It eventually turned into real "huddled on the beach in the mist" weather, but CoolDaughter #2 and I had a great day walking the boards in Asbury Park yesterday. I'd brought her there, while CoolMom and CoolDaughter #1 were on their Girl Scout camping trip, to take her to the Silverball Museum for some pinball, Skee-Ball, Centipede, and Ms. Pac-Man. We had to wait for a private party to end, though, so we had to figure out a way to kill about two hours.
We wandered through the Grand Arcade and looked at Tillie T-shirts, Springsteen posters, clocks and bowls made from old, vinyl records, and photos of the old resort town that Asbury Park used to be. We got our pictures taken in a photo booth, took in the smells of freshly roasted coffee, and bought a bag of triple cheddar popcorn. Then we started walking to the other end of the boardwalk. She excitedly pointed Tillie out to me as we passed the Wonder Bar. I told her about the Stone Pony while she begged me for ice cream, italian ice, and crepes. We both commented on how cool the skeleton of the Casino looked through the fog, and then we grabbed lunch at Langosta Lounge so we could get out of the mist.
We finally got our chance to go into the Silverball Museum. While I absolutely loved the place, I think it was a bit of a letdown for her. The machines were all too tall for her, and she got bored watching me try to get the high score on Centipede. She showed an aptitude for Ms. Pac-Man that impressed me, though, and she did love playing Skee-Ball.
Unlike CoolMom and me, CoolDaughters 1 & 2 are native New Jerseyans. I hope they realize just how cool that makes them. I also hope they get how cool of a place Asbury Park can be. I won't lie. Finding two hours of stuff worth doing in the rain, on the boardwalk, with a five-year-old isn't easy there. They need to know that the place is important, though. Not only because of what came from there, but also because of what it can continue to be. Bamboozle (meh) and All Tomorrow's Parties (for the second year in a row) have chosen it for their big music festivals, and it's the closest thing we have around here to an urban center, with all of the creativity (and, yes, problems) that brings.
CD #2 had fun there yesterday. She has that ridiculous strip of pictures up in her room, and she got to play pinball on a machine made in 1955. Soon the place will be full of summer crowds "boppin' down the beach with the radio" and spending money. As Asbury makes its slow climb up to whatever it's going to be when my kids are old enough to really appreciate it, I hope the powers that be follow the advice I saw posted on a wall as we walked on the boardwalk. Retain the city's distinctly New Jersey character and "Keep Asbury weird!"
No comments :
Post a Comment