Yesterday I had the good luck to go with my family to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Sandy Hook is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area! Sandy Hook is a barrier spit that juts into New York Bay. It's beautiful! My family goes there occasionally to visit the beach and ride bikes.



The water there was so beautiful! My family rode bikes around Sandy Hook- this picture is from when we stopped for a rest in Fort Hancock. I loved climbing on the rocks! There were lots of people with giant kites that I loved watching while we rode along the shore.



Can you see the buildings of Fort Hancock behind me? During World War II, the guns at Fort Hancock helped guard New York Harbor from German U-Boat (submarine) attacks. These days, it's a great place to picnic. A cool thing about Fort Hancock is that there are goats there who eat poison ivy! They are kept in by an electric fence. My family rode our bikes along the electric fence, but sadly we did not spot any goats.



What would a trip to a National Park Service site be without trying out the Junior Ranger program? I had done the Junior Ranger program at the old Ranger Station a few years ago, but now they have a new program at the lighthouse! You get to walk around the keeper's quarters and lighthouse and answer questions about the structures. The lighthouse at Sandy Hook is really nice. There are even tours if you are interested in learning more about it! We didn't go a tour because we did so much biking, but perhaps we'll try one on our next visit.



Here I am with a nice ranger getting my badge! Sandy Hook also has a cool patch with a lighthouse on it that you can purchase. I made sure to get the patch to add to my collection as well.



Here I am with my badge! Overall, it was a great day at Sandy Hook. I had been feeling sad that summer is almost over, so I'm really glad my family went to Sandy Hook to enjoy a summer day. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely check it out! Sandy Hook's website is found at http://www.nps.gov/gate/ .