been following me for a while, you might remember that my parents have been going to Fire Island every year since they were in their twenties. I have so many amazing memories there from my childhood, as a teen, and a young adult. You can read some of my posts about Fire Island here and here.
It feels like a true escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and is a wonderful change of scenery since we’ve been staying home for the majority of the past 5 months. Just a short 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland, there are no cars on the island and the tallest building can't be taller than the tallest tree. Everyone walks or bikes everywhere and you’ll see adults and children alike, heading to the beach with red wagons in tow. Though we had to wear our masks during the whole ferry ride over to the island, the crisp breeze felt so nice and I was immediately transported into “vacation mode.”
It was so different going out there this year with a 3.5-year-old and 1.5-year-old than with a 2-year-old and an infant last year. Keep reading for a recap of our getaway and some tips if you’re planning your own trip!
GETTING TO FIRE ISLAND
DRIVING (either in your own car or a shuttle from NYC):
http://www.fireislandferries.com/directions-2/ - 99 Maple Ave, Bay Shore, NY 11706
David Bros. Car Service – 631-665-4800
Tommy’s Taxi – 631-665-1515
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:
Take the LIRR to Bay Shore, LI. From Bay Shore, you can take a cab or walk to the ferry. During the summer, the ferry goes from Bay Shore, Long Island (the mainland) to Ocean Beach or Seaview in Fire Island almost every couple of hours. Round trip tickets are $19. Make sure to check the website for the most up to date schedules.
The house where we stayed is located on the first street in Seaview, a quiet and slightly more private community, but still close to Ocean Beach, which is a vibrant town, full of restaurants and boutiques on the main street. Everyday we went to the beach and the bay and I was pleasantly surprised that people took social distancing seriously and mask-wearing was enforced wherever you went. The girls loved building sand castles and collecting shells. Adina also had a new obsession with getting buried in the sand - I will never understand why kids find this fun! Haha! I was so proud of them for swimming with Michael in the bay (with their puddle jumper floaties) and Adina even found some jelly fish in the water! Luckily, no one got stung!
During July 4th weekend, we watched the fireworks over the bay and it was the perfect end to an unforgettable holiday weekend. During our week-long trip in early August, we grilled for dinner everyday and took a walk into town to eat ice cream and watch the sunset every night. (Pro-tip: I recommend going grocery shopping before you come and bringing as much food with you as you can if you’re planning to cook your own meals. There are a couple of markets on the island, but everything is a bit pricier since it needs to be brought over from the mainland.)
There’s something so magical about these beach memories with my girls. I love seeing them light up when they find a cool shell or a jellyfish (even if it kind of grosses me out haha) and jumping waves together. So many things have been different about 2020. I think this is the one thing that has actually felt “normal” about this summer.
When I think back to last year, Noa was just starting to sit up on her own and wasn’t even walking or talking yet and Adina was still a little toddler, who had just gotten potty trained. Now the girls are so independent and play together so much more! I can't wait to continue this tradition for years to come!
