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Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

North America, Travel
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June 22, 2009

The Little Red Lighthouse, Ft. Washington Park, NY

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It was Father’s Day and because of a tight deadline he was on, the only thing my husband wanted to do was get some work done. It was rainy on and off (mostly on) and it seemed like the lazy Sunday would be spent inside. But with the boys getting louder and cabin fever starting to set in, I decided to take them for a nice long walk.

Not too far from where we live, but unbeknownst to many people (even the newly arrived locals) is a hidden entrance to the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway.  It is “hidden” because it is covered by long branches and trees, hidden behind expressways and bridges.  We made our way down 181st St, and the long winding path that lead us right in Fort Washington Park and the newly refurbished, recently opened promenade leading toward The Little Red Lighthouse.

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The Little Red Lighthouse has an awesome history, and is one of the most respected and cherished landmarks of the area. The views are amazing, even on this hazy day, encouraging the boys to sit for a rest, enjoy the wind as it hit their little faces, and watch the sailboats go by. The lighthouse looked proud and majestic, even with the much larger George Washington Bridge as its backdrop.  Cyclists and walkers all stopped to take pictures and admire the scenery. We could’ve stayed there forever…except the kids started kicking the rocks at each other which meant it was time to move on.

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We walked over past the tennis courts, and down the narrow path towards the beach and picnic area.  The only thing to note about this path is that unfortunately the cyclists FLY through both ways, making it very dangerous to walk on, especially for little kids.

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Once we arrived to the grassy area, the 2.5 year old went on his own, taking a moment to sit on the grass and chase butterflies.  His older brothers, on the other hand, went straight to the beach, and started playing with a canine friend they made while there.

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It didn’t take long for my younger ones to get courageous and forget about the fact that they had shoes on and no swimsuits (and that it was the Hudson River! Though on this particular day the water seemed clear and very clean) and they jumped right in with their canine friend before I insisted that they come out.

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It mattered little that they were wet, for not long after the sky once again became dark and rain started to fall. The boys excited about getting wet, began to run and jump and laugh full of joy. I knew exactly how they felt, for I too love getting caught in the rain and the sense of freedom and carefree feeling it brings.

IMG_8026We hurried along to the nearest exit, which isn’t one I had ever taken before, and this in turn lead us onto a hiking path. The boys took on this new part of their adventure with happily, imagining that all sorts of things were going to happen as they walked on the winding path, covered with broken twigs and berries that had fallen from the many trees that grazed their hair as they made their way through.

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At one point my 3.5 year old whispered that a dragon might be hiding in the bushes.

“No, a faiwee!” exclaimed his younger brother.

“No! It’s a dark knight looking for the treasure we are carrying for the king!” added the 11 year old.

They all laughed as I made monkey noises and that of other wild animal of the jungle. No one cared that we had no idea where this path was leading us, or that we had been on it all the while the rain got heavier. Our shoes were muddy and soaked, and we could not have been happier. Eventually we made our way out, and with that so did the sun. The children slowly walked back home full of stories to share with their Dad.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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2 Comments
  • Lisa
    June 22, 2009

    Aww, how sweet. I would love to visit the lighthouse. Maybe that could be one of our playdates 🙂

    Last day of school is tomorrow! Yay!! How about you?

    Reply
  • Michelle
    June 22, 2009

    I have always loved the children's book about the lighthouse. Hope to visit this summer, it's on my to do list!

    Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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A message about yesterday’s event: Happy Monday A message about yesterday’s event:

Happy Monday, y’all. Woke up in time to enjoy the soft glow of sunlight that shines its way around our house in the morning, and sipped on a cafecito without being rushed for anything. So already today is a win. 

Yesterday we worked our longest day yet for our little coffee cart that could (7 hours!!!) at the Heritage Fiesta in Ithaca, NY. 

Though we were ready for a crowd, the reception was also unexpected because there was a popular coffee shop just steps away. 

But we had Cómodo Fam stop by, family (who also fed us 🙏🏾), and soooo many members of the Latinx and BIPOC community who were just excited to see a small business like ours representing. 

I want to share that we were ALL worried about potential harassment and assault by 🧊and fliers were handed out to prepare us. And you would think that it would’ve intimidated the community enough to not come out…BUT WE DID. In numbers. 

And for hours that little parking lot next to Press Bay Alley was packed with all sorts of Latinx and non-Latinx community members, eating, laughing, dancing, singing, and drinking all the cafecitos and refreshers we had to offer. Literally. We went home cleaned out!

All this to say that we are all aware of the threats but we also understand the power and importance of coming together as a community and a people. By no means are we all the same, and Lord knows a lot of Latinos have a lot of self-reflecting to do based on the choices they made, but yesterday was a testament to the best of us, and I thank @yenospina and @lcatompkins for putting together such a wonderful event, for inviting @cafecomodony to be a part of it, and to all the friends, old and new, who came out to support us and la cultura. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #cafecomodo #coffeelover
Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite lazy day pastimes of the season: market shopping for fall goodies - which in the Finger Lakes is especially bountiful. 

📍Joseph’s Wayside Markey, Naples, NY

#fingerlakes #newyork #octobermood #fallday
Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The proce Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The process is busy and noisy but also exciting and fun to watch. 

This cloudy morning seems to have calmed things down a bit, but not for long I am sure. These families work hard!

Bonus: they set up roadside stands so we can purchase and taste them 🍇 I highly recommend picking some up if you see some in your drive. 

#fingerlakes #lifeinthecountry #newyork
The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️ The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️
I want to take moment to send out love to my fello I want to take moment to send out love to my fellow Latinx and immigrant community. 

To send strength to my community of glorious misfits who are out in the world making good trouble and emboldening us to not give up hope on our dreams, our livelihoods, our future, our country, our people. 

The country our parents worked so hard to get to so that we could fly. A country they helped build and bring to prosper. A country our communities help to feed and house and care for. 

I am my immigrant parents dream come true, and my children are a continuation of that dream. 

I just want to remind all of us who represent the targeted, of our worth. Of the value of our contributions. In our languages, our culture, our insights, our work ethic and skills and knowledge. Of the things we bring to the table.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or to us. But, as someone whose family lived through a dictatorship, I have an idea of how this story will end. And all I can advise is that we remain on the right side of it, our convictions unaltered, our core values untethered. Our spirits unbroken. In these stories, the monsters might scare us, and even harm some of us, but they never, ever win in the end. 

I am living proof of that. ❤️ And every time you succeed and feel joy, you are too. Pa’lante, mi gente.
Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes. Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes.

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