52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History Water

Water Week 29: Water. Do you have any memories of the sea or another body of water? Did you live there or just visit? What did you do there? You can also describe a body of water by which you live or visit in the present day.

Mary & Mom 1949

Do I have memories of water! Until I moved to Arizona I called myself a water baby! I still am but somehow living in the middle of the desert makes me forget. I keep waiting for California to fall in the ocean so it would be closer to me. (Just Kidding)

My earliest memories of the beach were going to Jones Beach in Long Island. I loved going to the beach it was really a special occasion for us as a family. I like playing in the waves on the ocean side but I like swimming in the bay side which was has calmer water. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jones_Beach_State_Park
http://nysparks.com/parks/10/details.aspx

Here is a quote from their web site. “Jones Beach State Park is a world-class swimming destination. The park offers surf bathing along its 6.5 miles of ocean beach, one-half mile of bay beach for still water bathing, and two swimming pools.” It seemed to take us forever to get there but any travel in a car takes a long time for a kid. I just Google the map and direction and the drive time is 40 minutes for a 29 mile drive. Not really that long.

Mary in Nantucket 1958

Another fond memory of the beach was in Nantucket Island when we went to visit our Grandparents. Here is a picture of my friend Miriam Hull when I was ten. We were pen pals for a lot of years; I think she also went to nursing school. I thought it was wonderful to live only two blocks from the beach.

Mom and my brothers Don & George 1959 Fort Lauderdale

The best time of all was when we moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and my Dad for awhile was off work at 3 PM so every afternoon we all piled into the car and drove to the beach. I think the second summer we were in Fort Lauderdale my Dad signed us up for a membership at the Beach Club. It was a hotel on the beach with a pool and cabanas. We had that membership until I was junior in high school. I am sure it was a way for the hotel to do some business during the summer months when all the snow birds were gone. I am sure they don’t need to do it anymore. I am not even sure it is still there.

Anyway I learned to dive off the high dive at the Beach Club. I remember the first year I wasn’t a very strong swimmer yet. I had decided to swim to the shallow end to the deep end but not the diving end. I ran out of strength when I got to the six foot end. My Dad noticed I was in trouble and he ran all the way from the cabana to the pool to help me get out. Makes me wonder were the life guard was and why he didn’t notice. I am pretty sure they had them.

My love affair with the beach continued into my teens and young adult years.  During spring break one of my friends and I would drive down 1A or Atlantic Blvd and look at all the crazy college kids.  I think lucky for us we couldn't find a parking spot. 

When I worked in Miami as a visiting nurse I loved it when I had patients in South Beach as I could drive down Ocean Drive, park and take a short break to look at the ocean.  On weekends I would ride my bike to Key Biscayne Park and go to the beach there.  Fond memories. 

Of course my love of the ocean lead me to learn how to scuba dived.  I did most of mu diving off the Florida Keys and you can read about that in these posts listed below. http://meandmyancestors.blogspot.com/search/label/Scuba%20Diving
http://meandmyancestors.blogspot.com/2011/06/52-weeks-of-personal-genealogy-history_7128.html

I have seen the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Sea of Cortez also known as the Gulf of California. I love them all.  I miss the water and my husband is not a beach fan so I don't see it a lot any more.