METS at their new home CITI FIELD

I finally got to see the METS play in their new stadium Citi Field that replaced the old and now gone Shea Stadium.

My mom won four free tickets. She and Frank and my wife and I were seated out in left field in what I would call the bleacher seats. The crowd there was enthusiastic and though we lost in extra innings it was an exciting game.

The new stadium's structure was inspired by Ebbets Field, the home of the national League Brooklyn Dodges of whom many fans followed the METS years after they moved to California. See the comparison in the above photos. I do happen to recall my first and last visit ever to Ebbets field with my dad.

The Jackie Robinson rotunda was impressive in duplicating the feel of Ebbets Field yet putting the Citi Field Stamp on in.

We walked the stadium to get a better feel of it all. I liked the layout. There aren't dark tunnels and such that take one away from the play. In fact I felt like I was part of the action wherever I was including the men's room with excellent audio.

I checked out the Hall of Fame and thought it pretty cool to step up to the World Series Trophies on display along with rings, photos and much more. In the interest of profits the exit went through a huge shop selling METS gear and wear.

The inside of the park is open to the outside. It's much more open to the elements than Shea was. It happened to be true baseball weather last night with the unusually warm April temperatures in the eighties. The breezes going through the field level areas were perfect.

I thought the site lines to the field action excellent and loved that the wave could make its way around the full stadium. Ha, one wave rolled around three or four times including all levels before the action of the game took in our interests again.

I'm filling out a form to try and win more tickets to the park to see the Dodgers. Believe me, we more than payed our way with the last free tickets purchasing great food like pulled pork sandwiches, sausage and peppers, ice cream, and more...oh yes, I did have some beer too.

Just came back from the Queens Wildlife Center...a small zoo that's perfect for kids

My wife and I just came back from a trip to the Queens Zoo. "Queens Wildlife Center. " We had two of our grand daughters with us ages 5 and 7. We had a wonderful time spending about three hours starting with the Carousel and then moving to the zoo. The highlights were the sea lions being fed and coyotes running in a pack. The learning center was open and both girls were presented canvas bags that were training the little ones about the advantages of being "Green." The girls used cutout of animals to trace images on the bags to be coloured in. Granma did much of the additional artwork and labeled each bag with their names. The kids also did puzzles, worked with puppets and played in a "shopping"area. There were some excellent children's books available to read to them.

I visite the Queens Zoo a few years back and except for the price going up to $7 adult and $2 children most everything else is the same. Here are some thoughts from that time.

Having some business in Queens and a few hours to kill I thought I would check out the Queens Wildlife Center and the Hall of Science Pavilion right next door. I've been to the Hall of Science a number of times over the years, actually many years. It was first built as an attraction at the 1963-64 New York World's Fair. The grounds used hundreds of acres, some of which have structures from that time.

One area that was cleared from the fairgrounds site is a section that is now home of the Queens Zoo or Queens Wildlife Center as it is also known as.

This is a relatively small zoo, just 11 acres, as compared to the Bronx Zoo and it may even be smaller in area as the Central Park Zoo also known as a Nature Center. I'm not sure I would suggest this zoo to out-of-towners unless they have particular love of animals. It's a bit off the beaten path. It is an excellent choice if visiting the Hall of Science next door. It's perhaps a 1/4 mile walk away. Park at either one for both. There is an in season parking charge. No fee was taken when I was there.

They open everyday at 10am and close depending on season either 4:30pm or 5:30pm. other info can be gotten from their site at
www.queenszoo.com or calling 1 (718) 271-1500

Entry

Though it's small I was VERY pleasantly surprised. First I just loved the price $5.00 Adults, $1.00 Children. In less than ten years I will be able to get the senior rate of $1.50. There are perks to gettin' older.

This zoo, that is set in natural looking habitats, directs most of its attention to North American animals. Before giving up my 5 bucks I asked the silly question as to whether the animals and the zoo are active at this time of year or are the animals possibly brought to warmer environments, there are no enclosures in this zoo except for the aviary. I suppose I wasn't thinking because the fact was, I was more uncomfortable with the weather than these animals were.

After paying my ticket price I was given a map and I also saw a plastic, sort of cellophane, red thing. I asked what it was and was told it's for kids to find the answer to mystery questions. After seeing a few of these question and answer boards throughout the zoo, I thought it was a wonderful idea!

One example was in front of the puma exhibit. The question was something like, "What happened here?". In the puma's habitat were rib bones and a skull close to the viewing area. The kids could try and figure out what they were on their own and then go to the "secret answer" using their red wand. The answer in this case referred to the bones being all that was left of a white tailed deer that the puma fed on. There were questions and answers like this throughout the zoo. I could see the kids running from site to site to do these. I thought they were all exceptional in making kids think and the way they were presented. Each question and answer were set at "kids" heights.

The zoo also did a fine job in the presentation of a sort of story board explaining how the animals lived, showed dominance, mated and gave birth. Yes, there are drawings of animals in mating positions. It was all well done and quite informative in simple text.

Layout

The zoo is set up in one fairly level loop with some small inner loops, just a few feet in distance, that brought the viewers closer to the animals habitats. There were first some areas with water birds. They had the best examples of drawings so as to identify birds as I have seen anywhere. These placards were at a number of viewing stations. Once again I was impressed.

The loop continued to points where I could see a lynx pacing just a few feet in front of me, very cool. When I moved onto the Puma habitat I couldn't see him at first, then I noticed his head just under an outcrop of rock. He looked bigger than I imagined. I moved on and was again pleasantly surprised to find another viewing station just feet from that outcrop of rocks. The puma looked even bigger.

The owls display was cool and the Roosevelt elk, though a bit in the distance were magnificent looking animals. The four or five coyote were pacing around in there large habitat. It must have been near feeding time for them.

A geodesic dome, that was once part of a science exhibit during the 1963-64 New York World's Fair now houses an aviary. Unfortunately that and the alligator section were closed for the season.

Another area of note was the sea lion pools. These natural looking surroundings has three of for of these animals that were quite active waiting for their 1:45 feeding. It was 1:45 but the attendants weren't there yet. Just across from the sea lions is an area with vending machines and tables and chairs. I was hungry myself and it was my feeding time too so I went and got a Nathan's hot dog out of the freezer vending machine and popped it into the microwave oven. Restrooms are also nearby. By the time I could say "mustard" the attendants showed up at the sea lion pool and worked with the animals, giving them some food for their efforts. Hey I was so hungry I would have rolled over for a hunk of that fish. Three guys worked with the animals separately. It was interesting to watch.

I continued around the loop to the closed Prairie Dog area. It's under renovation. I'm sure they will have Fresh Meadows Phil back for Ground Hog Day. He has become a local favorite in NYC for his spring predictions.

The bison were close by, just ten feet or so, feeding on what looked like hay. The Bald Eagles were the only animals that seemed forlorn at this zoo. They must be clipped because the area above them is open. One I know was there after being injured by an airplane. They named the birds Claire and Mel.

I then checked out the new Thick Billed Parrot habitat that had the largest of protective areas the zoo offers. There were a few other smaller wooden enclosures. Most everything is outside in this park and there really isn't any shelter in case of heavy rain.

The last animal on the loop are two "Spectacled Bears" I never saw them before. Distinct white circles around their eyes are the reason for the name. They were out in the open to see. That's what I really enjoyed about this zoo. I was able to see most of the animals, up close and ina natural looking environment.

Domestic Animals

Just across from the main zoo area is another farm-like exhibit that has an abundance of domestic animals. I caught the mixed odor of sheep, lama, horses, pigs, goats, and cow "stuff" as soon as I crossed the path. They were well attended in fine surroundings, the animals, not the "stuff'. I didn't spend much time here at all, not having too many quarters to buy animal feed from little vending machines.

Also, just outside these two animal centers, the wild and domestic is a carousel. It's called "The Carousel in the Park". It wasn't open and probably just seasonal, but it's good to see.

Last Thoughts

I never would have thought I was going to give this small zoo four stars but the intimacy of it with excellent information at the viewing stations, the set ups that were kid friendly, and the overall feel of the park made this an excellent value for the price.

The Third Gem of the US Virgin Islands and Most Visited St Thomas

Our first trip to St John US Virgin Island brought us through St Thomas, the most populated and happening destination of the three USVI. We also stayed on ST Thomas almost exclusively on another visit. There was a lot to like about the island.

Two major hurricanes in the last 18 years have dealt tremendous economic hardship for the tourism of the island of St Thomas in the Virgin Islands. In many other places investors would have just raised their hands and say "Enough already", and bail out of this islands economic future and possible fortunes.

Some did leave, most did not. You see, Saint Thomas has so much natural beauty and so much to offer in sun, fun and shopping that the smart money keeps coming back. This is also true for the tourists who have visited this glorious island.

From what I have read, St Thomas is also the most popular port of call on many cruises. There are people who want to capture a glimpse of its natural beauty, a taste of its many fine restaurants, and the feeling of great savings in the shops that offer many goods greatly discounted from regular U.S. prices and best of all NO TAX!!!

Having been to St Thomas twice in the past 2 years, I understand why this is true.

My wife and I have caught a "Bug" for snorkeling. We have done so in Florida Keys, Mexico, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. We both agree that our best experiences have been in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Though the best overall snorkeling was in Virgin Islands National Park on the Island of St John, St Thomas has some great snorkeling right on the beach of the resort where we stayed.

We stayed at the Antilles@Sapphire Beach at a great price through Hotels.com. Be very careful booking through them. We had made an error. Fortunately for us all worked out well.

One of the beaches to visit is Sapphire Beach. It is in what is called the east end of the island. It's about a 20 minute ride from Cyril E King Airport in Charlotte Amalie where the cruise ships come in. There are other beaches closer to the airport and very close to the University in Charlotte Amalie. We didn't get there. Sapphire Beach I did experience and it was special.

OPEN TO ALL

One quick point I want to add here is that all beaches in St Thomas are open to the public. So even if a resort is beach front, anyone can use the beach. On our stay at the Antilles Sapphire, we encountered small groups from cruises coming over to "our beach." We also saw young children of the locals playing in the water. Though I am not for crowds while on vacation I thoroughly enjoyed watching the tourists, some on there first snorkeling experiences, and the local people sharing the beaches.

Sapphire beach is in a lovely setting. It's about a half a mile crescent shaped beached, with beautiful turquoise waters, and distant island and mountain views.

You can see St John and some of the smaller USVI Islands near by. In the distance you can see the British Virgin Islands of Tortola and Virgin Gorda. We did a one day visit to Virgin Gorda and its world famous Baths it was awesome!!

I love the fact that right from my room I could walk out and snorkel reefs just 30 feet away. In the waters of Sapphire beach we saw a sea turtle, rays, barracuda, some nice coral formations(not the best here), squid, and a fantastic assortment of many other multicolored, shaped, and sized fish.

We visited other beaches too. Megan's Bay is boasted as one of the worlds "Best 10 Beaches." It is so hard for me to compare that way. Megen's Bay from above, I must say is glorious, and compares with any views I have ever seen!

I liked Megan's Bay. Though all the beaches are open to the public, this is more of a public beach. There's a three dollar per person fee to get in, and one dollar for parking.

The beach offers showers, lockers, restrooms, and the best pizza in the Caribbean.

Though I love the private and secluded beaches of St John, I also fully enjoyed this beach for its fast food restaurant and open air bar. It's the simplicity and charm that I love. Let me tell you, if you put some of these places on the beach in Cape Cod, Long Island, or the Jersey Shore(places that I know well), you would say these establishments are dumps. But here in USVI it's paradise.

There are many other beaches in St Thomas, we got to a few of them.
Hull Bay, a public beach with a boat ramp and very interesting coral formations.
Coki Beach which is highly rated and advertised, I didn't like at all. The bottom was polluted with soda cans, corrugated roofing material, and plastic bags. This was a sad sight. Very near by is the aquarium. If you snorkel on the beach on the left and swim to the right to the aquarium, you will have many fish following you, they are used to being fed by divers giving shows near the aquarium.
Beach In Front of the Ritz is in a beautiful setting with snorkeling and reefs.

THE RITZ

We spent an afternoon at the Ritz, starting with lunch in the Iguana Restaurant that is out side by the pool. The prices for such an upscale resort, I felt were reasonable. The setting of the hotel grounds, pool, and restaurant are magnificent. The service however was tediously slow. I'm not talking about New Yorkers not used to Caribbean time. I'm talking about bad service. We saw two other couples complain and one couple walked out after having cocktails and waiting much to long for there appetizer. I wish I could recommend this place for lunch, as everything else at the Ritz was extremely inviting.

REDHOOK

Like Sapphire Beach the Ritz is on the east end of the Island. This is also where Redhook is. Redhook is really a ferry, boating, and fishing port with a very small town that has built up around it. It's also home of the American Yacht Club. They were in the middle of a Blue Marlin Tournament when we were there. The fishing boats were all lined up like soldiers at the dock after coming in from the 5:30 pm fishing deadline each day. Those boats who caught the sport fish of the tournament flew a white flag from their craft for each Blue Marlin they caught and released.

Redhook has about 10 restaurants. We tried a few of them. For some local flavor. Try the Warehouse, Poor Mans Bar. There you order a drink and the bartender puts all the mixings in front of you and you pour your own. Yes, that includes the Bottle Of Spirits.

Duffies is nearby. It's a very heavily visited bar/restaurant that is a roofed open air eatery right in the middle of a parking lot. Hey, stores are closed at night but the "Bar is open." This place was "really happening" on Friday night. People were at every table and hanging around their cars in the lot, with drinks in hand, listening to pumping music that mixed, rock and roll, reggae, and rap.

Don't get suckered into their mega multi ounce "Volcano" drink for 2 at $13.50. It's a rip off. Ha, look for Red Stripe night @ one dollar a bottle.

For a more traditional place go across the street on the water, to Mollies. Another place upstairs on the deck overlooking the fishing boats is a bar and open air restaurant. Oops, I forgot the name. All the local fishermen were telling tales around the bar and the tourists, us included, sat at the surrounding tables. The drinks and food were good. I loved the atmosphere.

There is a public restroom up stairs in this strip known as the American Yacht Club. Inside this mall area are a couple of shops. There was one where my wife purchased some inexpensive jewelry and a creamery by the name of Stone Cold. That was my favorite, with the best in ice cream flavor and custom mixes put in. A Mr Jones, an ex Navy pilot, owns and runs the place. Be sure to read his list of 11 ways to live your life. It's good and to the point.

There's a hidden parking lot under this building. Park there if you find nothing on the streets. Usually you can but on Friday nights the place is very busy!

FERRY'S and CRUISES

As San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a jumping off place for many planes in the Caribbean, Redhook, is where you ferry to other islands. A bit more in a moment.

As I mentioned earlier, St Thomas is a very popular cruise ship stop. We visited in the summer. The most ships in port then on any given day was three. There weren't any at all three of the days we were there. In the winter, up to 11 cruise ships have been in port. This is great for the many,many, shops, malls and tent outlets of Charlotte Amalie, but can be taxing for those looking for peace and quiet.

Many local fliers, papers, and magazines post the cruise line schedules, on any day where there might be a few ships in, my wife and I could skip town. First we wouldn't go to Charlotte Amalie on these days and second, we found it was a good excuse to ferry out to another island and explore it.

It cost just 3 dollars per person to ferry the 20 min ride to St John. This is a wonderful island that almost 2/3s of is a national park. Its called US Virgin Island National Park You can find reviews of St Johns and USVI National Park in much more detail that I have done . Links are below.

St John is the best in secluded beaches, fun 4-wheel drive travel, and snorkeling reefs. St Croix the furthest of the USVI is also traveled to from Redhook. There is a fast ferry November to April that cuts the time in half. We were thinking of this trip but it didn't work out. We would not have had enough time for a day trip. We did find out that in off season, the summer, you can take a sea plane to St Croix for $85 per person, round trip. Ha, that didn't work out either, my wife dislikes small planes.

AIRPORT

Speaking of planes, St Thomas's Cyril E King, just outside Charlotte Amalie on the south side of the island, is the landing area for St Thomas and St John. No, St John has no airports, so if thats your destination you will have to ferry there.

TRANSPORTATION

Rented cars and taxis are the main form of transportation on the island. You can work out tours with local taxi drivers, find a tour company or rent a car and do it yourself. There are rentals at the airport. We rented from Budget right in our hotel for about the going rate of $50 per day. Books and magazines older than a year may state that you cannot take a rental car from St Johns to St Thomas and/or back. The fact is, you can do it now for a fee of about $30.

THE MOUNTAINS

If you tour be sure to go up into the mountains, there are some glorious sights from above. If you come in on a cruise ship you can get some wonderful pictures from the Vistas above looking down into the harbor with your ship. Those crafts look stunningly beautiful in the setting of turquoise waters and island mountains beyond.

Continue on your tour to St Peters great house and botanical garden. This is a must stop. The fee is $10 person, well worth it. Look for half price coupons in the local advertising magazines.

The views from here are absolutely stunning. The grounds and great house are fabulous. Make sure you have your camera.

RESTAURANTS

We spent most of our time on the east end of the island near our resort. We went to a couple of restaurants that were very close to each other. The Agave Terrace and Fungies.

The Agave Terrace is beautifully set on a mountain side with lush tropical gardens. It is elegant dining outside with a steel drum player on Thursday nights. The views in the day and early evening are as good as you can get anywhere. St John and the BVI are in the distance. This could be one of your best bets in dining if you can get past the prices and the snootiness of a particular waiter.

The Caribbean Seafood cuisine was excellently prepared. The atmosphere is wonderful and very romantic. It's worth a try.

Just down the road a piece , and I mean down is Fungies. Don't let anyone suggest you walk there from Agave Terrace. We went from Agave Terrace to Fungies for some dessert and an after dinner drink. Also be sure to bring your reverse driving skills. The parking lot is small and tight.

The place is very cool looking. It is set up with a Jamaican look and fare. It's open and funky. They have a drink that I went for. It's just two bucks. I forgot the name. It has 150 something % rum and insect and worm parts. It was most horrible tasting. I suppose I'll never learn.

The place is inexpensive and bare feet are fine.

A FEW QUICK FACTS

Some of the reasons people like to go to the US Virgin Islands is because IT IS part of the US. The people don't have a vote but do have a representative in congress. Whoops, they can't vote either. Anyways because it is part of the US the primary language is English and the US dollar is the currency used.

The cars on the island are mostly US made. One small change though. All driving is on the left. I didn't find it too hard to negotiate the roads. Some are a bit steep and have blind curves. Be careful and absolutely no drinking and driving!! Always "THINK LEFT" while driving. Don't forget to change that thinking when you return home, unless you live in the UK or such.

Yup St Thomas had a lot to offer. You can find via Google. Simply put in"popsrocks and the USVI you like. That should take you to one of my many Caribbean Island Reviews. You'll learn about Magen's Bay that's pictured above and voted, One of the ten best beaches in the world., as noted by National Geographic Coki Beach Why Go? Sapphire Beach and Marina A good value on St Thomas VI http://www0.epinions.com/content_108988763780

Another Easter at Our Home

My wife and I went to Easter Sunday mass with two of our daughters this year. Afterward we went back to our home.

Once again we had an open house to our family for Easter. There was plenty of food and we all had a great time. Early in the morning two of our grand daughters searched the living room for eggs, baskets and other surprises.

My wife then cooked up our traditional keilbasa, eggs and more for breakfast. Yum! My wife then prepared a spiral ham, pork and apples, and more for dinner. My mome helped out big time with shrimp and rice, egg plant parmegion and sauteed broccoli rabe. Others brought this and that and let me tell ya, we have more left overs than what we ate!

Once again, a good time was had by all.

A Birthday Surprise

Life's full of surprises. Saturday was my wife's 61st birthday. Our three daughters planned a breakfast for my wife at our home. It was delightful but my wife was disappointed that our two son's couldn't make the event. She likes to see all her children on special days.

Later my wife and I took a trip to the Vanderbilt Estate and Planetarium in Northport. I hope to post a review of it on my http://www0.epinions.com/user-popsrocks soon. One of my daughters helps operate the light shows they screen there daily. We enjoyed our hours on the grounds. At one point our oldest son made a phone call to us. He told us to stand at a particular point at the estate. He was on his boat and gave my wife a long distance wave as we saw a tiny image of him and his boat some couple a hundred feet down and several hundred away...Hey, at least she got to see him.

Later we walked more of the estate seeing dinosours, polar bears and much more. When we were finished, as the tour guides locked the doors behind us we walked to say goodbye to my daughter. As we turned a corner we saw a young child just under two years old walking by herself! It was our grand daughter! My other son was there with his family. All three children were with them. What a surprise for my wife. She got a hug and kiss and a card and gift from all of them.

We left all a bit later and then received another call from our "boat" son. Hey, why don't we meet up in Northport""...and we did. We had a wonderful evening dining at a fabulous Italian restaurant and my wife's wishes were complete. She "was very pleased to see all her children on her birthday.

Grantley Adams International Airport , Barbados

I flew into Grantley Adams International Airport for the first time last month to vacation in Barbados. The photo I shot on the far left shows the race track and the hotel we stayed at that was a half hour ride from the airport. Grantley Adams International Airport is a small one runway airport that has been renovated and expanded in the last couple of years. The newest structure is the arrivals building.

At first look it resembles Denver's Airport with the white coloured, high tent-like coverings only much, much smaller. One must walk onto and through the tarmac as there are no elevated entranceways to the planes. We had to walk a fair distance to customs when we first entered Barbados. On the way home we were bussed to our plane.

Because of so many people walking in and out of the tarmac area we were given a second security check before getting onto the bus. Some were patted down too. All bags were screened at this second point also.

Our Experience

I was quite happy with immigration and customs. The workers there were professional and yet didn't take too much time with us. After getting off the plane were were walking to the transportation area with our luggage in about twenty minutes. I thought that fair.

Though car rentals are available at the airport we opted for getting a vehicle a few days later. We needed a taxi to get to our hotel and the stands area was well run. We were in a shared taxi, (a small van) within moments of asking for the cab. Though rates are standard for particular distances one must agree on that fair before departing and also be sure the driver and you are talking the same currancy, US or Barbados dollars.

When we arrived at the airport to depart ending our vacation I was struck by the fact that we weren't surrounded by fellows trying to grab our luggage to make a few buck. Barbados is different in that it's better run with professional skycaps available if needed.

My wife took advantage of the duti-free shops coming in purchasing some local rum for our stay. Upon departing she didn't find any outstanding prices.

We flew in on JetBlue that just recently started flying to Barbados. They do offer good prices right now so I would recommend looking them up if your city is serviced by them. The airport is also home to some twenty other international airlines.

A Bit More Info

The airport's one runway is in an east-west direction. Planes and takes of into the everpresent trade winds that come out of the east over the Atlantic Ocean.

The airport is on the south side of the island closer to the busier hot spotsof the island. It's about a twenty five minute taxi ride to Bridgetown the capital where cruise ships come in. For those renting cars there happens to be easy access to the ABC highway that is a main road that most other primary roads intersect.


pops Last Word

This is an open air airport protected from the elements by tent-like structures. It was clean as were restrooms. All in all I was quite pleased with the service and professionalism of the airport and it's people. There were enough seats when waiting and we were all moved efficiently through the immigration, baggage,
customs and public transportation.

Read more about Barbados

http://www99.epinions.com/review/trvl-Dest-Caribbean-Barbados/content_505168825988

Jones Beach State Park. An incredible Gift To The People of NY

Summer is just around the corner and I'm fortunate to live just around the corner from Jones Beach. OK, perhaps seven minutes away when I hit the traffic lights well.

My wife and I met at Jones Beach and continue to visit it every year many times. We purchase the yearly pass for entrance during the high season. Right now it's a free ride to see the wide expanses of white bleached sand. Jones beach is much more than sand surf and a board walk.

I am now&n sixty years old and have been going to Jones Beach most of my life.

I remember as a kid from the city having my mom and dad and relatives take me to Zach's Bay for family outings. As a bay, it is a very calm and a very pretty expanse of beach. Next to it stands the Jones Beach Theater, that now has contemporary music most of the Summer. It used to feature Broadway shows etc in the days of Guy Lombardo. My wife and I have enjoyed standing on the chairs singing along with the Beach Boys and having soft breezes on us as we listen to Kenny G. My children enjoy Nsync and other such groups. The beach has a very diverse concert schedule. Tonight the theater will feature Jimmy Buffett. That makes me want to write a review about Key West and Margaritaville. Look for it.

As I grew up and moved "out to the island" as Long island is known as I started going to the beach with my buddies. At the time we would hitch a ride everyday. I do not recommend that practice any longer. My buddies and me were getting real well known the bad guys ..... whoops getting into an old Beach boy song. My buddies and I would spend time body surfing in the water. I haven't found anyplace else where you could find body surfing seas so readily available so often. I still body surf when I get the chance. We would also walk the beaches meeting all the new girls that would be there. This scene still goes on at the central mall, beach five and the west end beaches. It may happen elsewhere but after thirty years of marriage I'm a bit out of the loop.

I did meet my wife at Jones beach. I was fifteen years old saw this gal with food and it was love at first meal! We got to know each other. She went away to school for a year and then finished here on Long Island at Hofstra and Adelphi. After graduation we were married. Jones Beach holds a very special place for both of us.

Speaking of marriage, A cousin of mine was recently married and held her reception at the Jones Beach Restaurant. It was a great day and the place did well for us. We have frequented the restaurant over the years. It is constantly changing hands, a bit pricey and has never been consistently good. Everything is location,location,location, so we continue to go there for the views.

Update 2008 in Ref to Restaurant

The restaurant is now gone due to physical disrepair of the building and inconsistent management of the restaurants. There will be a new restaurant that has been proposed by Donald Trump and Long Island businessman and restaurateur Steven M. Carl.

The place is to be named Trump on the Ocean and its size and other matters are being discussed in forums that have some people actively against it for aesthetic reasons and because of tax breaks set up. There's also the thing of a huge TRUMP in gold followed by the words "On The Ocean". The sign though big will only be dwarfed by the man's ego.

I have very mixed feeling about this one. I'll update as I pick up more information about this restaurant that is scheduled to open in the spring of 1009 allowing walk in guest and having affairs at $300 a plate.

End Update

Though we do go to this restaurant we often frequent the restaurants in our home town of Freeport. The Freeport Nautical Mile was recently redone and it is now a fantastic destination.

We live just eight minutes from the beach. In the last year we have had day guests from overseas. One stop is to take them to Jones Beach. They are constantly impressed with the place and tell us they had no idea that such a beautiful, uncommercial park beach was so close to New York City.

The area of Jones Beach is about to miles long with the Atlantic on one side and bays on the other. The place was a grand idea of Robert Moses as were the roads and much of the planning.

The beach is one continuous line of white sand stretching over two miles. It is glorious!!

Most of the buildings are stone in an art deco style. Very attractive. There are two bathhouses that have huge pools with showers etc. These bathhouses must be seen.In the West bathhouse you will find an "old time" ice cream parlor. The East Bathhouse has a mini museum dedicated to the planning and building of the state park. I found it very interesting with all it's facts and pictures.

Jones Beach offers much as far as activities. On weekends there are endless baseball, softball, and soccer games going on. They are great games and fun to watch. You also get to see the diversity in population that are here on Long Island. I love watching the "footbal" games. Not American. Also available into the night are shuffle board, mini golf, paddle ball, kiddie playgrounds, and a host of other activities. I do miss the archery and the skating rink they have closed over the years. They do continue to improve the facilities and are constantly introducing new things.

I have not mentioned the boardwalk from which most of these activities are accessible. It's grand!. At the Central mall it is the center of all that is Jones Beach. There are outside food places, huge flags, places to sit etc. Right of the board walk at central mall you will find a small souvenir store. The beach has a couple of small convenience stores also in each of the beach houses. Sun lotion,postcards and the like are available. Next to the store in the central mall is the park office. You can get further info there about the park and scheduled events. You can also pick up an overnight fishing and parking permit for those who want to fish from the beach at night.

After the park office and store you will find a small outside "shell" where they have square dance bands, line dancing, Gospel music and other types of events.That's why you want to get the schedule.This is a great place for people watching.

The boardwalk stretches about a mile and is also a place for exercise. People will be seen walking at a fast pace or just strolling along. There are exercise stations along the walk also.

One of my highlights every year are the fireworks show on the fourth of July. I have seen fireworks in many places but nobody puts the music, and fireworks together the way they are done there. It's magnificent!!Just be prepared to wait a long time to get out of the parking lots that night. Bring a little picnic goodies and enjoy yourself. It's one of the few nights where you are not chased off he beach after sunset.

There is an eighteen hole pitch put golf course next to the central mall. It's a lot of fun being mostly par three holes. Just look out for the geese dropping,a major problem.

Beach six is the beach we generally go to when just wanting to sun. The parking lot is on the ocean side therefor closer to the beach. It also has a handicapped walk and ample nearby parking. Some of the other larger lots are on the bay side of the island and you must cross under an overpass to get to the beach. These paths are bordered by lovely plantings that are changed two or three times per season. Beach six is our preference because of it being a short walk, it's more of a family beach, and it is a "no radio" beach. Beware though if you are with the kids and certain things bother you. On the eastern end of the lot many sun worshippers walk down a bit and do some "complete" sunbathing. You may find some openly gay couples holding hands and strolling the beach. So don't be surprised.

There are many places where you can bar-b-q along the different beach houses. Food in the beach houses is a bit pricey for hamburgers and hot dogs so if that's a problem bring a cooler with some food and enjoy.

My best time to relax at Jones beach is in late afternoon. The crows thin, the sun gives off beautiful lighting and is just warm on the body. I am so happy to live so close to Jones beach which offers even more than I have talked about.