Away to the Park We Go (With Bikes and Picnic in Tow)
On the hottest day of the summer, we beat the heat with a scenic bike ride and refreshing picnic in Central Park.
Summer in New York is known for a few things, among them: European tourists, weekends “out East,” and the concrete jungle’s intense humidity. In July, New Yorkers leave the comfort of their air conditioned subway cars, only to be blasted with sticky heat as soon as they hit the sidewalks.
One Fine (Very Hot) Day
The Saturday we ventured out for our biking and picnic adventure was no exception. In fact, it was the hottest day of the summer to date.
But like any good New Yorkers, we knew that the best way to beat the heat was to embrace it, so we headed to Affinia’s picturesque Gardens NYC to take advantage of their special bike rental and custom picnic deals. Pedro greeted us warmly at the front desk, and before we knew it, we were outfitted with a basket full of delicious snacks and a pair of matching bicycles to carry us to our shady picnic spot in Central Park.
A Picnic for the Ages
We hopped on our bikes and took off, spurred onwards by our rumbling stomachs and our desire to escape the sun’s punishing rays. Before long, we were setting up shop on the coolest-looking boulder we could find. Once we’d laid out our festive blue and white checked picnic blanket, we couldn’t wait to dig into the delicious cookies, watermelon, and sandwich fixings courtesy of FreshDirect (one of Affinia’s partners) — all while plotting our next picnic with the handy map of New York parks that had been tucked into our basket.
We had some highs and lows during our chowdown.
High: Hilary enjoying (nay, chugging) an undisclosed number of bottles of lemonade — plus a visit from a friend!
Low: Honorary Adventurer Noah’s mustard misadventures.
We Like to Ride Our Bicycles
Once we’d eaten our weight in potato salad, it was finally time to take our bikes for another spin. We enjoyed a few loops around the park, and couldn’t resist capturing the moment with the selfie stick that had been included in our picnic basket. What we lacked in skillful riding, we made up for in unbridled enthusiasm.
After a long, hot summer day in the park, we were ready to head back to the Gardens, stomachs full, sunburns emerging, and heads full of fun memories from the day.
We had a fantastic experience, and highly recommend the bike and picnic package for Affinia guests searching for the quintessential New York experience. What could be more classic?
Check out the bike rental program and the picnic delivery service for yourself.
