There was a little museum row pretty close to the marathon. (I passed by it when going to the expo the day before.)
And the shuttle bus driver dropped me right there after the race. (How nice, right?)
I figured, hey, while in Long Island… If you’re ever gonna go to those museums, might as well do it while you’re right there!
So, in I went to the Cradle of Aviation Museum, and the Nassau County Firefighter’s Museum.
And I also stopped in to ride Nunley’s Carousel.
The Firefighter’s Museum was small but mighty. There were some things dedicated to the memory of firefighters who lose their lives on September 11. It was overwhelming how many names there were.
On a less sad, and more silly note, they had all these games that seemed to be geared toward children. But some of the options would be so dark.
For instance, there was this little thing about smoke detectors and escape plans. And one of the options was, “If you don’t have a smoke detector, you may never wake up.” And it’s like, “Okay, that’s true. And smoke detectors are important. But, dang, museum!
As far as the aviation museum part, there were all the planes and everything you’d kind of expect at an aviation museum. Then, upstairs, there was kind of a Hall of Fame along the walls.
One of the people showcased was Mary L. Cleave. The funny part about her story was that she originally wanted to be a “stewardess.” (That’s the wording of the plaque – not my sexist language!)
However, she was too short. So, she became an astronaut instead. Crazy, right?
Once the museums closed, I went back to my hotel. (Yeah, I stayed one more night… ’cause why not?)
Then, I took the LIRR back to New York. (Look at me with those fancy trains, doing New York stuff!) And then I got Planet Smoothie in Penn Station on my way to work… Mmmmm Planet Smoothie – my favorite thing in the world.
I’d say it was a successful weekend!