Today our plan is a trip out to long island.  I think I have figured out that the way to map our trips ( always RV planning here)  is to start by plotting the  farthest points we intend to go into the  good sam’s mapping program, using  it to search for the things you may want to see between here and there, it isn’t really friendly for plotting a route. Then, for us, I prefer to enter all those points into google maps.  It is an extra step but good sams does come up with places no-one else does, just as other mapping programs are better at ease of use.

In the end we settled on heading towards Massapequa because it seemed to have all the things we like.  A place to walk, a bakery and candy shop, and a gourmet market.  So off to  Massapequa Preserve for the walk and Uncle Giuseppes for the best gourmet market experience , with stops planned to see the Seahorse and Big Chief Lewis for photos (found via good sam and not found anywhere else UPDATE: where good sams sent us wasn’t worth it.. the chief lewis was a dud.  Im rethinking good sam’s altogether.), then on to kirsch’s for lunch and candy, and the Front Street Bakery where we will taste test and select a treat or two to bring home.  Front Street Bakery, like our other choices for the day were voted best of Long Island  by almost a million voters in 2018.  so off we go, lets see what we wind up doing.

Brad remembered that I wanted to check in at the Queens Museum to see how the set up of the new exhibition was going.  We saw the beginnings last week and figure to check on it.  We went get to see it again until its finished as we will be traveling our separate ways for a while.

UPDATE: We were home by 9 and really enjoyed the day.  Though the Big Chief lewis was a dud the rest of the trip ( all found by an hour of google searches) was great.  We adjusted our route and began at the Queens Museum to check up on the progress of the installation.  We even chatted with the guys doing the instal, I was thrilled.  Its the job I want to have when I grow up.

Here is a before and after photo…

If you look closely you can see the tape dotted on the wall last week and this week a whole ( or partial) sculpture is hanging.

here are some other photos of before and after

You can see above they have unpacked boxes and in the later photo they are constructing the leaves that will be hung on the wall.

 

and here you an see they have painted the bag wall and uncovered what looks like the door to a vault. 

So far the trip is 100%.  Then I spotted the crew doing the work, they were gracious and open once they knew I was seriously curious.  It seems the guys who do the installations are primarily former or struggling artists.  They are hired by the museum to do the instal and supervised by a guy on site (Bob) who works for the artist and has installed this piece a number of times before.  How cool is that.  They actually are called preparator’s.

Knowing the day couldn’t get any better next stop- Front Street Bakery in Rockville Center.  But it did get batter.  It was Irish Day and though we missed the parade we did see the town out walking and celebrating. 

And after a bit of a wait at the Front Street Bakery we walked away with a devil dog cupcake, some cookies, and, yes, a green pretzel , and it was gooooood!!!!

An old fashioned soda fountain swelled with locals enjoying burgers and ice ream. At 4 pm they were lining up for tables.  We had a good burger and an acceptable Philly Cheesesteak followed by a bowl of ice cream with hot fudge and a piece of cake to go.  A big piece of moist chocolate cake.  When we went to pay the bill I couldn’t resist picking up a few pieces of house made chocolate.  I resisted buying any of the 2000 solid chocolate statues that were filling the side room.  and we had yet to get to the preserve.

From the little I was able to read the preserve was 240 or 425 acres, established about 2013, with two pathways each about two miles long.  Thats not exactly what we found, but we did enjoy the walk.  And when you let yourself look around, and no

 

t rush , there is plenty to see.

Do you think those might be bunny tracks?

We walked about a mile and a half, met a dog, skipped a stone, crossed a highway, and learned that there is a twenty mile bike path from the south up to the north shore. 

As if I hadn’t had my fill I still had Uncle Giuseppes to try.  And it was as god as I had hoped.  A full scale market, clean, bright, filled with high quality produce and prepared foods.  Brad said no more sweets so I snuck in some non-parielles at the end and came home with dumplings, spanakopita, chicken marsala, and fruit and veggies for the week.