I'd like to note that today is the 14th. This is sad news. Why? Because I leave in exactly one month (Cue shutter here). I know, right? The thought of leaving terrifies me more than the thought of my 17 year-old brother driving my car around right now... Well, I guess that's one reason to be happy to head back to the Midwest.
But that's just a side note. No need to be sappy yet because Fun & Fearless doesn't worry about the future (that much) ... F&F girls live in and for the present. And presently, life is FABOOSH. (Don't know the term? Then you seriously need to read some Perez.)
4th of July. For me, 4th of July is when summer feels like it has truly set in. Summer wakes up for the Fourth. Hot dogs. BBQ. Fireworks. Friends. Bikini tops. Beaches. Water guns. American Flags. Red, white & blue. Outdoor air. Float trips. Ice cold beer. Popsicles. Daisy Dukes. Jorts. Melting ice cream. Warm beads of sweat. Tingling goosebumps from walking back inside to A/C. Pride. Freedom.
Even the busiest of New Yorkers surrender to the celebration. They disconnect from their tellies and desktop screens, pack up their bags and leave worries behind for a frenzy-filled holiday in the Hamptons. The shoddiest of beaches fill up with the aroma of fried bologna and slimy sunscreen as teenie bikini clad teenagers and Family Guy-esque households invade the bays to catch some rays.
4th of July in New York is more than fun. While it may not be floating down the Meramec River in Wal-Mart swim wear shouting at your buddy to Natapult a frosty Natural Ice your way -- AKA the annual Independence Day river-rafting/camping trip my besties have donned Freedom Fest -- it's celebrated in true NYC fashion. Bigger and better than the rest of the (er, I was going to say world, but that's not really fitting) country.
But first for you New Yorkers who have expressed your curiosity for float trips, here's last year's example of Missouri's finest 4th festivity:
Yes, we sleep in tents. Yes, it rained last year. Yes, I woke up in a puddle. Yes, it was completely AWESOME.
It's fun. I promise.
Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest/#23 Visit Coney Island.
What's more American than a hot dog? Answer: 15 men (and 1 woman!) force-feeding themselves as many dawgs as humanly possible in ten minutes. Yup, that's pretty American all right. Let me give you a tid bit of BG history:
- Origin: July 4, 1916 -- The year Nathan's Famous opens on Surf Avenue in Coney Island.
- Occurrence: Every 4th of July except in 1941 as a WWII protest and 1971 as a civil unrest protest. Did I not tell you? Americans love our hot dogs. Our beloved FOJ food choice clearly holds more regard than we all thought.
- Coverage: ESPN reserved full coverage rights of the contest in 2004. It's been broadcasted live annually since. And yes, just like the MLB there's the MLE -- Major League Eating.
- Record: 68 hot dogs and buns. Currently held by 4-time running champion Joey Chestnut. I can't even be snarky here. That's just mind-blowing.
- Competition: The rivalry between Chestnut and previous title holder Takeru Kobayashi (you know the amazing eater from Japan) is fierce. So fierce in fact that Kobayashi was arrested this year for attempting to storm the stage after Chestnut's victory.
- Sponsors: None really matter other than Pepto Bismol. I must say, that's some great corporate sponsorship on their part. Some athletes get shin splints, these guys get indigestion. I get it. And so did they. Bravo Pepto! Smart marketing.
Luna Park
When us Midwesterners hear "Coney Island" we automatically think of Luna Park. Movies such as Uptown Girls (remember the tea cups!) have shaped our opinions. Don't blame us; blame the media. Well my MO'ers... they are not one in the same. Coney Island is the whole she-bang, and Luna is just the amusement park.
The Park is a little different than the Six Flags/ Disney World get ups I've attended in the past. It's really small. Like size wise, it's comparable to the local St. Elizabeth carnival back home in the Chuck (OK, maybe just a smidge larger). And also like a carnival, there's no admission fee, every ride is paid for separately. So we threw back a few bucks on the some of the oldest and most awesome carnival rides ever -- The Cyclone and The Wonder Wheel.
A few fun facts about the Wonder Wheel:
- Opened: Memorial Day in 1920.
- Weight/Height: 400,000 lbs./150 feet tall (the tallest wheel at the time it was built).
- Capacity: 144 people.
- Features: 16 swinging cars & 8 stationary cars.
- Interesting fact: Declared an official NYC landmark in 1989.
Of course we rode in the swinging car and... it was a little bit scary. Not going to lie. The Cyclone? Also scary. It had such tiny seats and was so jankety I thought we would fly the tracks at any moment. But no worries, I kept my hands in the air like a true thrill seeker and managed not to lose my "sunglasses or weave" like an overhead caution sign warned us to secure.
Macy's 4th of July Firework Show:
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This 26-minute show featured more than 40,000 fireworks over the Hudson River. Crowded in an great dock spot on a pier at 13th Street, we gathered a pack of blankets, American flags and the cutest red, white and blue outfits we could find. And in the spirit of America, we put our patriotism on parade and our awful singing to the airwaves (ahem, #73 Bust out a chorus of 4th of July's best patriotic songs).
It was a Fun & Fearless 4th to never forget.
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