NYC walks: Nature, beauty, & peace

UPDATE AUGUST 16TH: WALK POSTPONED YET AGAIN BECAUSE I'M STILL NOT WELL ENOUGH. I WILL RESCHEDULE THE WALK WHEN I'M HEALTHY; DECEMBER 31ST IS JUST A TEMPORARY PLACEHOLDER TO KEEP THIS PAGE ACTIVE AND RETAIN THE RSVPs. (I HAVE BRONCHITIS, WHICH CAN LAST MANY WEEKS. PLEASE DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME--I'M COMFORTABLE AND I WILL RECOVER!) Let's take a mini-vacation as we ride the A train to the water for a quadruple treat: 1) The eerily serene and lovely Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, where some 350 bird and 60 butterfly species have been spotted. 2) A quiet section of Rockaway Beach, where you can swim. We'll travel there by taking a short bus or train ride after lunch 3) Time and energy permitting, we'll walk the boardwalk to the dock for the Rockaway ferry ($2.75) and 4) Take a tranquil, refreshing hour-long boat ride back to lower Manhattan. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Bring food, water, sunblock (very little shade all day), and Metrocards for one to three bus (or subway) rides during the trip (depending on whether you choose to take two 15 minute walks instead of the bus). If you're interested in birds, bring binoculars. Sneakers or walking shoes OK. And bring a swimsuit if you'd like to swim. TICKS: There are Lyme-disease ticks at Jamaica Bay, though the risk will be extremely low on our route, according to the ranger I asked. (I've led walks here six times before and never heard of anyone finding a tick.) Ticks lurk on bushes, and we'll be walking entirely on wide gravel paths. If you stay on the paths, you'll be safe. LUNCH: BRING YOUR OWN. We'll start eating at around 2:30 PM. Add a snack to your pack if you can't hold out till then. DISTANCE: Roughly 5 miles, give or take a mile. ENDING TIME: Approximately 6 PM (later if you stop for food/drink on the boardwalk), but you can leave earlier of course, starting at lunchtime. COST: $3, in part to cover Meetup's organizer fee; if you don't have an unlimited metrocard, up to $11 for buses, subway (possible) and ferry during the day, unless you choose to walk twice (15 minutes) rather than take the bus); and whatever you spend on food and drink if you go to a restaurant/bar. TRANSPORTATION: A train to Broad Channel (NOT LEFFERTS). From Times Square, the trip should take roughly 1 hour and 5 minutes. For more details, consult , mta.tripplanner.org and/or a subway map, since the mta site doesn't always give the ideal route. Later in the week, also consult mta.info/weekender.html for weekend service changes