Belmar

RAIN!!!

It’s been raining a lot lately. A LOT!!! All day Friday, rain. The weather report was calling for another weekend of rain. Well, Saturday morning I woke up to the sun beaming through a crack between my black curtains. Sun after rain makes the city my canvas. I hopped on the bike and went down to the South Street Seaport. I had been wanting to get some shots of the boat down there. The pier doesn’t keep water for long so I had to get there early.

After riding around the city and taking some pictures I decided to head to Belmar NJ where some friends rent a place for the summer. I wanted to over pack the bike to get a feel for touring in preparation for a cross country trip. The wind was kicking this day but the sun remained uninhibited all day.

Marc got me an excellent motorcycle knife. Pretty cool huh?

Sunday looked OK. It was sunny when we got up. I checked the weather channel and things looked good. It seemed as if the rains were going to hold off until late afternoon. WRONG!!! After stopping in Morganville for a bit we hit the road. Then came the rain. I wasn’t prepared for rain so I pulled aside and spent a few hours under the awning of a gas station on Route 9.

Coney Island

The expected rains of Sunday never came, so I rode out to Coney Island.

The fate of Coney Island remains up in the air. But for now it remains as is.
Coney Island will continue with its annual Mermaid Parade which will be held June 21, and the Siren Festival, on July 19, which will feature live performances by M.I.A., Matt and Kim and more.

Fireworks are shown Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. during the season, which began March 16 and will end in the fall. Astroland will operate on weekends until June 13, when it will switch to daily operation and return to weekends on Sept. 8.

RIDE THE CYCLONE

The warning posted outside the Cyclone reads “DO NOT RIDE IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, WEAR A PACEMAKER OR SUFFER FROM OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS,” and they mean it. This 100-second, 9-hill legendary roller coaster has no upside-down corkscrew loops, but will make you lose your lunch, nevertheless. Winding its way over rickety wooden planks at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, the entire structure feels as if it could collapse at any moment. What’s even more terrifying after the initial 85 foot plunge, is the way this relic of a roller coaster violently jerks you about. Built in 1927, the Cyclone is now included in the National Register of Historic Places. 834 Surf Avenue and W. 10th Street.

The Parachute Jump
Built for the 1939 World’s Fair and dubbed the Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn, this designated national landmark has not been operational for years. In its day, the Parachute Jump hoisted riders to its summit, then dropped them into a free-fall before deploying a parachute. While some view the 262-foot tower as wrought-iron wreckage, others value the distinctive structure as a permanent fixture on the Brooklyn skyline.

Here’s something worth checking out:

“50 Years to Far Rockaway,” “Coney Island Bound!” and “Multi-Anniversary Tour of the IRT” highlight the Brooklyn-based New York Transit Museum’s June 15, July 13 and August 2, 2008, Summer Nostalgia Train excursions.
The first Nostalgia Train departs Sunday, June 15, 2008, and celebrates 50 years of subway service to Far Rockaway. Boarding at 10 a.m. the day-long excursion ending at 5 p.m., features the Museum’s vintage R1/9 railcars. Nostalgia Train passengers will travel from Midtown Manhattan to Queens Plaza and then proceed to the New York Transit Museum for a look at the museum’s latest exhibits and Museum Store. After an hour’s layover, the Nostalgia Train proceeds to Rockaway Park where passengers can break for lunch or stay on the train for an additional trip to Rockaway Avenue. At 4 p.m. the train leaves Rockaway Park via the A line to Jay Street, and the F line to 42nd Street for the conclusion of our trip.
On Sunday, July 13, 2008, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the New York Transit Museum’s second Nostalgia Train excursion is Coney Island Bound. Once again, the museum’s popular R1/9 fleet of vintage rail cars departs mid-town Manhattan for a day at the legendary amusement park. Passengers can ride the cyclone roller coaster, stroll the boardwalk, begin working on your summer tan or stay on the train for an additional ride to Whitehall Street in Manhattan. The train will then return to Coney Island to pick up passengers and at 4 p.m., the train leaves Coney Island via the F line to 42nd Street.
The museum’s last scheduled Nostalgia Train “Multi-Anniversary Tour of the IRT” excursion commemorates the 100th Anniversary of service to 242nd Street-Van Cortlandt Park. On Saturday, August 2, the post WW-II IRT SMEE cars will depart from Grand Central and proceed to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, then head north to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Enjoy a day at the park or stay on the train for an express run to 103rd Street. At 3 p.m. the train heads down to 96th Street and goes via the 2 line to Jackson Avenue, before returning to Grand Central.

For more information, call 718-694-1600.