Fire Island Ferry

FIRE ISLAND, NY - SEPTEMBER 2: Andrew Hafele loads fresh bread onto the 5:30 am ferry, the Explorer, from Bay Shore to Ocean Beach on September 2, 2005 on the Fire Island Ferry off the coast of Long Island in New York. The 5:30 ferry brings baked goods, newspapers, and workers to the island in the early morning. Ferry service to Fire Island began in 1856; passengers could take the Long Island Railroad from Brooklyn to Thompson (now Brentwood), get a stage to Islip, and get on the waiting ferry. Nearly 150 years later, transportation to Fire Island is basically the same. Although there are more ferries from different locations, you do have to take a ferry to get to most parts of Fire Island. Fire Island, which is the only developed barrier island in the United States without roads, is located 45 minutes outside of New York City, just a 30 minute ferry ride across the Great South Bay. Fire Island is a premier getaway spot for families and friends. Sand dune beaches rollout into the Atlantic Ocean on the south side of the island, while the north side has dining and bars overlooking the bay. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)