After relaxing a bit, we went for a drive to Long Beach (edge of Long Island) with our other lovely friends Rich and Judi. Long Beach is a bit of a resort town, much larger than I expected. It was hit very badly by a hurricane a couple of years back and you can see where it destroyed and damaged buildings with the huge waves, winds and floods. It has a gorgeous board walk, which is very wide, and had to be repaired after the storm. The middle part is designated for bikes, with a walking path either side. (saves arguments). The sand is definitely imported - with rocky breakwaters along the beach. (the boardwalk is over 2 miles long so quite a walk).
What I found amusing was it costs money to actually walk on the beach! before you can even go swimming during the summer season (about $8 day or get a season pass). Also there is a curfew at night for people not allowed on the beach (to keep the young ones off). While we were there, you could go on the beach (off-season) and a guy was fishing off the end of one of the rocky break waters (Judi called them piers). Then the police drove along the beach and called him off cause you are not allowed to fish off them! Imagine in NZ if you had to pay to go onto the beach and then not be allowed to fish! we told our friends you would be laughed at!
We had a lovely stroll along the board walk - just what we needed after our big day yesterday. then we had a look around at places in Long Beach before heading into town and to a nursery (as in a plant nursery) but this was not as we know it. Cars were lined up along the road for miles and the car parks (yes there were about 4 or 5 big ones) were full, so cars were going round and round waiting for someone to leave! It was gopsmacked.App. this nursery sells Halloween stuff and has a Fall Fair type thing where you can take the kids for hay rides and blow-up scary balloons and things. No wonder it was packed. I loved it to bits and then there was a Christmas shop as well! (Dave walked me through with 'eyes ahead' instruction cause he was scared I would buy something!
Talk about different experiences of life in Long Island!
On Monday morning Judi and Richie drove us into Manhattan to our hotel - what a journey! Poor Richie. He was an experienced New York driver and gave us the scenic route over the bridge and around the streets of upper Manhattan - past Central Park, down 5th Ave. so we could get a feel of where things were. There were cars for miles, and they said it was not too bad!
However ....... as we got near our hotel all the blocks around were closed off due to a Police Graduation Ceremony just down the street from our hotel. Poor Richie went around and around trying to find a way close for us, but everyone else was wanting the same thing! It was stop, go, stop, go until at last we said to drop us off and we would walk a couple of blocks with our bags. Even pulling over was a mission - so it was a quick bye and jump out! We are so, so grateful to them for all the special things they did for us - putting us up, feeding us, showing us their everyday life and family, taking us to places we would never had seen. Thank you so much guys! Hopefully they can make it down our way so we can repay their hospitality as well.
After all that drama it was a relax in our room, a walk around to catch the sight and sounds and get ready for our big days ahead!
By the way this is a view from our room on the 37th floor!
No comments:
Post a Comment