A Special Place.

 RHYS BOWEN: Do you have a special place when you need to get away from the world, somewhere you can go to relax, regroup, think things through? During Covid, when we were stuck at home and couldn’t travel I started going to a small cove on San Francisco Bay. It’s only a twenty minute drive from my house but like stepping into another world, along a narrow winding road that hugs the edge of the Bay around a wild peninsula.

The place itself is called China Camp and it was once a settlement of Chinese fisherman. They were driven out of San Francisco because they were competing with the Italian fisherman many years ago. They set up shop here and caught shrimp which they dried and exported back to China. The fishermen and their community are long gone but the houses and pier remain. It’s like stepping back in time. I go and sit on the beach, listen to the lap of the waves, watch the pelicans drift past and feel tension slipping away.

                Because the road is narrow and winding I have to concentrate hard but it’s also good for taking me away from the book I’ve been plotting. I find I come back refreshed every time.  It’s a state park. I now donate to the Friends of China Camp and thus get a year’s parking permit. I also drag my family out there for picnics.

    When the weather is not too hot I also just go out and sit on my balcony where I could watch the view for hours!

                So do you have a place near you that is your go-to escape? Or one that you look forward to escaping to every summer? My summer escape is always to Cornwall and my SIL’s manor house. I wish I could go there more often!

HALLIE EPHRON: In a pinch, there’s a pond in the hills near me with a walking trail all the way around. It’s a gorgeous, mile-long walk, relatively flat, and utterly different depending on the season.  (Iced over in the winter it’s as beautiful in its way.)  It’s good for a quick mind cleanse and recharge.

My extended “escape” is to hang out with my daughters and grands on Peaks Island off the coast of Portland, Maine. Walks abound. There’s a lovely little beach. There’s one grocery store that miraculously sells everything you’d ever need. Sunsets and rock formations to die for.  And of course, family.

JENN McKINLAY: I have a park (Hallman Park) with a huge pond at the edge of my neighborhood about a mile away. It really is an oasis in the desert. The Hooligans rode bikes and fished there as kids and now I walk the dogs because they can run it out through several acres. That’s my day to day retreat.

On a larger scale, we have a summer cottage in Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy. A trout stream runs through the side yard, and it sits right on the water. Most beautiful place on earth and where our family has gathered most summers for almost 40 years. 

LUCY BURDETTE: There is a super-cute, but not at all fancy neighborhood up the street where I walk Lottie most days. It winds past a small beach on the Long Island sound. The water is different every day, and each house is different from the others–it’s a very peaceful break from being inside my head or stuck in the news cycle.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: As you might imagine, I am terrible at this. But sometimes, if I’m feeling overwhelmed, I just go outside and walk around our yard, seeing what plants are coming and going. And how they’re doing. In tomato season, like now, I go to the tomato patches and check on the babies. Even just the fragrance of the tomatoes is transporting.  Or I go into the back yard, and sit very still until the birds arrive. It’s so peaceful. And then I’m fine again.

Longer term, we go to Nevis, where the white sand beaches are deserted, for as far as you can see, and the brown pelicans skim across the water, suddenly dive for a fish, and them come up, gulping it down, and shake their little tailfeathers in triumph. I could watch that for hours.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I don't really have a local place except for my garden–and even if I did, it would be too hot to go there at the moment. But after last autumn's fish disaster, when we lost all but one of our huge koi, we have restocked our pond. Our remaining koi now has two much smaller koi buddies, and a half dozen goldfish. So whenever I reach the "it's all too much" point, I go outside and watch the fish for a little while. Especially in the mornings when the back yard is shady and (sort of) cool, it is so lovely. There is nothing more calming and mind-clearing than watching fish swim.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I feel fortunate to live in Maine, where so much of my surroundings are beautiful. Just driving into town I get to see the tidal river coming in from Casco Bay, and heading up the coast is a constant delight of inlets and sailboats this time of year. I also get a lot of respite from my own somewhat shaggy yard and garden, despite always noticing what I have to do when I'm outside!

Interestingly enough, for my clear-the-mind getaways, I like cities. I visit New York and D.C. several times each year. Maybe it's the contrast we crave - and since my town is less that 8,000, I love being surrounded by buildings and people!

RHYS: So how about you? Do you have that special place , even if it's part of your garden, that you go to to escape?  

Letter of Recommendation

INGRID THOFT
In 2015, the New York Times added a column to its Sunday magazine called “Letter of Recommendation.”  Each week, a writer makes their case for a place, person, object or experience they want to share with readers.  The subject matter is extremely diverse—Uni-ball Signo UM-151 pens from Japan, arroyos, William Blake’s grave, attending movies alone—but always thought-provoking.

It made me wonder:  What would I recommend if given the chance?

The options are myriad: fluffernutter sandwiches, the New York City subway system, scuba diving, but one experience is a standout, and that’s reading to a child.  As the aunt of fourteen, I could make a case that I’ve read “Is Your Mama a Llama” more than some parents.  When the kids were little, nothing made me happier than curling up on the sofa with a good book and a snuggly, curious audience.  I loved watching their eyes widen with excitement at the turn of the page and their delight that things always turned out exactly as expected.  Reading was a wonderful excuse to take a breather and share a few quiet minutes together.  I highly recommend it.

What about you, Reds?  What would be in your Letter of Recommendation?

RHYS BOWEN: What would I recommend more than anything for a healthy, happy life? Time with family and friends, sitting around a dinner table and laughing. Time in nature, wandering along the edge of the ocean, sandals in my hand, letting the waves wash over my toes and just letting my mind wander. And Ben and Jerry's Heath bar Crunch ice cream.

HALLIE EPHRON: Go for an early morning bird walk with birders. There's a whole world most of us miss. Here near Boston, the prime spot is Mt. Auburn Cemetery, prime time spring (now!).
And if you get seduced by the birds, put on your bucket list a trip to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, south of Albuquerque. Join other birders driving down before the summer sun rises and stand with them at the water's edge and wait. And wait. And as the sun starts to lighten the sky, the birds start to stir. Thousands of snow geese and sand hill cranes wake and start to rustle their wings. And then, as if a conductor has tapped his baton, the snow geese rise into the air. All of them. At once. Darkening the sky. They soar low, back and forth right over your head before heading off to the fields where they spend their day grazing before returning. It's breathtaking. Stay a little longer and watch the majestic sand hill cranes take flight in twos and fours. Stop on the way back to Albuquerque at the Owl Bar & Grill and treat yourself to a green chili cheeseburger.

Oh, and don't miss sunset at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley. No birds, but oh, the shadows.

JENN MCKINLAY: I would recommend star gazing. Whenever I am feeling stressed out about life on our little blue marble, I try to carve out some time to star gaze out in the desert away from the light pollution where I sit and remind myself that we are mere specks of dust in the Universe and that all those pesky things like chores, bills to pay, and worries about success or failure, really don't matter. I find great comfort in the vastness of the Universe. I haven't been there yet, but I am planning a trip with a star gazer friend to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, as it has been designated an International Dark Sky Park and has some of the best star gazing in the country. I'll be sure to report in when I go! https://www.nps.gov/chcu/learn/nature/darkskypark.htm

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I'm going to go for a very small thing. It is glorious spring in Texas, and I have a flowerbed full of fresh mint. So on nice afternoons, I've been making a cup of fresh mint tea with a teaspoon of local honey, then sitting on my deck while I sip it. And just thinking. That quiet half hour makes the world seem a little more manageable.


LUCY BURDETTE: Wow, this is hard because it could be so many things! I'm going to say bike with your sister and the husbands through Provence near Coustellet until you reach a cute little town. There, order an éclair (vanilla custard filling with mocha icing) from the local patisserie. You will deserve every bite! http://www.provence-cycling-holidays.com/how_tours_work.html

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I always look at the sky. Day and night. Jonathan will say--what are you looking at? And I say--just checking in.  But a transporting experience? when we go to Nevis, we sit on the perfectly white beach, perfectly empty. I mean, not another person in sight, white sand, blue water. Then: the pelicans come. They fly parallel to the shore, skimming, looking down, watching for a fish. Then: Boom. They dive bomb, straight and fast and unerring and blam, into the water.  Boom.  They two seconds later, they're up with their fish. They gulp it down and twitch their little tail feathers in delight.    We watch them for hours. They never miss.  And: Pina coladas. Old-school, and foofy, but man. Delish.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I'm going to step away from beautiful and life-fulfilling experiences and recommend the two most practical purchases I know: an AAA membership and a subscription to Consumer Reports magazine. I can think of a few people who wouldn't benefit from Triple A - city dwellers who rarely drive, car owners with emergency roadside assistance on their insurance or from their dealer, or a driver whose father/brother/boyfriend owns a towing company. For the rest of us, being able to dial that number and know that someone competent will show up to charge the battery, tow the break-down, bring the gas or fix the tire is worth far more than the annual fee. Hint: a membership makes a great graduation gift.

Consumer Reports is a boring magazine that has invaluable information on anything and everything you might ever have to pay money for, and a few things you won't. Just in the past few months, I've used its well-organized online search function to research oven ranges, house paint, used cars, and vitamins. CR has been around since 1936 and continues as a nonprofit and ad-free. They go to what seems like ridiculous extremes to test consumer goods, and when they say a product is a 'Best Buy' or 'Top Rated,' you can rely on it.

What do you say, Readers?  What would you recommend?

The Ultimate Beach

RHYS BOWEN:  I have just returned from a vacation in Europe that included two weeks on a secluded bay in Corfu, a Greek island. Two weeks of doing very little except for sitting on my balcony reading, eating at bayside tavernas and lying in the warm waters of the Ionian sea. To make it more special our apartment belonged to the White House, which was where Laurence Durrell lived in the 1930s and where he wrote Prospero's Cell. Everything was perfect except the beach was stony, not sandy.

 So I realize I am being very picky but I started to wonder whether I had ever been to a perfect beach and what a perfect beach should look like.I once saw what I thought was a perfect beach near Darwin in northern Australia. But nobody was on it. I asked a park ranger whether it was okay to go swimming there. "Of course you can," she replied, "If you don't mind the sharks, the crocodiles or the jelly fish."
Okay, there are certain things the perfect beach shouldn't have. Sharks, crocodiles and jelly fish for starters.
But what should it have?
Clean water, for one thing. I went snorkeling on the island of Bali and was horrified to find so many plastic bags caught up on the coral.
It should be sandy. Have warm water. Some shade on hot days. A bar or cafe for moments of thirst. And not be crowded
.My contenders: the beach on Whitsunday Island, Queensland. Pure white sand. Tree lined. Only the occasional monitor lizard to make it scary.
Hanauma Bay on Oaha used to be a favorite until it became a national park and is now crowded with newby snorkelers.
The beach at Noosa on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland is another favorite. Unfortunately my brother moved away, so I don't go there any more.
In Europe a little beach outside Nice (which is stony). It's called the Baie des Fourmies and is pretty darned nice.But in the US? California ocean water is all too cold for me. Some Florida beaches are contenders. Naples was nice but no shade.
So I'm open to suggestions:
What does your perfect beach have to have and where is it?

HALLIE EPHRON: I'm a California girl and spent summers body surfing in Malibu and Manhattan Beach, so those are still my perfect beaches. Broad white sand and wave after perfect wave that you can swim in front of, get picked up by, and carried forward so just your head sticking out as you coast onto the shore. Hold onto your bathing suit top.

LUCY BURDETTE: I was imprinted on the beach near Hatteras, NC, which is the end part of the Outer Banks. We went every summer and spent hours roasting on the sand, and swimming--big rollers usually, and a perfect cool temperature. We'd be out there floating in the salt water and game would be to call out whether each wave was an "over" or an "under." The overs you could float over the top. The unders would grind you into the sand if you didn't dive through them. And the dunes are stunning too, planted with sea oats.
Several families would go at the same time and we'd have enormous games of kick the can and pounce at night. Wonderful memories, gorgeous beach.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Well, yeah. Out of the US? Easy. Easy! Nevis. It is..white sand. Turquoise water.  EMPTY. The beaches are so unpopulated, they don't even have names. We named the one we go to, though. (Cleverly.) Beautiful Beach.  Which says it all. There are palm trees, and we sit and read and watch the pelicans fly and soar and pounce, then shake their little tailfeathers when they catch a fish. My idea of a perfect beach is peaceful. This photo is Nevis--but it's very faded. Just up the chroma to intense blue and white..and that's it!

In the US? Truro on Cape Cod.  We go to the bay beach, and it is gorgeous. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Rhys, so jealous I am green. Sigh. Especially since we haven't taken a beach vacation in longer than I even want to admit... I didn't grow up going to the beach. Dallas is a LONG way from beaches, and my parents were into golf courses, not beaches. (Sighs again...) But there have been beaches that stood out. We stayed at a lovely place at the tip of Cozumel. White sand, palms, little rush huts to protect you from the sun, clear blue water that was lovely for snorkling off the beach if you didn't mind the friendly barracuda that hung out occasionally. But my favorite was a beach in Puerto Rico. Empty (this was years ago, mind) with lovely sand and palms AND the best thing was the hammocks strung between the palm trees... Beach, hammock, book=heaven.

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: Not a well-known place, but the Canadian shore of Lake Erie is fantastic and where I went during the summer with friends while growing up in Buffalo, New York. These days, the family and I love the beaches of Narragansett, Rhode Island — which seems to be overlooked by tourists who opt for the Hamptons or the Cape (shhhhhh....). A day at the beach, then a lobster roll at Aunt Carrie's (now in its 95th year and going strong) — can't be beat.

And outside of the US, the beaches of the west coast of Scotland are beautiful, especially near Arisaig. (Yes, beaches in Scotland! No, I'm not joking!) The water is warmer than you might expect, thanks to a Gulf current passing by and the beaches are fine white sand and gorgeous! You may spot a seal!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Rhys, if you think California water is too cold, the Atlantic Ocean off the Maine coast would kill you! I want to propose a different kind of perfect beach: Old Orchard Beach, located in its eponymous town in southern Maine. It's a throwback to the old vacation beaches of the east coast: a seven-mile-long golden-sand beach with a century-old Boardwalk extending out into the ocean; an inexpensive, small scale amusement park, candy stores and ice cream stores and t-shirt shops in between art galleries and Italian sausage stands. It's definitely not about lounging in the sands with a cocoanut-flavored drink, but if you want to sample an old-fashioned all-American summer, you have to try it.

I met Jessie Crockett, whom many of you know from Crimebake, and in 2016 she's going to have a mystery set in 19th century OOB coming out. So I know what will be in my beach bag when I go there next summer!

RHYS: So there you have it. Our favorite beaches. Which is yours?