<p>I remember the first time I went for a walk to the “east” of Robert Moses State Park- saw some amazing things hiding in those dunes- but then again, not so amazing…it was a cool ocean breeze!! :rolleyes: But yes, there is still nude bathing in that direction- but nothing worth the walk in my opinion!!! (who wants to see all that blubber anyway??? :eek: it’s certainly not the skinny ones taking off their suits- thats for sure!!) I don’t get it!</p>
<p>Cherry Grove is the community on Fire Island that is still predominately gay- the other communities- Kissmet, Ocean Beach, Ocean Beach Park, Sailors cove…are all very traditional communities…families and college kids and boaters and residents…you can get from one to the other by water taxi (on the bay side)- or opt to walk the path that takes you from one community to the other (they are all relatively close)…and a uniform would be fine there (except everyone is in shorts and tees and flip flops)…or beach coverups… very casual, very relaxing…take your little red wagon everywhere!!!</p>
<p>that is until night rolls around- and that’s when the little towns come to life with bars and music and bonfires and the like…parties everywhere!!! (word to the wise…absolutely NO sleeping on the beaches overnight- now THAT will get you in deep doodo!!)</p>
<p>it is a fantastic place to go- very, very safe… and very unique! A day there and you feel like you’ve been away on vacation!</p>
<p>Bill I swear. The stuff you come up with sometimes. Its good to laugh on a friday. </p>
<p>Aspen, that is the best idea! The Jamz is indeed very very good with kids. I guess cause he’s a little brother & never had one of his own, he just likes 'em. He’s the type to volunteer for a great many things & does at the academy alot. I think they have a program just like Big Brothers there. I recall seeing some photos of some kids with Mids (HEY! Thats a new name for their group! LOL) at Halloween where they dressed all up & had a party with them. I’ll be sure to tell him to go look into it. He would like it very much I think. Having a little buddy to pal around with and play soccer with, or help with homework, ect. Now that the Plebe days are behind him, he’ll have a few months before preparing to go to sea. It would be awesome for him to have a young man to send post cards to from far away places. There are sooooo many kids out there… Well you know…not as lucky as ours. Its such a good idea. I’ll talk to him about it when he calls today & see if he’s heard of the program there at KP.</p>
<p>I’m tellin’ ya’ll… Y - M - C - A - Its fun to be at the YMC- Aaay! LOL Those crazy Village People. Hey did you see where one of them was on America’s Most Wanted recently? What a hoot.</p>
<p>What do you mean by deep doo doo Navy2010!? I had planned to sleep on those benches after a martini adventure.</p>
<p>JM- well, what you dont want to do is drink in pulbic places (sidewalk cafe’s are ok, but no martini’s on the beach!!) and you can certainly take a nap during daylight hours- but come the night, there’s no sleeping on the beach (ie: camping)…that will land you in trouble- anyway, most of the activites center around the bay side at night- all the resturants, sidewalk cafe’s, stores, ice cream shops, etc… bar hopping is fine- as long as you are not the designated wagon puller!!! The biggest threat on Fire Island are the deer- they will come right up to you and swipe a lick off your ice cream cone- and who wants to lick it after that??</p>
<p>If you’re in NYC, drop by the big hole in the ground where almost 2,500 Americans were crushed and incinerated one fine September morning, and remember what we’re fighting for.</p>
<p>Zap. As to the Jamz wishes, we took him there first before he even went to his academy to see it for the first time. His face will be forever implanted in my memory. I’ve never seen a look on my kid’s face like the one he had visiting there. Don’t care to ever again. I wish I could describe it. He left a message there along with the others written on a wall. I do not know what it said as I could not read it due to my eyes filled with tears from his reaction. I know one thing. If that kid could give his life to see it never happening again, he would. In a heartbeat. People told us not to go. That it was just a hole in the ground & there was nothing to see. Its not.</p>
<p>Nope. It was actually my extended family, that admitted later that they didn’t want to see us so upset. They knew what it would do to us. We kinda bleed red, white & blue in my house that goes back generations. I guess I shoulda added that to what I wrote… They meant well. 9/11 happened on my birthday so I’ll never forget. Not to mention a friend that was lost. They didn’t want me near that place. Figured I’d go balastic (spelling?) and they’d have to peel me off the fencing around the place. It was VERY emotional to walk around down there & I never wish to go back. Especially with my kid who will also never forget. Our first visit to his academy, he showed me where the kids before him stood watching the towers go down and where the boats left from to go help. Well, thats about all I can say about that. Its still a raw wound. </p>
<p>Naw, I don’t associate myself with people who would think it was Bush’s fault. It goes alittle beyond that I’m afraid. Ya know. For the really deep thinkers…</p>
<p>jamzmom,
my grandfather was born on September 11, 1886, and he lived to be 103 years old!!! I have pictures of him holding his great granddaughter, the mid, and she just turned 19! He lied about his age to join the Navy and sailed around the world in Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet! Start taking care of yourself in case you live to be over 100!</p>
<p>navy2010,
you really knocked yourself out with the things-to-do list, but you didn’t say anything about good places to SHOP! We live near South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, so the competition here is pretty steep! Just heard that they’re putting a Bloomingdales in South Coast Plaza. </p>
<p>jamzmom,
if your darling boy wants to really experience the wilderness, tell him to buy a plane ticket and come to California so he can hike in the Sierra Nevada, southern Utah, Colorado, Grand Canyon…or check the National Park Service website.</p>
<p>bill, had to laugh at your post…jones beach–I had the same reaction. I was a senior in college in the first time I visited Long Island. I ordered a margarita before dinner in a restaurant and they made it with tequila, creme de menthe, and SALT. Gag me! Tamales! Cultural diffusion has profoundly altered menus across our great country!</p>
<p>I go away for a couple days and I miss nude beaches and Bill ■■■■■■■■ Fire Island! The Parents forum becomes a LI travel list for my son at KP! Must send him links as he is stuck on watch over the weekend too. Not sure if he should read the whole thing here as he almost went to Colorado School of Mines so he could ski with his engineering…now he is down in engine rooms and rebuilding engines.</p>
<p>Point of information: At USMMA there is a memorial point overlooking NYC where the school watched the twin towers on fire – and then went to work shuttling rescue workers for several weeks from Kings Point to the World Trade Center area by boat as that was the most efficient way to get there. The memory is well-remembered in NY. We live in the DC area and I watched the Pentagon burning and was fearful that the White House (near my office) or Capitol was next - thanks to the brave passengers who downed the plane in PA, that was not the case.</p>
<p>All our midshipmen and cadets applied to the academies AFTER 9/11. I am proud of all the young men and women who willingly serve our country and will be trained as leaders. We need the best and the brightest in all areas of public service.</p>
<p>we watched the buildings burn from the verranzanno bridge- and it was still smoldering 6 days later.</p>
<p>We lost 8 close friends and neighbors that day. We went to funerals and memorials that seemed endless. Our son’s close friend and classmate is without a father. We have other friends that are few of a handful that survived within their company- and they are still hurting.</p>
<p>please, it is not just a big hole. It was our World Trade Center. </p>
<p>My company has offices across the street from the World Trade Center site. It seems to be a pilgrimmage for any of us that need to be in NYC to visit the “hole in the ground”. We lost 4 colleagues on 9/11 and I think I know exactly the look Jamz had on his face. I have seen it on others visiting. I only wish each and every person in the USA could visit the site and recall the day and aftermath the way our kids have done.</p>
<p>I’m still afraid I may have known someone killed in New York. I grew up there, and with so many people killed, the odds are less than comforting.</p>
<p>I just don’t have the heart to pore over the entire list. :(</p>
<p>An open question to Plebe Parents (and to get back on track; my apologies)…</p>
<p>How do you, as parents, handle the phone calls that come from your Plebe? You know the ones I’m talking about: the ones where the poor kid is at his wits end and turns to Mom and Dad.</p>
<p>Not so much what happens ON the phone (I know that), but rather after you HANG UP?</p>
The biggest threat on Fire Island are the deer- they will come right up to you and swipe a lick off your ice cream cone- and who wants to lick it after that??</p>
We live near South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, so the competition here is pretty steep! Just heard that they’re putting a Bloomingdales in South Coast Plaza. </p>