Ong Island is made up of four counties...Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk. Donn and I are both very close to the border between Suffolk and Nassau, I'm in Nassau and he's in Suffolk.

I would definately recommend a day at Jones Beach. THere is an area called Zachs Bay which has almost no waves--a lot of families with young children go there.

In Nassau we have something called Museum Row which has a childrens musueum, a firemens musuem, cradle of aviation museum with an IMAX.

Here is a link that might be useful: Museum Row

Until long after Labor Day, everyplace on Long Island is packed. It takes twice as long as it should to drive to any beaches, campgrounds or attractions, and nothing is inexpensive.

That said, my favorite campgrounds on the island is Hither Hills State Park. If you're determined to deal with the crowds, and can get a reservation, it's a great place. It was recently voted one of the top 100 campgrounds in the country, and it's worth the effort if for no other reason than 2 miles of gorgeous ocean beach.

Long Island, Suffolk County has a great Water Park called Splish Splash, I have not been there myself, but those that have been raved about it. I believe its in Riverhead off the Long Island Expressway, possibly exit 73. Or you could take a ride out to Montauk Point and have a picnic.

Adventureland in Farmingdale has rides for little ones, again off the Long Island Expressway, should be exit 49 South. If I think of any others I'll post it here.
Alberta

29 years ago Hubs and I met on a blind date at AdventureLand! Our son works in Melville, just a few blocks from there.

This may not excite the ankle-biter, but the east end of the island had dozens of primo nurseries.

Our boy is home grown. He love plants; especially tomatoes. He goes where I go.

Thanks for the wonderful ideas. I will let you know where we end up.

Patrick

OK I worked at Adventureland too... very small world. Wildwood State Park is a folksy alternative to the coveted Hither Hills. You can check it out at:
http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=52
Trudi your "surprise pack" tomato seeds are making me giggle. I think I have some yellow grape tomatoes and a couple that look more like peppers than tomatoes... square tomatoes! Hail Wintersowing!
George

Hi George,

When I was sixteen I went on the octopus, got sick, hurled and sprayed the whole crowd. LOL. Hmmm, the good old days--I'm so glad I've outgrown them. I just read about a week ago that the county raised enough money to restore the old Nunley's Carousel ;-) (LI nostalgia)

Someone asked me just today about those "pepper tomatoes", they're a variety from Russia called "Novogogoshary". When you cut it open you'll see that it's almost "all wall", this is because it's a variety for stuffing. Last year Hubs and I enjoyed them often for lunch, I cut the tops off and removed the seeds from the cavity and spooned in some cottage cheese mixed with fresh chives. Yumyum.

The yellow cherries might be BlondeKupfchen--they seem to have a bit of a point at the end, they are not large, like thumbnail size and quite yum. And extremly prolific. I had one volunteer in the garden this year and it's giving me a cereal bowl of toms every day. Fortunately they're quite addictive, I pick them in the morning and leave the bowl on the kitchen counter--it's empty by mid afternoon.

T

We made it to Long Island but only as far as Brooklyn! We decided to go to the city via train and tour on the citysights double decker buses. The view of Manhattan from the foot of the Brooklyn bridge is spectacular. It was a thrill to see our son experience the wonders of the city. I will post some pictures in a couple of days. Thank you all for the great advice. We will have to investigate the eastern towns on Long Island in the spring of the year.

Thanks,
Patrick

I'm glad you had a nice time! Hubs and I were in the city today, we were walking along Central Park and saw a double decker tour bus and we were wondering about their service. Maybe you can fill us in. Are the double decker tour buses an all-day pass with specified routes so you can get off to see something and then get back on later and go to the next destination of your choice?

T

I recommend the bus tour if you are interested in seeing a lot in one or two days. You can travel on four loops (Downtown, Uptown, Brooklyn, and Night Tour; and circle line boat and NYC museum tickets at central park) for about fifty bucks and the boarding passes are valid for 48 hrs. Most of the loops depart from times square near Penn station and you can hop off and on and many locations throughout the city. We found it to work very well for our young son; he napped during one of the loops. We only waited about 10 to 15 minutes for another bus to pick us up.

Check out the site

citysightsny.com

Enjoy!

Do you stay in the city or travel in for the day? We are looking for a reasonable hotel for a trip in October.

Patrick

Patrick,

I somehow missed this discussion this week and wanted to let you know that if you do get to the east end in the spring, I'll make you a list of wonderful things for families with young children to do! I've raised my kids (now teens)out here and we were always on the go - beaches, parks, musuems, aquarium, playgrounds, farms. And, as Donn said, there are LOTS of great garden centers to browse through when you want some entertainment of your own!

Nancy

We are most interested in beaches and farms (GRAPE FARMS! Ahem.) Not that we are wine elitists but we do enjoy the entire processes that occur on vineyards. I have watched television shows about the northern portion of LI and there were some cool farms featured. And of course we would like to catch a striper or two.

Patrick

"And of course we would like to catch a striper or two."

Well, be sure to let me know when and where. I'm pretty dialed in to Striper fishing on this island, and I'm sure I can steer you to some fish. Let me know if you plan to bring tackle, and if so, what kind. Best time of the year is May-September, depending on where you'll be.

Donn,

I found this interesting read on our local fishing site. The article below describes competition for water between Long Island surfers and fishermen.

By the way we fish for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay all year. There is a decent population of schoolies most of the year. The Delaware Bay is dead. Not as many fish in my neighborhood. I would love to see my son Patrick, age 3, hook into a nice fish. Maybe on his next mancation.

Mancation = Men's Vacation!

www.thebassbarn.com

SURF-TURF WAR

'BOARDERS' VS. ANGLERS FOR L.I. SEAS

By SELIM ALGAR

();
KEEPING IT REEL: Surfers teem around the Montauk Point coast over this past weekend as an angler waits hopefully for the fish to bite.

August 27, 2007 -- It's a totally gnarly dispute - pitting surfer dudes vs. surf fishermen.
And the ticketing of a surfing legend's fianc for illegal wave riding on the north side of Montauk Point, L.I., has only further stoked tensions between the area's anglers and its burgeoning community of wave riders.
The two groups are tussling over use of a small strip of shoreline in an area that prohibits surfing but allows surfcasting.
The fishermen claim that surfers make it impossible for them to freely throw out their lines into the water and that the boarders also drive fish from the coveted fishing destination.
Surfers, asserting a natural right to use the shore resource, have flouted the prohibition and benefited from lax enforcement for several years. But increased complaints from anglers have led to an increase in patrolling and ticketing of surfers in recent months.
Longboarding legend Terry Simms, 48, of California, said he was hassled and trailed by a parks officer earlier this summer. His fiancée, Nancy Opitz, 38, said she had finished surfing in late July when a patrol car pulled up behind her vehicle and gave her a ticket.
"Nothing like this happens in California," Opitz said of her citation, which wound up being dismissed on a technicality last week.
"Montauk is not just a fishing town anymore."
But the fishermen disagree. "This is really the last area we have left," said Jay Blatt of the Montauk Surfcasters Association.
Blatt said that casting heavy lures and sharp hooks out into a crowd of surfers puts them in danger.
"The two activities are not compatible in the same area," he said.
Blatt said surfers have successfully petitioned to open up all other areas of Montauk for surfing and are gradually squeezing out fishermen.
"This is a fishing town. It has been for centuries," he said. "But they think they should be able to surf any time, anywhere, anyplace. They're out to usurp us."
Tom Naro, chairman of the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the Surfriders Association, said the fishermen are being alarmist.
"We're not trying to exclude anybody," he said. "But no one user group should have the spot to themselves."
Naro also dismissed Blatt's claims that surfers scare away fish and that they are regularly hooked by wayward casts.
"You have to want to hook a surfer if you're going to hook him," he said, saying that the two activities can co-exist safely.
New York State Parks spokesman George Gorman said a meeting is planned on the issue in the coming weeks and that the surfers are actively fighting to have the prohibition lifted.
He noted an increase in organization on the part of East Coast surfers.
"They grew up and became attorneys," he said.
selim.algar@nypost.com

Anyone who would try to ride a surfboard at Montauk Point needs to have his head examined. One of the reasons the fishing there is so good is the incredible rocks, in the water, right off the point. I've fished the point, from both directions, hundreds of times, and I have trouble figuring out the currents, tides and other conditions. For years, there's been a war between the surfcasters and boat fishermen at the point. The casters are hurling 1 pound eels on 12/0 hooks, and the boaters are trying to fly-fish the rocks without trashing their boats. It's mayhem when the fish are in. Huge Bluefish and Stripers hit the point together. I certainly wouldn't want to be in the water.

Patrrick,

Thanks fo the details on the double decker bus. 2 days of use for $50 is a good price.

When Hubs and I travel we use the provisions of tourism junkets because it removes a lot of worries or arguments about what to see and how to get there.

T

Trudi,

I assume you use the Long Island Railroad to Penn Station. The train was a great deal for us. No parking no driving; not that it is a major problem in NYC.

PC

Yes, we always take the train into Manhattan. Saturday we went to the Central Park Zoo and MOMA.