Relaxing-Fun » Places

Huntington Fall Festival 2011

Johnny Z — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:53:31 +0000

I’ve been taking the photos for the Huntington Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Festival for 3 years now, and every year it amazes me how many people come to see the festivities. Thousands flocked to Huntington to be a part of the day, whether it was to do some shopping with the vendors, go on rides, eat, or just be entertained by the many bands. I’d have to say it was a great weekend. Of course, it is a hard and long weekend of work for me, but I get to meet a lot of good people a the event so it is always worthwhile.

I always submit several hundred photos and take several thousand at an event like this. Here is a small sample of shots I took that weekend.

Hurrican Irene Photos Long Island

Johnny Z — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:00:22 +0000

I left the house to see if any stores were open around 1 PM today (August 28th, 2011) and to see what damage there was in my neighborhood. Going out, there were no working traffic lights and the roads were littered with branches and leaves. In some areas, large trees were uprooted and haphazardly strewn about like toothpicks. I took a few pictures form my Droid X of some of the trees. It is going to take a while to clean Long Island up.

4th of July Fireworks Photos

Johnny Z — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:51:40 +0000

I had the good fortune of remembering a great place to watch the fireworks this year. The ledge on top of Steers Pit in Northport provides a great vantage point to check out the sunset and also the many fireworks that shell the north shore of Long Island on July 4th. We got there early enough to watch the sunset and had primo seating for the fireworks.

Luray Caverns

Johnny Z — Wed, 18 May 2011 01:27:34 +0000

The Luray Caverns located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, is a place we had heard about while traveling in Virginia so we decided to make a day trip there.

The place was amazing and eery at the same time. The path you take is is dark, dank, and mysterious. Slimy walls and indoor ponds add to the mystique of the route. Being in the caverns makes you feel as though you are on another planet or in a book. I’d recommend the visit for anyone going to The Shenandoah Valley that wants a short hike and to spend some time underground. Make sure to bring a good camera and realize there won’t be much light there.

Luray Caverns
101 Cave Hill Road
Luray, VA. 22835

Indonesian Motocross

Johnny Z — Sun, 15 May 2011 04:25:35 +0000

On the way back from Pamanukan, Darwin and I happened across a motocross event. We stopped for a while and watched as the locals raced motorcycles on the track. I enjoyed hanging out there for a while, but it is at events like this that being a big white non Indonesian speaking white boy makes you stand out like a sore thumb. People are interested, but the language barrier is too strong.

I found that motocross and motorcycle racing is popular there. Indramayu is short of recreational options, but I did see this, football (soccer), and volleyball being played at times during my stay.

Quite possibly the oldest woman in the world

Johnny Z — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:49:39 +0000

My wife’s grandmother is perhaps the oldest woman in the world. When I was there 2 years ago, they said she was 112 years old. That would make her 114 now. She appeared to be in good shape and helped with cooking and laundry. She even rode on the back of the motorcycle to get around. I’ve entered he in the Guiness book of World Records to see if they can help verify her age and possibly crown her the oldest woman in the world.

Huntington Chamber of Commerce Luau 2010

Johnny Z — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:50:37 +0000

I was at the Huntington Chamber of Commerce’s annual Luau again this year. I was there taking photos for Nightingale PR.

The Best Thai Food on Long Island – Sri Thai

Johnny Z — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:33:36 +0000

The best Thai food on Long Island? We think we’ve found it here at Sri Thai in Huntington Village. I’d like to preface this by saying I lived in Thailand for about 6 months and explored the country with a keen desire to learn about the locals and the land. The yearning for some dishes have stayed with me for life. Don’t get me wrong, some Thai foods have left me wishing I stayed at home as they don’t mix with my Western palate, however, there are quite a few dishes that are extremely satisfying and Sri Thai makes me remember the finer foods from Thailand nostalgically.

One thing that separates them is the staff is Thai. Many Thai restaurants on Long Island are Chinese run. I know because I speak Chinese and lived in Taiwan for 7 years. They do their best but I haven’t been to a restaurant that can meet Sri Thai’s standards. The staff is extremely friendly and kind; they know our names and seem genuinely happy we are their regulars.

On this visit, we started with the Tom Yum Kung, a sour and spicy soup with Shrimp. My wife loves the spice in it.

Tom Yum Kung

The staff always makes flowers out of the paper they leave on the straws. They make some very intricate and pleasant designs with them. I always see them in their spare time crafting the little flowers. They are wont to focus on the little details that make the experience quality.

straw paper flowers

We tried the new line of ginger ales they started carrying. The fact they use sugar cane and not corn syrup had me excited but I wasn’t used to the flavor of the drink. Next time it is back to Coke.

ginger ales

This dish is my favorite dish in the world. Spicy and a little sweet from the coconut milk, the soupy panang curry with chicken and vegetables is out of this world. I can’t go more than a month without eating this, and this is my favorite place to go for it. If you like moderately spicy food, get this dish.

Panang Chicken and Rice

My daughter loves the Chicken fried rice, and again, they make it better than anywhere I’ve been, including many Chinese restaurants. I can’t help but eat lots of this too when there.

Chicken Fried Rice

For desert, we tried the fried bananas. You can see the presentation is fantastic. It was yummy too. Not a huge desert but there is usually not much room left after the main dishes.

Fried Bananas

14 New Street
Huntington, NY 11743-3569
(631) 424-3422

Open Tue-Thu 12pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-10:30pm; Sun 12pm-9:30pm

If you think your favorite Long Island Thai restaurant can beat this, let me know and we’ll happily put it to the test!

Scenes from the campfire and micro hibachi

Johnny Z — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:21:21 +0000

We spent the last day of our 2010 vacation in Maryland at Tuckahoe State Park. We did some fishing at a canoe/kayak launching point near our campsite and had a great go of it. At one point there was a string of 4 times we threw the hook in the water and we had bites almost immediately. We bought a small Hibachi and grilled the fish and some hot dogs. Our timing wasn’t good, as we ran out of sunlight (because we had to go on a long trip to pick up more items at the local grocery which wasn’t close). It did make for some cool photos though. The flashlight light was just enough to illuminate the grill, smoke, and food. Some other pictures I took are of of the fire pit. There is something about fire that makes it an interesting subject.

Bailey Arboretum

Johnny Z — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:45:55 +0000

We spent a couple hours of our memorial day at the Bailey Arboretum in Lattingtown. We stumbled upon it one day a year ago while driving to Bayville and it is a gem. Both times we’ve been there we nearly had the run of the place to ourselves. The only sounds were of birds, chipmunks, and the wind.

The first garden area, behind the welcome center, has several wooden chairs for relaxing and just breathing in the fresh air and enjoying the country life. There are flowers planted all around the area and depending on when you go, might have some blooming. They have some blocks for children to play with and an interesting wooden xylophone that any child (or adult) will love to bang on for a while. The grass fields are great for running around, playing hide and go seek, or picnicking, which is allowed. Don’t forget to check out the giant-sized chair too.

After playing around and looking at the trees, flowers, grass, and surroundings, we decided to hit the trail for a hike. It is set up with signs about the ecology and development of Long Island since the ice ages. We saw many chipmunks running rampant and also a small bunny on our trip. Aliya loved our time there and I recommend, to anyone that has kids and a desire to relax in a peaceful environment, go there and have a romp around the premises.

The cost is the best part. It is free, but you can donate whatever you can to help support maintenance there. I like places like this because you can pay a little if you only stay for a short time or pay more if you happen to stay for many hours at a time.

Bailey Arboretum

Address:

Bayville Road and Feeks Lane
Lattingtown, NY 11542

www.baileyarboretum.org/

Phone Number: 516-571-8020

Email: baileyarboretum@optonline.net

Map: