The Wonders of Coney Island

Eighty degrees and a holiday weekend called for some fun at one of our local beaches. Although there are beaches all over Jersey and NY Coney Island was one of the closer ones to us, so we packed a cooler, grabbed the sunscreen and drove off to explore one of the oldest amusement parks in the country.

Being Memorial Day weekend, Coney Island was packed. Cubans banged drums on the pier, hispanics danced in a crowd on the boardwalk, and kids blew bubbles into the air. Jason and I were ready for some time together, and we couldn't leave poor Ollie, so we brought him along for a family outing.

Of course a trip to Coney Island is not complete without a trip to Nathan's, a famous hot dog stand along Surf Avenue. A hot dog eating contest has occured there every 4th of July since its' opening in 1916. Of course Nathan's is no longer just a stand, its perimeters stretch almost a whole block- almost as long as its' lines. Poor Jace stood in line a half hour to order our food.

I was surprised how good Ollie was in the crowds. He didn't mind the people, as long as we carried him occasionally. His little legs were tired from the walking we were doing, so we relaxed on the beach for a while.

He is all about the sand! True to his doggy instincts, he loves digging!

We saw lots of interesting people, all wearing very interesting things.

Built in 1927, The Cyclone is one of America's oldest wooden coasters still in operation. We didn't ride it though, and probably for good reason. ;)

As we perused the rides, an ABC reporter and cameraman approached us for a quick interview. I stepped out of the shot and got a few shots of my own.

Jason's plans for Memorial Day? "I'm working!" he said.

Of course. ;)

Along the boardwalk, sweet smells of cotton candy and funnel cake drifted from the windows of concession stands. Of course it's hard to resist the beauty of a shiny carmel apple or some buttered popcorn, so Jason picked up a churro while I got some ice cream.

It was a good day, ending in a trip through New York and torellini and Redbox at home. I live for Sundays now. A week virtually without a husband is suddenly okay when you get a summer day like this.