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On one of those dog day’s of a New York City summer, when the temperature reached 97o for the sixth day in a row, I got a friend to flee with me on our two bicycles to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Sandy Hook is a spit of sand bar that juts out at the northern end of the Jersey shore. It is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, a National Park Service.

This is a perfect day outing, especially by one of those new, fast passenger ferries run by Seastreak America. They stop several times a day at the East 34th Street pier and from Pier 11 (Wall Street) and go to Highlands, New Jersey. (On week-ends it goes from these stops straight to Sandy Hook; see schedule info below).

The ride is smooth and fast -- 22 miles in 40 minutes (45 miles by car!). We got on the noon ferry, zoomed past Miss Liberty, under the Verrazano Bridge, and onto the calm sea of the lower Bay, which is protected by the two peninsulas of the Rockaway’s in Queens and Sandy Hook.

Highlands is a cute, small, blue-collar resort with some turn of the century houses. There is a handful of deli’s and diners to pick up supplies for a picnic. We grabbed a couple of sandwiches and some water and then rode east.

Passing over a drawbridge, just one mile from our starting point, we entered the Gateway National Recreation Area. (The park is free for cyclists). There are several beaches on the ocean side to choose from. Families mostly frequent the southern ones, but, four miles up, the scene changes when one reaches Gunnison Beach, the nude and/or gay beach. The sandy beach is wide, and, on this day, the water was crystal clear; the public amenities, brand new and with outdoors showers.

On our ride back we visited Fort Hancock, a decommissioned navy base, with a charming lighthouse built in 1764 -- the oldest in the nation. Your ride can meander freely through many nineteenth century barracks and homes (the old officer’s quarters). Today many of the Fort’s buildings are used by educational and environmental groups, and so roads are well-maintained.

We got back to Highlands in time for our 5:20 PM ferry. One crucial bit of advice, though: wait for the ferry at the end of the pier, not -- like we unfortunately did -- at its foot. The turn around is very quick, and the ferry left without us.

Even though our excursion was an ideal way to cool off during the heat of the summer, this would make a perfect Indian Summer outing.

Weekdays the ferry leaves East 34th Street at 11:45 AM, 1:50 PM, and from Pier 11 at 7:00 AM, 12:00 Noon, and 2:05 PM. On weekends, it goes at 10:30 AM (East 34th) and 11:00 AM (Pier 11) and sails right to Sandy Hook, returning at 4:45 PM or 6:15 PM. For more information: Seastreak America 1-800 BOAT RIDE and online at www.seastreak.com. There is also service on the New York Fast Ferry.