Mumford's N.Y. Manhattan Temple Mission: Celebrating the 4th of July--in NYC!!

Well we (okay it was a "request" from me ( Sister Mumford) that we "run" out to Coney Island ( about a 60-min Subway ride) to see what it was all about. I have heard about this landmark so much-- now we're here--we ought to go see it, right?! Well, we should have talked with the "locals" first, or we would not have chosen the 4th of July, the first real holiday of the summer, to venture out there!. It seems that is the " destination of hundreds. . . No, THOUSANDS, of people on this day!!
Just a little info:
Coney Island is a peninsular residential neighborhood, beach, and leisure/entertainment destination on the Coney Island Channel, which is part of the Lower Bay in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, New York City. It features an amusement area that includes 50 or more separate rides and attractions; it's not a centrally managed amusement park like Disneyland or Six Flags. ... Luna Park, Scream Zone & The Cyclone Roller Coaster. Now one of those Roller Coasters is quite old and is actually made of wood--but I think it is still in use.(see some information below about the roller coasters at Coney Island).
Coney Island is home to three rides protected as New York City landmarks listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Wonder Wheel (1918), now part of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster (1927), owned by the City and operated by Luna Park and the towering Parachute Jump (1938), no longer in action since 1968 but still standing strong since its debut at the New York World's Fair in 1939.
Coney Island History Comes Alive on the Cyclone Roller Coaster!The Mother of American roller coaster culture and the “Big Momma” of Coney Island, the Cyclone tops everyone’s list of things to do in New York City. Get ready to shake, rattle, rumble and roll over 2,640 feet of track featuring 12 drops and 27 elevation changes that still has the stuff to take your breath away. Slowly rise to panoramic heights and grip the bar tight as you go over the ledge on an exhilarating 85-foot, 60-degree plunge at speeds of 60 mph. It’s an all-time classic amusement park ride that’s kept coaster lovers coming back since the Cyclone roller coaster first debuted on June 26, 1927.

The "Cyclone"-- iconic Roller Coaster at Coney Island

The Beach is also quite the popular place--and "prime real estate" for the 4th of July crowd"!! ( my pictures will verify that one!!) So--we set out on this adventure with the Holloways (new Missionary couple, and Judy Eggleston ( our new friend, visiting here from California). We had planned to go earlier--but something came up so we didn't leave until after 11:00 am--that was our 2nd mistake! I sent this in a message to the kids--but it was kind of a "wrap" of our first 4th of July in NYC--
" We've had a very interesting day, to say the least. We went to Coney Island--to "see what we could sea"--a sea of people--EVERYWHERE!! Oh what a crowd--we could hardly get through to the water!! Wanted to have a Famous Nathan's Coney Island Hot Dog--but we couldn't even "find" the end of the line. (The Hot Dog eating contest had just ended) We settled for a Philly Steak and Cheese from a tiny little shop--The Little Mermaid--and after 2 hours of that crowd--climbed back on the Subway and came back to Manhattan--found a Rita's and enjoyed walking back to our apartment with a refreshing treat in tow!! And not too much of a crowd ( they were all Downtown trying to find lawn space along the East River to watch the Macy's Fireworks--all 3.5 million of them). Not us!! We went to a movie (Finding Dory) and tried to see the fireworks from our rooftop--but came back inside and enjoyed them on TV!! Whew--HAPPY 4th of JULY 2016!! We love and missed you all--"Men work together . . . "

This is the Hot Dog eating contest that we "met" as we arrived at Coney Island. It was just finishing and the crowd was huge!! Winner--Joey Chestnut--70 hot dogs (with buns) consumed in 10 minutes!!