20 June 2015
Fire island is well-known for its no automobiles rule, gay community, and "no clothing allowed" beaches. Unfortunately the weather was not as planned, during our weekend stay, and I couldn't walk Samuel down to the gay, nudist beach. Although, I did get to know the area in which we stayed at called Point O' Woods (POW for short).
POW is like a step back in time, a small, untouched beach community where the cottages are all made of dark-washed out cedar. The cottages of sandy dunes! There were great gates (we called them "the wall" from game of thrones) that kept this community preserved and gave it a small-town feeling. The only sound that could be heard in POW is the distant rumbling of the waves crashing on shore.
Our friend whose house we stayed at seemed to know everyone in POW, as we biked past other kids and families on the island she said "hello" to everyone. In her home, there are black-and-white faded photographs of family members from years past. Her grandfather met her grandmother on these pearly-white sand dunes. I feel her connection to this part of the world.
On our bike ride of POW, we passed the town center where a wooden, beachy, stained-glass church stood in the dunes, unlike any architecture I have seen before. Besides the boardwalk and mini railroad used to carry freight and luggage, there was no signs of roads. You can spot the occasional white tailed deer prancing through the yards of residence, if you look carefully enough.
On our ferry ride from the island back to mainland, the salty taste wind whipped around us as we waved goodbye. Until next time Fire Island!
