March 2000:  LANNY & KEN'S TRIP TO ANTARCTICA

DISCOVERING THE GREAT OUTDOORS - by Lanny Wexler

Summer is here and boy do we ever have a schedule chock full of activities for you. We have just about something for everyone. Well, not quite everyone. Skiers will have to wait to December until conditions become right again. Bummer!

Any way if you are in for some adventure why not come with me on an Adirondack wilderness backpack. How about three days of trekking 36 miles with a 40 pound pack on your back. You'll commune with nature; which means sleeping in primitive shelters, eating freeze dried food, hanging your food at night to prevent wild critters taking it, and swatting more mosquitos and black flies than you would believe. You'll come back full of bites and welts to prove all the doubters you've done it and survived! Well, I admit this "sort of punishment" is an acquired taste and true lovers of the outdoors wouldn't want to be any place else.

The wilderness not for you, you say, then why not stay in the city and absorb the culture. We have walks to gardens, museums and historic neighborhoods. Nestor Danyluk, Ira Haironson, Sarina Meones will lead you to interesting neighborhoods around the City and teach you many interesting facts. Ira and Nestor in fact will lead a series or after work walks that will take you to exotic locales; such as Roosevelt Island, the booming Jersey City waterfront, the nautical coast of City Island and the new bike/ped path on the West Side. Plus, the eats are good too. And one thing I can promise you won't be eating freeze dried food!

Last years successful jazz event is back by "popular demand" and will be replayed by Susan Mason as you dine at a French restaurant, take a brief after dinner walk of the Village and top off the evening at a "swank jazz club".

If dancing is your thing then head over to Jersey and put on your dancing shoes and step it up with Moty Goldstein at the Colorado Café. Moty will give you a few lessons for those of you with "left feet". Don't be shy, give it a try!

Our museum series will continue with more visits to the "Met" by our guide Larry Stack who will keep your Van Gogh and Rembrandts straight. Our new, enthusiastic leader Vicky Russo will show you the Museum of Moving Image and the wonders of Central Park after dark.

We always have our dependable hikes. Herb Gecht will continue to lead his Appalachian Trail hike series. Kudos, to Herb who was our most frequent hike leader last year.

Some of you who would like to get out in the woods for the day and just spend the day cooling off and schmoozing around a mountain lake should try Hanna Benesch's or Howard Israel's lake trips in July. Staying on the subject of water, a popular place to be in during the hot summer months is the beach. You have some kids; a son, daughter, niece or nephew or just enjoy being around children then come join Andrea Noble and Dan Mallin at Kid's Day at the Beach! Several weeks later Les Judd will be leading his ever popular Fire Island beach walk.

We're not done with the water quite yet! Elana Fine will help pump up your arm muscles when you set out on the Hudson in kayaks to ply the waters of this grand river in plain sight of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Picture sights of lighthouses and wheeling sea gulls.

For those of you who don't mind the long drive out east Lanny Wexler and Lori Schulman invite you to join them on the high seas as we set sail in search of whales. It will be an all day venture on the high seas to the accompaniment of lighthouses, foghorns and screeching seagulls as we look for pods of humpback whales.

Of course we've got Club Getaway. For the second year in a row Janet Mansky has organized trips for this playground for adults in the beautiful Connecticut hills at a $100 savings for Mosaic members. Who in their right mind could pass up a deal like that!

For those of you who would like a bit of a workout and don't mind the heights; Ira Haironson and Richard Jobsky will be leading two separate attempts on the "knee knocking", lung challenging heights of Breakneck Ridge.

For those of you who just can't keep their two feet on the ground we have cycling trips to the Connecticut shore, the west side of Manhattan, Staten Island, and the rural farm lands of west Jersey.

Want to keep cool. Howard Israel and Harvey Baumann have two brilliant ideas. Howard will take you into the Ice Caves sure to chill you off even on the hottest of days. Who says ice skating has to be done only in winter. Harvey Baumann will defy gravity and offer this sport on a hot August afternoon in the refreshingly cool rink at Chelsea Piers.

Tennis anyone? Don't disappoint our new leader Marcela who welcomes you out to South Orange for a morning of fun and socializing as we offer this activity for the first time.

This September we kick off two new ventures. We will be starting to offer week night Member's Meetings at Ansche Chesed where you will be treated to a show or a lecture with refreshments and good conversation to follow. Our first show will be given by Ken King who traveled to Israel during the intifada. Ken's show will be called "The Natural Wonders and Historical Treasures of Israel".

Finally, topping off the Summer Schedule, Mosaic of Greater New York is offering its first Annual Picnic which will be held at beautiful Croton Point Park. It will be a day of sports, music, dancing, and magic. We expect a big draw which should help cap off this great summer of activities.

So whether it be whale watching, backpacking, jazz, line dancing, hiking, biking, canoeing, tennis, caving, kayaking, ice skating, an afternoon at the museum or a night walk in Central Park, Mosaic will take you there!

We are New York's friendliest, premier Jewish Outdoor's Club!

 

LANNY S. WEXLER, PRESIDENT
MOSAIC OUTDOOR MOUNTAIN CLUB OF GREATER NEW YORK