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Category: vacation

September 14, 2025

The Carnival

When the carnival comes to town, are you giddy, or do you roll your eyes? I’ve just changed my perspective on this communal experience. Here’s why I’m no longer rocking my grumpy pants. 

I have a complicated relationship with carnivals. When I was in college, I worked on a short video called “Carnival Closed.” It was about the cruel irony behind the facade of fun. We shot our faux-documentary at the sight of a packed-up carnival. The rides weren’t exactly abandoned, but they could have been. Our narrative for this little piece admittedly was over the top and intentionally absurd. But our little doc had its point. And it’s stayed with me all these years.

Fast forward to the early days of my career in Massachusetts. I again found myself attached to a video production surrounding the life of a traveling carnival. It wasn’t my project, but I went on a couple of video shoots for this documentary. It was more grounded in reality. Or it tried to be.

How real is any carnival? Projecting the pretense of fun, it’s designed to deceive, shake you till you throw up, sell you food that should kill anyone in sufficient quantities and take as much of your money as possible. And in the rare instance, you could have the misfortune of getting injured or worse.

What a deal.

But in today’s 21st century world of slick tech and shrinking social, in-person interaction, the creaky, in-person world of carnivals, is seemingly going strong.

The siren song of the carnival still pulls in its crowds. Why is that?

Norwalk Oyster Festival
I think a big piece is the social aspect. It’s still a fun, analog way to spend an afternoon with family and friends in your own town.

After a number of years away, I recently attended the Norwalk Oyster Festival with my wife and teenage son. And against the long odds I’ve attached to this experience, I surprisingly had a fabulous time.

So, what happened? Well, I think the question is what happened to me.

How Much Does It Really Cost?
After we walked through the gates and paid the $15 per person admission fee, I was confronted with arithmetic confusion. We tried to figure out how many tickets we needed to buy for the rides we wanted to go on. It was a baffling process, as none of the rides posted how many tickets were required. Our son helpfully suggested that we could probably use any unused tickets at next year’s festival. 

I shot back that I highly doubted that. He asked why.

I said, “It doesn’t fit the Pirate Code.”

Pirate for a Day
So yes, I have bias here. And while my thoughts are not especially supportive of the carnival business model, I also feel they’re a back-handed compliment.

Because deep down, don’t we all want to be a pirate, if only for a few hours?

That sense of freedom without following any rules. The hope that with a little luck, you can win your big treasure… and beat the system. Yes, that’s part of what any carnival sells.

And its arguably more attractive today than ever.

Who cares if you have few extra tickets left over? What’s more important is the fun.

The Weather Clears
I used to scoff at the required spend for a few hours at a carnival. But now, with more perspective, I see that it’s actually not such a bad deal compared with the cost of spectator events like baseball or a concert.

And as always, this is mostly about mindset. That’s what really frames anyone’s experience.

We decided to attend the last few hours on the final day of the Norwalk Oyster Festival. It had been raining for the past 24 hours, and the skies were finally clearing. That’s when we headed out.As we arrived, the sun started to break through as if to welcome us. 

Later, we watched a brilliant sunset as the storm front continued to depart. The colors of the clouds were spectacular, and the cool edge of a September evening felt wonderful.

Communal Joy
We went on a few rides, and my wife and I rode the Ferris wheel, which was surprisingly romantic. 

Yes, we ended up with a couple extra tickets, and we happily handed them over to a mother and daughter who were short a few. Then, we walked over to the line of food vendors and had a yummy dinner. We enjoyed the fresh air, and we listened to a bit of music from the live band under a tent.

Not bad for a late Sunday afternoon.Microsoft Copilot tells me that “the carnival remains an enduring symbol of communal joy, creative expression, and the age-old human desire to celebrate life’s abundance before the solemnity of fasting and reflection.”

Yep.

We’re All Children at Heart
So, I no longer view the carnival with the same lens of caution as my younger self used. 

Sure, my original concerns are relevant. But my fresh Norwalk Oyster Festival experience reminds me how much fun it is to join a pirate crowd on a late Sunday afternoon. 

Said another way, visiting a carnival can always be a good way to feed your inner kid, no matter your age.

As I consider my own evolution and change of heart, I’m happy to report that I would title my next documentary on this topic, “Carnival Open.”

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August 17, 2025

Keep Summer’s Glow Alive with this Memory Hack

Miss summer already? You don’t have to let it totally slip away. Here’s a little photo exercise that can help you keep all those good summertime vibes going. 

Labor Day isn’t quite here yet, marking the official end of summer. But realistically, it’s already over. Do you feel the energy shift too? It’s unavoidable. 

When I wake up, it’s dark out now. I chat with work colleagues in other states whose kids are already back to school. Everyone I run into asks me if I had a good summer.

Well, did I? Did you?

Sure, it’s easy to call out the fun vacation, weekend at the beach or summer BBQ. But what happened across all those other days and weekends? Can you remember the highlights? Or is it already starting to slip into a cloudy past as the fall season approaches.

Let Your Photos Jog Your Summer Memories
When faced with this moment, I find it useful to take a little stroll down memory lane via my summer photo collection.

It’s not just the big moments I’ve documented. It’s the little ones that matter too.

Only then can you take it all in and authentically say, “Yeah, I had a good summer.”

I just performed that photo review for myself, and here are a few images that reflect some of my own summer’s story.

Taking in Norwalk’s Memorial Day Parade from My Lawn Chair

That’s my city’s mayor leading the parade (Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling). On this bright, young summer day, I felt part of a timeless tradition. The moment could easily have been from a 1925 parade (wardrobe evolution aside).

Flying My Drone in Cape Porpoise, Maine

I barely knew how to get my new drone in the air, but I knew enough to drag myself out of bed at the crack of dawn and hoof it to the empty beach. Nature’s stunning beauty did the rest of the work for me.

Eating Dinner by The Last Taco Stand During Sunset

My wife and I enjoyed a few tacos from this special food trailer by the water as the sun set over the Norwalk Cove Marina. It was perfection in a parking lot.

Watching The Boston Symphony Orchestra Perform at Tanglewood

It’s Tanglewood. Enough said.

Experiencing the Music of AJR at Jones Beach Theater

Our 15-year-old son’s musical tastes led us to this amazing experience, As the full moon rose behind the outdoor stage, I knew this concert would be locked into our memories forever.

Walking to Work from Grand Central Terminal on a Hot August Morning

Even the most boring of summer moments like a commute can be turned into a photo exploration. And that’s never hard to find in New York City.

Doing Nothing but Watching the Flames from Our Solo Stove

For someone who’s always on the go, I find that slowing down to stare at a fire’s glow is essential for any summer.

Your Photos are Your Secret Portal Back to Summertime
Though I’ve shared some of my own pictures here, creating this type of photo collection is more for the creator than anyone else. This little portfolio reflects a larger set of stories, because of what’s behind each photo. Only the photographer can know them.

And each image doesn’t have to be stunning. It should simply bring back the experience of your happy memory. 

I highly recommend trying this photo exercise as you wrap up your own summer.

Best Summer Ever?
So, did I have a good summer?

Absolutely.

How about you?

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July 27, 2025

How to Check the Ocean Temperature on your Phone Before You Hit the Beach

Is there an easy way to check how cold the surf is without putting a giant thermostat in the water? Yes! Here’s how to help avoid a shivery surprise when you take that first step in.

My wife and I decided to take a quick dip at our town beach last week after work. It’s not something we typically do, even though we live just a short drive from the Connecticut shore. We enjoyed our 90-minute vacation so much, we repeated this refreshing early-evening experience over the next two days (and hoped to do it more in the upcoming weeks).

As much as we enjoyed our pre-dinner excursion, we were surprised that the ocean temperature varied from day to day. The water felt warm on day one. The second afternoon’s ocean temperature was colder. And day three’s surf seemed downright icy.

I suspected the differing air temperature and humidity between the days affected our experience, but I didn’t think the ocean could get noticeably colder that quickly.

I decided to fact check my opinion and find a way to confirm the actual water temperature by my beach on those particular days.

NOAA Data Buoys
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains numerous data buoys off the coastline. These NOAA buoys track the weather including ocean conditions.

So, I went to the NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center website and identified the closest ocean data buoy to our beach. I found a nearby buoy in Bridgeport, CT and took a look at its historical data.

And in fact, there was a variance of five degrees in the sea water temperature across those three days. (between 70-75.5° Fahrenheit).

Wind Direction Affects Ocean Temperature
This was a surprise, as I’ve always thought the water by our Connecticut beach remained a steady temperature that simply inched up over the summer. And as such, it was a non-factor on which days were the better beach days.

So, I did a little Googling on this topic and realized that the wind plays a huge role in determining how your beach’s water feels from day to day. 

I discovered that wind blowing towards a beach will keep the ocean warmer. That’s because the surface water that’s been warmed by the sun gets pushed towards the beach. The opposite is true for offshore winds which will suck the top ocean layer away and make your beach’s waves colder.

Wow. 

So, in fact, if you want to go for a swim at the beach and hope for warmer water, some days are actually better for that than others.

I immediately started to think about my iPhone and how nice it would be to easily check out the ocean temperature on my phone before I jump in next time.

Is there an app for that? Well, of course there is…

Mobile Apps that Display NOAA Data Buoy Info
There are a variety of mobile apps that collect and present the data from the NOAA’s data buoys. You just tap in your buoy’s number, and the water temperature pops up along with the weather conditions. (Some apps automatically use your location to find the nearest buoy.) Either way, it’s easy.

Here are the apps that I tested on my iPhone:

  • Buoycast: NOAA Marine Weather
  • Marine Weather Forecast Pro 
  • NOAA Buoy Reports

I’m more partial to the design interface of Buoycast, but they all provide the same data.

All three apps are free, though they offer premium features (such as historical data) for a price. But if you just need to know the real-time water temperature, the free versions are all you need.

Don’t Forget to Check your Data Buoy Before Grabbing your Swimsuit and Towel
I used to think a warm, sunny day is all that determined a good beach day. But if you’re looking to swim, warmer water is always nice. And the right wind conditions can heat it up for you.

With an app on your phone that tracks the nearest NOAA data buoy, you can now quickly check the water temperature before deciding to head out to the beach.

Real-time data means no more chilly surprises!

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