This was our last successful beach/bike trip of 2009, in October. Not knowing the area was private property, we bypassed the “No Trespassing” signs and made our way to a largely secluded beach at the southernmost tip of the Rockaways.

The beach was surrounded by miles (?) of thickets, marshes, dunes which made it difficult to get to from the main paved roads. Some thickets were so tall and impenetrable that we couldn’t see past them. We could tell we were close to the water because of the familiar ocean scent. We thought okay, if we don’t get to the beach within 10 minutes, we should turn around. I had a mountain bike back then so I plunged ahead and I was the first to discover the signs and gates to the beach. No footprints, but dense tire marks — and of course after we left, thin marks from our bicycles. We carried our bikes and wandered and admired the wild landscape so different from our everyday urban lives. It’s a trip I recommend — just ask for permission, because they’ll know you’re an outsider.