Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Broad Channel, Queens, NYC 10/12/26: In the most quiet moments, it can be so peaceful that you’ll forget that you’re in Queens — and that Cross Bay Blvd. is about half a mile or so away, give or take. Birdsong fills the air.
Airplanes from nearby JFK International take off and land above, appearing like a toy on a string . . . All of this as your feet crunch the gravel underfoot in narrow hiking paths.
On a clear day or night, Lower Manhattan, which is about 16 or so miles away looms in the horizon.