Little Cousins Come to Visit the Island

It’s hard to believe that another Labor Day weekend is behind us, and I still have a number of things I would like to see and do on Long Island. Then again it’s only the unofficial end of summer; we still have a couple of weeks to go. Plus, fall is also a great time to go peeking around in our nearby towns, parks, museums and more. Little by little, I will cross places off my list!

There were a few things I got around to when my cousin’s children came to stay with me a few weeks ago. Having guests is definitely a great excuse to get out and about in your area. Granted, since they are kids, they spent a lot of time playing with my landlord’s kids and swimming in the pool, but we managed to get out of the house too.

There was a little walk along the boardwalk at Sunken Meadow Park. I mentioned the boardwalk a few weeks ago in this blog. It was a beautiful night, and with the kids being from upstate, they got a kick out of going down to the beach and getting some sand between their toes.

One afternoon we visited the Cradle of Aviation in Garden City right across from Nassau Coliseum. I brought my cousin’s son here last year and it was a big hit. The museum pretty much covers the history of aviation from the first plane to man walking on the moon to current times. It also celebrates Long Island’s and the company Grumman’s contribution to the miracle of flight. It’s definitely an educational experience, and there are also pieces scattered about where you can get a feel for how it feels to be a pilot or be in a fighter plane. There is also a small Fire Museum in the Cradle that not only demonstrates a short history of the development of fire prevention, but also teaches children what to do in an emergency. Last but not least, there’s the IMAX theatre that plays interesting shorts and feature films. This year we didn’t catch a film, but last year my cousin’s son and I caught a short film on dinosaurs and the IMAX experience is amazing.

The Cradle of Aviation is part of museum row which is home to the Long Island Children’s museum and most recently Nunley’s Carousel. We didn’t have a chance to visit the children’s museum, but you can bet we all took a ride on the carousel. The artwork and sculpted animals on Nunley’s Carousel is stunning. Created in 1912 the carousel has had a few homes and was place in storage in 1995. Purchased by Nassau County as a historical artifact, the carousel was restored and place in its new home this year.

At the end of the trip, it turned out the favorite was a night at Adventureland. (My goddaughter still had her POP bracelet on a week and a half later!) If you live on Long Island, then you are very familiar with this small yet fun amusement park. I found out it’s a perfect way to spend a few hours when you have kids. There’s pay one price bracelets, and there’s no entrance fee if you don’t go on anything. It’s filled with rides and various games, and while most rides are probably more geared towards the kiddies, there are some for teens and adults to enjoy. I met another cousin here with her little ones, and I liked the fact that from her youngest who is 3 years old to my cousin’s son who is 10 there was something for everyone to do and enjoy at every moment.

Well, I thought I wouldn’t fill the time for the three full days that the kids were here, but I did it without a problem. And of course, there are other places that I wish we had the chance to visit. I think next year I may have to keep them for at least a week to cover everything!