Posts Tagged Summer


Poolside Preparation

0 Comments By Kerry Barger on June 6th, 2012
Tags: , , ,      Categories: Ask the experts

It’s the time of year again! Don’t wait until its 100 degrees outside to prep your pool for summer. Houlihan Lawrence provides you with seven steps to achieve perfect pool preparation.

Clear debris surrounding pool. Clear away plant debris from your pool’s deck or patio. Clip hedges, plants or trees that hang near or over your pool.

Remove and clean pool cover. You never know when you’ll need a cover, so it’s important to give it a good clean the first time you remove it from your pool. For solid pool covers, use a small cover pump or leaf blower to remove rain and snow melt. For mesh pool covers, use a broom or brush to remove winter’s debris.

Remove freeze plugs and reassemble/reinstall equipment. Remove expansion or freeze plugs and put them in a small Ziploc baggie to store with your pool cover. Examine the pump, filter and heater before re-installation—if you observe no cracks or problems, proceed with reassembling any safety rails, diving boards and pool ladders (and spray bolts with a metal lubricant.) Now you can pump it up!

pool 300x200 Poolside Preparation

Clean pool walls and bottom. Once it’s filled with water, take a garden hose and bring your pool’s water level to the middle of its waterline tiles. Now you can skim the surface, clean the bottom and walls with a long-handled brush, and run a pool vacuum to decrease the load of your filter. Clean regularly to avoid algae and debris build up.

Power on. Now that you’ve cleaned and inspected your pool, power it on. This will be a tell-tale sign of whether or not you missed any cracks, leaks or split hoses that you may not have seen upon first inspection.

Let the filter run and preform a water chemistry test. Run the filter for at least 12 hours to mix up new and old water. Afterward, use a pool testing kit to check the water’s pH level, alkalinity, calcium hardiness and chlorine content. Add chlorine or shock treatment and let the pool run for another 24 hours. Check the chemistry again before anyone enters the pool.

Enjoy!

Beating the Heat

0 Comments By Kerry Barger on May 23rd, 2012
Tags: , , , , , , ,      Categories: Ask the experts, Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester

If the upcoming months take any notes from last winter’s mild temperatures, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties should be in store for even hotter temperatures and brighter sunshine this summer. Rather than basking in air-conditioned glory all summer long, Houlihan Lawrence decided to take a look at the area’s local watering holes, be it a pool, lake, pond, etc. to help you cool off and take a break from the heat.

Westchester County Pools & Beaches: Unlike town pools and beaches that are only open to residents of that particular municipality, anyone from Westchester can swim in county pools and beaches. There are four pools located throughout Westchester, including Saxon Woods Park (White Plains), The Brook at Tibbetts Brook Park (Yonkers), Willson’s Waves at Willson’s Woods Park (Mount Vernon) and Playland Pool at Playland Park (Rye). Beaches include Glen Island Park (New Rochelle), Croton Point Park (Croton-on-Hudson), and Playland Beach at Playland Park. For more information about admission, click here.

fahnestock1 300x225 Beating the HeatClarence Fahnestock State Park: Fahnestock is famous for its hiking trails and campground, but did you know that it has a large swimming beach, too? Two large, lifeguard-stationed swimming areas line the eastern shores of Lake Canopus off of Route 301 in Carmel. If you’re looking to stretch out on a sandy beach during a gorgeous day, Fahnestock is definitely should be a go-to place. It’s just $7.00 per carload, and you can lay out on the beach every day after Memorial Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Wilcox Memorial Park: 615 acres of beautiful parkland, Wilcox Memorial Park in Milan, New York is home to not one but two lakes for Dutchess County residents to use. The park isn’t just limited to swimming either—residents can rent paddle boats or rowboats on its upper lakes. Pavilions and picnic areas are also available.

Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park: A simple trip north or south on the Taconic State Parkway, the Yorktown Heights-based pool holds up to 3,500 swimmers at one time. Lifeguards are stationed throughout the length of the pool, and lockers are provided for anyone who’d like to use them. Mohansic Lake and Crom Pond each offer the opportunity for freshwater fishing, and the park rents out rowboats to patrons.

The Segue to Summer

0 Comments By Kerry Barger on May 16th, 2012
Tags: , , , , , , , ,      Categories: Ask the experts, Dutchess, Out and About, Putnam, Westchester

Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties each provide residents with ample opportunity to get out and play, the beautiful countryside doubling as an urban escape and personal jungle gym for those who live and breathe the great outdoors. If you’re not one to send your children to summer sleep-aways or missed out on registration this year, don’t fret—Houlihan Lawrence scanned the area for day camps and programs, ways to get outside and short daytrips to help you and your family enjoy some fresh air and a bit of beautiful sunshine.

If you live in the southern Westchester area, you’ll want to check out Mohawk Country Day School in White Plains, an interactive camp with a slew of different activities and programs for a variety of age levels. From sports teams to creative and performance art programs, Mohawk values diverse interests and tailors its programs to all sorts of needs. Hillcroft Day Camp in Dutchess Country offers a similar experience with over 30 activities to choose from on a daily basis.

Looking for something a little more day-to-day? Take a trip to Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park in Yorktown Heights. Its massive pool holds up to 3,500 people, and its 841-acre park contains miles of bike trails, numerous picnic areas, scenic rowboat rentals and more. FDR is a short trip north or south on the Taconic State Parkway in northern Westchester, which makes it an ideal daytrip for gas-conscious families looking to stick close by.

Trailway 300x300 The Segue to SummerMoving north on the Taconic, Clarence Fahnestock State Park also offers a unique one-day getaway from families looking to milk what they can out of a beautiful day. Fahnestock is home to North America’s most popular trail Breackneck Ridge—on clear days, hikers can view the New York City skyline from the top of its crest. A lifeguard-stationed lake, row boat rentals, and an 80-site campground are a perfect way to top off a great hike. The Putnam County Trailway is another great spot for cyclists, joggers and dog-walkers—the 12-mile stretch of paved path brings you through hilly groves of trees and offers unparalleled views of Putnam’s reservoir systems.

You could be looking for something a bit different, something more low-key. The Putnam arts Council in Mahopac offers classes and workshops throughout the summer for kids, teens and adults. PAC’s Summer Kids Art programs welcomes children ages 5 – 12 to use their imagination as they explore their inner Picasso as they draw, sculpt, paint and mold clay. The Jacob Burns Film Center and Media Arts Lab offers visual arts and filmmaking workshops for its Summer ’12 @ The Lab program, which runs from June 25 to August 10.

Maybe you’re a thrill-seeker. Go no further than SplashDown Beach in Fishkill along Route 9. Splash Down offers all the fun a large amusement park has at a cheaper price and shorter trip from home. The water park offers unique water slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and more. For those who are looking to get in touch with our animal instincts, visit Trevor Zoo—the Millbrook zoo houses more than 180 exotic and indigenous animals as well as seven endangered species. Children ages 12 and up can also volunteer at the zoo during the summer months.