Category: Wanderers (Page 3 of 5)

Your hosts: David Mace & Joe Spain

Mark Shakley and I  just returned from a visit to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge  This is a spectacular venue in Queens (900 acres) looking toward the Rockaways and back to the Verrazano Bridge.  We walked the 1.7 mile loop around West Pond. Along the way we met a number of birders with cameras and telescopes.  We saw a multitude of bird species including several Osprey platforms built by the National Parks Service. Jamaica Bay is part of the Gateway Recreation Area under the National Parks.   We will have a Wandering to Jamaica Bay on Thursday November 5. It is a one hour drive from Darien.  We will take sandwiches and eat on picnic tables at the Visitors Center. Mark your calendar for November 5. If you are interested please email David Mace.
https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/new-york-national-parks/gateway-national-recreation-area-park-at-a-glance/gateway-national-recreation-area-hiking-trails/gateway-national-recreation-area-hiking-at-jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge/gateway-national-recreation-area-west-pond-trail-at-jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge/

Woodlawn Cemetery Wandering,   Tuesday October 6

Our first 2020 wandering is now set for Tuesday, October 6 at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.  This National  Historic Landmark founded in 1863 is the resting place for many recognizable names including Fiorello LaGuardia, Herman Meliville, Lionel Hampton, Robert Moses and scores more. We will travel by car to Woodlawn (approximately a 45 minute drive).  You may drive alone or with a group depending on your feelings about pandemic risk.  We will meet at the cemetery at 9:45 am and then begin a 2 hour tour with a guide to see the beauty of the 400 acre cemetery itself as well as the grave markers and mausoleums of many of its famous inhabitants.  You may bring your own lunch since the cemetery has picnic tables which we are welcome to use.  Or you may return home after our walk.  The cost per person is $10 which we can pay upon arrival.  We are limiting the group to 10 members, so first come first served.  If you would like to join us please email David Mace. Once our group is formed we will talk about driving arrangements and a specific destination which can easily be found on google maps.  It should be a grand day.

On Dec 12 we will go into Manhattan to see the Christmas decor. We’ll walk down to Herald Sq, then up as far as 59th St to see the storefronts, the Rock Center tree and perhaps a stop at St Patrick’s.

Your guides: David Mace & Joe Spain

On November 14 (Thurs) we will go to Flushing Queens.  We will take the 8:34 train from Darien, 8:37 from Noroton Heights and regroup at the information booth in GCT.    We will walk the sites of the 1939 and 1964 Worlds Fairs.  We will tour the area of Arthur Ashe Stadium.  Finally, we will visit the Queens Museum which has an extraordinary diorama of New York City. After lunch we will return.

Your guides: David Mace and Joe Spain

We will be walking on October 17 from the Battery in lower Manhattan up the promenade on the Hudson River to 34th Street.  Along the way we will explore the new Hudson River Park and the many new piers that have been built on the route.  Of course we will stop for lunch.  On a nice October day this will be a spectacular walk.

Your guides: David Mace & Joe Spain

2019 April Wandering

On Tuesday April 16, David Mace will lead our April Wandering.

The Wanderers will take the train on Tuesday morning to Grand Central Terminal — the 8:36 AM train from the Darien station, which is the 8:39 AM from Noroton Heights. Upon arrival, we all shall meet at the Upper Level Information Booth at GCT. Please bring your MetroCard for the subway or select the  MetroCard included” option when you purchase your train tickets from the machines on the train station platforms.

We shall go by Subway to the Delancey Street neighborhood of lower Manhattan and from there stroll over the East River via the Williamsburg Bridge to the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. The tour will proceed past the historic Peter Lugar’s Restaurant and the architecturally acclaimed historic main branch of the Williamsburg Savings Bank, through a portion of Brooklyn’s Hasidic ethnic neighborhood, and past the northern part of the Brooklyn Navy Yard that has been converted into Steiner Studios, the largest motion picture lot outside of Hollywood. Lunch will be at an Italian Restaurant on the riverbank, with broad vistas of lower Manhattan. Then we shall return by ferry to the Wall Street Ferry Terminal,
and thence, via subway, back to Grand Central. We expect to return about 4:00 PM on the MetroNorth train then leaving Grand Central for Darien.

Happy Wanderers schedule walk of Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, March 19, 2019

On Tuesday, March 19, The Happy Wanderers will be exploring the area south of City Hall all the way to Bowling Green on the southern tip of Manhattan. This area constitutes the historic core of the colonial city as well as the financial district and has about 40 landmark sites.

Our meandering will take us past at least 15 of these sites including the US Customs House, Fraunces Tavern, Federal Hall,  NYStock Exchange, Trinity Church, St. Paul’s Chapel, Woolworth building, 9/11 Memorial and the Oculus.

If you are interested in joining this first Wandering of 2019 on Tuesday March 19, board the 8.36am train out of Darien or the 8.39am from Noroton Heights bound for Grand Central. On arrival, congregate at the information booth in the center of the Great Hall. From there we will take the subway downtown to begin our exploration. We expect to walk about 4-5 miles, punctuated by the 11 am libation break at the historic Fraunces Tavern and lunch near the 9/11 Memorial. We expect to take the train back to Darien around 3-30 pm.

Contact : Sunil Saksena, 203-561-8601; ssaksena44@gmail.com

Happy Wanderers Lower East Side Wandering is on for Tuesday
November 27, 2018

The Wanderers will be exploring the Lower East Side of New York City on
Tuesday, November 27, 2018. Included in this wandering will be libations
at the dive Bar Milano’s, a tour of the Tenement Museum and Lunch at
Katz Delicatessen.Its expected to be a windy and chilly day so be warmly
attired.
Board the 8.36 am train to Grand Central from Darien or the 8.39 am train
from Noroton Heights.Upon arrival at Grand Central, congregate at the
Information booth in the center of its Great Hall.
Contact: Sunil Saksena, 203-561-8601 ssaksena44@gmail.com

This year saw the re-emergence of water transportation on the East River linking Manhattan to Brooklyn and Queens.

We thought it would be interesting to retrace the history of water ferries by picking one of the more vibrant destinations known as Brooklyn’s DUMBO for Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass.

To start out, we will take the train leaving Darien at 8:35 a.m. and Noroton at 8:38 a.m. and gather at the Grand Central Station Information Booth on the upper level.

From there, we will take the Lexington Avenue subway to 34th St. and walk east to the 34th St. ferry terminal to purchase tickets for the East River route, boarding either the 10 a.m. or 10:40 a.m. ferry to DUMBO.

We will then proceed to the Fulton ferry landing and go to the Brooklyn Historical Society Museum to watch an eight-minute film on the history of the area. Our wandering will include a beverage stop and later lunch at the Sugarcane raw bar.

For the return trip, there are ferries at 2:29 p.m. and 2:59 p.m. going back to the 34th St. ferry terminal, where we will retrace our steps to Grand Central in time for the 4:08 p.m. or 4:33 p.m. train home.

Contact: Mark Shakley, cell 203.945.9624, mshakley@aol.com