Saturday in the park …

 Jones Beach State Park, that is.

It’s a barrier island off Long Island’s south shore, a strip of oceanfront property.  A boardwalk separates the beach from the dunes.  You’ll find all sorts of park services along the boardwalk — concession stands, restaurants, bathhouses, ballfields, a playground …

A perfect place for a walk on a Saturday afternoon.

Outfit of the day: black capris, my “Moody Blues” concert tee, sneakers and my blue hoodie.  Hair pulled back in a headband — the beach can get windy.  Grabbed my bottle of water and drove the 11 miles to the beach. Parked at Field 4 (Central Mall), right near the famous water tower.

The park opened in 1929, and is celebrating its 95th anniversary this year.

The original features of the park were developed in the 1930’s.  All that cool Art Deco architecture.

For the first part of the walk I headed east, towards Field 6.  I wanted photos of the East Bathhouse, but it’s under renovation and hidden by construction fencing,

Still, there was plenty to see.

  

  

I am not sure what kind of ship that is.  Probably cargo.

And aircraft.

The seagulls apparently live at Field 6.

The Jones Beach Theater is a great concert venue,  I’ve seen Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Neil Diamond, John Fogerty … anyhow, you can see the theater from the Boardwalk.

You can’t go further east than Field 6. So I turned around and walked west, back to Central Mall, and then kept going.

The Music Shell, a very small entertainment venue.

And then up to the West Bathhouse.

The bathhouse is home to Gatsby on the Ocean, a full service restaurant and catering establishment.  Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, was set on Long Island, and the restaurant evokes the glamor of that era.

Great dunes.

A bit of history.

And as I was leaving I noticed the monument.

Great walk, as always.