What To Do When You Can't Do Much

Yes, money is tight, life is harder and no one seems to know where the world is going, no one feels confident, safe or secure with their lives, jobs, health or positions in society given the signs of societies collapse.

So it’s now the middle of summer and you ask, what the hell have I done this summer? And the answer to a man or a woman is nothing. Absolutely nothing!

You don’t have drinking money, you don’t have eating money and it looks like you won’t have rent money either at least, not on time. So now what? As I write this entry the clouds and the sun fight over the sky for space as thunder angrily growls at the day. So what does one do? I have considered the attractions one can partake in with little or no funds and I’ve come up with this list:

1) State Parks or County Parks; Jones Beach is open all year but you’d better check to see if lifeguards are on duty before you jump in the water. Point Lookout is a County Beach, which doesn’t have a long boardwalk like Jones Beach but is a nice place to enjoy a breezy afternoon. You can try local parks like Hempstead State Lake Park or Eisenhower Park. Eisenhower Park is at Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in Westbury, NY (formerly Salisberry State Park) has pools, bands, monuments and a golf course, plenty of shade trees and bathrooms.

2) Museums, Arboretums and Monuments: The Long Island Museum located at 1200 Route 25A; Stony Brook, NY 11790; phone 631-751-0066. Open Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m.; Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. $9/adults, $7/seniors, $4/children 6-17 and college students with I.D. Free for children under six and museum members.

If you want to get away from Long Island but not go into Manhattan try the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052. Wednesday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Thursday: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Call Telephone: (718) 638-5000

Suggested Contribution:	$10
Students with Valid ID:	$6
Adults 62 and over:	$6
Members:	Free
Children under 12:	Free

3) If you want to stay on Long Island and enjoy a local museum that’s alive and kicking you might want to go to The Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, New York, just east of Huntington. It is one of the last of the Gold Coast Mansions and it has a variety of events going on. Located at 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport New York 11721-0605 (631) 854-5555

4) If you want to enjoy a leisurely tour of a gold coast mansion and experience the park like atmosphere of an arboretum, then you must go to Coe Hall in Oyster Bay, NY. Park Open From 9AM - 5PM • 1395 Planting Fields Road Oyster Bay. NY 11771 • (516) 922-8600 Coe Hall also known as Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park, Long Island’s premier public arboretum and historic site located in Oyster Bay, New York.

A former Gold Coast estate, the arboretum is comprised of 409 acres of greenhouses, rolling lawns, formal gardens, woodland paths, and outstanding plant collections.

The original historic estate buildings remain including the 65 room Tudor Revival mansion, Coe Hall, which is open for tours spring through fall. The grounds, landscaped by the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, are spectacularly beautiful year round. Educational programs are offered for children and adults. Planting Fields is an ideal location for wedding photography.

So If you don’t have a lot of spending cash and just want to check out the scenery these are a few of my suggestions. Jones Beach is in Wantagh at the end of the Meadowbrook Parkway. Point Lookout is the last exit off the Meadowbrook going toward Long Beach. Call the Town Of Hempstead for information about Point Lookout.

Take Care

RJ