Year 3 - Day 228 - August 15

My other souvenir is a teeshirt from my favorite golf place. I probably won't wear it out and about, it'll be a pool/beach/lounging/PJ's tee shirt, but it was only $5. All 4 holes depicted on here are ones that I have mastered. :) Love it!

Year 3 - Day 224 - August 11

Today we jumped in the car at 8am and went to Long Beach Island, NJ. I grew up going there and haven't been since the fall of 98, shortly before my parents sold the beach house. It was cloudy and drizzling for most of our ride, but as we approached the bridges and the shack, we saw blue sky!

Our first stop was bagels for lunch. The remnants of my salt bagel. They're the best. It's like permission to eat a hot pretzel for breakfast or lunch!

My favorite bagel shop on the island is Bageleddi's in Ship Bottom. I was terribly excited to find out they still had a good bagel selection at 11am. Sometimes the good flavors (you know, the salt ones) are gone by then. Whew. This was probably because every one was either coming or going from the island at this moment! (All the rentals go Saturday-Saturday)

After getting to the B&B, changing into our suits, picking up the beach badges and getting to the beach, the clouds rolled in once again. I honestly was never uncomfortable on the beach and Mike wasn't roasting, but it was breezy and not prime beach weather. We stayed for a couple hours and then headed back as the rain rolled in. While it rained, Mike went for a run. (I think he's nuts, but it's his favorite running conditions - breezy but not windy, not hot, rainy, and super flat!) I enjoyed the sugary treats and hot chocolate that the B&B had out for afternoon tea and watched Olympics. I find that far preferable to rainy exercise!

After dinner at Kubel's next to the B&B, we headed down the island to do the 2 things I really wanted to do. (Honestly, the beach was an extra. I can go to the beach anywhere. These were the things that make my beach vacations complete!) First we went to Flamingo Golf. There are flashier, prettier, harder courses around. But this one is my favorite. If you are careful, aim well, and time your shots, 16 of the holes are relatively easy. My brother & I used to go to the tournaments on Thursday mornings when we were little, and I got really good at this course. One day I got either 10 or 11 holes in one, and 7 of them were in a row! That was exciting for me because for years they had a record board up and the tournament record was 6 in a row. I broke it! We went and saw my name on the board. Of course this was the 80's or 90's so we didn't have a camera with us. THE NEXT WEEK SOMEONE GOT 8 IN A ROW. My short lived moments of fame. :) (At least in my head!) Now 7 and 8 are routine, but they start over every year. Today I only got 4 and I don't think any were in a row. Totally off my game. :)

After golf, we kept heading south the Beach Haven to enjoy a delicious elephant ear. They're a cinnamon, sugar, buttery pastry. So so good. They're about a foot across, maybe not quite that big, and you can go in to sugar shock if you try to eat the whole thing by yourself. (I speak from experience!) But it's so so so good.

On our way back to the car I had to check out the new "Surf Shack" at the waterslide park. It's a FlowRider, just like on cruise ships! I think it's wider than the ones on cruise ships though. Saturday night must be "people who know what they're doing" night because it was really fun to watch them and there were minimal wipe outs.

Year 2 - Day 168 - June 18

To celebrate our friend's 33rd birthday today, we had a kid birthday party! We played mini-golf and then went to Pizza Hut. As she said, the only way it could be more kid-ish is if she was using "Book It" points for her pizza. We had a fun relaxing evening ... and with her 33 stroke birthday handicap, she won! :)

Year 2 - Day 155 - June 5

We decided to use a BOGO coupon from our Entertainment book today and visit our local mini golf place in Churchville. As a golfing place, it was fine, but it's reaching the point of being very obvious it's not taken care of. I think it might have been in great condition a couple years ago, but it is getting old looking now. We had a pleasant time and it wasn't busy, so it had that going for it. We followed up with a BOGO coupon at Rita's. So really, for a Sunday afternoon of relaxing, $7 isn't so bad!!