Saturday, July 01, 2006

A Day at the Beach

Saturday's are great! I love them! Yesterday Elaine said to me, "we have to do something tomorrow, because I am not staying home all day, if the weather is going to be good."

Well, the weather was good. It was in the mid 80s, a nice breeze, sunny skies, so we decided to head to the beach. We lived close to the beach in Maine for 7 years, but the water is so cold there that I never got in the water. Yes I am a sissy when it comes to cold water, but if you know my family history you would understand!

We headed to our favorite local beach, New London's Ocean Beach Park. If you have never been to Ocean Beach us the locals call it, it reminds me very much of the Jersey Shore. First of all, you have to pay. The fee is "technically" to park, but varies on a scale as far as weekdays, weekends, and holiday, increasing in that order. Secondly, they have rides and weather beaten concrete structures surrounding a boardwalk. Can any salvationists recall those congresses in New Jersey??? Perhaps you vacationed on the Jersey Shore as well. Either way, Ocean Beach is a neat place to go.

One of the things I like to do is watch the great variety of watercraft that is on display off the beach. Yes I like boats, and I used to get ridiculed for saying I watched Baywatch for the watercraft. Yes I did enjoy the feminine beauty, but I also like the boats! There were a couple of neat cigarette boats today buzzing the beach. At Ocean Beach there is a wide variety of ferry boats that make regular runs to Orient Point Long Island, New York and Block Island. One of the things I want to see sometime is a submarine either returning or departing Sub Base New London. They utilize the same channels as the other larger watercraft.

The greatest thing I like about Ocean Beach is seeing my kids develop a love for the ocean. Samantha is a fish and has always been, but today, Jay had a blast in the water. As Elaine was trying to clean him off, he kept diving into the sand so that he would have to get back in the water. What a kid! Growing up in my family, we often looked forward to family vacations at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It is great now my kids can look forward to days at the beach and to a week at Rehoboth next summer.

We start a week of vacation this week, but since we are taking a cruise in a couple of months, and are saving money for that, we are staying home for the week. Perhaps we will make another trip to Ocean Beach Park. Next time I will take a camera!