Mom Spelled Backwards: The Other Side

The Tappan Zee Bridge and the Hudson River are very much a part of my family's daily life, but usually only askance rather than experience, as a view through our house windows. We aren't daft (or wealthy) enough to own a boat, and rarely do we venture by car over that bridge. Crossing to the "Other Side" as we think of Rockland County, the West Bank, is akin to taking a trip to a foreign country.

The other night, we gathered our gear and our $5 toll money for the return and took a trek to Nyack, all of oh, about a 10-minute drive away. Nyack, so close, and like something of a cross-river sister to Tarrytown without the coveted Metro-North station, is cute and lively.

We strolled along the "beach" of the Nyack Beach State Park, under the raw red face of the northernmost Palisades. The path is flat gravel right along the craggy waterfront and perfect for bringing bikes, or in our case, a stroller. By binoculars, we couldn't find our house; in fact, you can't see much of Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow, nestled as it is from a distance within the trees. You see the gold glow of the former Marymount College dome, the lighthouse, the townhome waterfront developments, and a church steeple or two.

The wind was strong and the water turbulent. I love how the Hudson feels like ocean on some days. In fact, it is, partially; local fishermen told me once how you need both a fresh and salt water license to fish in these parts.

From this scenic winding stretch of park, we got back in the car and took the newly paved road past the glorious but not overly showy wealth of the riverfront homes to the base of Nyack's Main Street. Here, there are restaurants in abundance, bars, and what seems like far more options than Tarrytown's nightlife – if you count 8pm on a Sunday nightlife, which we of the married-with-kid camp certainly do.

Sunday, it turns out, is the best evening to come here. We bypassed the $6 per car fee at the beach by coming in the evening, and Sunday parking is free all day in the municipal lot off Main Street, which seems to be as parking-challenged as Tarrytown's Main Street.

We forewent more exotic fare (sushi, Indian, Mexican) for the simplicity of pub grub. My husband doesn't get to enjoy a good pint and a burger very often, so we took a dark wood table at O'Malley's. We were the only ones dining, and the only family, but no one at the bar watching one of many TVs seemed to mind. Our daughter was in effusive spirits, as energized by being out as we were. Like we said the last and only other time we ventured to Nyack, we should do this more often. If only they had a Patch…