Coney Island

View from the top of the Ferris Wheel

Saturday Dary and I joined Yasmin and Bri for an off island adventure. The destination: Coney Island-- a NYC classic that I had yet to visit. We were all pleasantly surprised by it all-- the beach was (contrary to popular belief) quite nice....huge, clean sand, with vendors selling everything from popsicles to pina coladas....I haven't seen such beach service since Brazil!

After bronzing ourselves we checked out the park-- some odd games no doubt:

Somewhere along our stroll, I got pulled into the line for the Cyclone. Despite explanation and pleading that I do not DO roller coasters, I was forced into the tiny seats of this rickety excuse for an amusement park ride. Let me tell you, I was far from amused. Safe to say it was one of the scariest experiences of my life...being jolted from the free-fall sensation to full stop, all the while hearing and feeling the unsteadiness of the wooden rails below us. Biggest regret of the day (aside from the ride itself) was not purchasing the picture that they took of our group (and were probably selling for $20 dolla). It was pretty similiar to this one which we took before the ride began, except my eyes and mouth were clenched shut and knuckles white with the force of my grip. The others, of course were mouths wide open, hands up, full grins.

After my stomach finally settled from the ride of my life, we headed to Totonno's Pizzeria (clearly a Yasmin-the-food-genius find). As our mouths watered waiting over an hour for our pies, Yasmin informed us that it was the oldest continuously operating pizzeria in the US that is still run by the original family....and clearly, there's a reason for that. The pizza was near perfect, we all agreed-- thin crispy crust, sweet tomato sauce, and a perfect ratio of cheese. Worth the wait, and the weight (the 4 of us downed 2 large pizzas).

The perfect ending to a perfect day.