This past weekend Brian and I took Stinks on an adventure - like we are wont to do nearly every weekend. Ever since I got my license I found myself heading to Salisbury, MA about once a month. For anyone that knows me you know the reasoning behind that - my Nana lived on Beach Road for as long as I could remember. Sadly Nana passed a few years back. To try to keep this post in a positive, non-downer light I am going to just say this now and move on: My Nana was a wonderful, amazing woman whom I loved and miss dearly!!
I have been going to this fun area for my whole life. On top of the fact that I have family there, there is just something about the are that keeps me coming back for more. Brian has joined me in my jaunts to the north for quite a few years now. I have him hooked on Beach Pizza (more on that later) and he can even find something in the Pink Store that keeps him going back.
As with everything, Salisbury Beach has changed over the years. I am sure my older family members can tell me how it had changed a lot before I even remember. When I was younger I remember begging my parents to let Heather and I go on the water slides, the carousel , or just blow $5 in Joe's Playland. I remember when they started tearing down the amusements and putting up condos - or the day they took out the water slides and up went more condos. I remember when Joe's took over the arcades on both sides. Store fronts have come and gone.
The main constants - and reason, in my opinion, for the boardwalk to even still be there - have been Cristy's and Tripoli's. We stopped by this weekend and the picture would have been a good representation of the crowds at the pizza places. As always, we have to get a selection of pizza from both - it is an ongoing battle (and not just with our family) over which joint provides the best pizza. For all of you that are curious - the breakdown currently stands at 2 for Cristy's (my mother and myself), 2 for Tripoli's (Heather and my father) and 2 that refuse to pick sides (Brian and Chris)! Though I am thinking that at some point Chris went over to the dark side!! Beach Pizza has been described many many different ways - delicious, interesting, "crap on a cracker"! Though the last description seems to be mutually exclusive to that one person. If you have never been, you are missing out. I say get in your car this very evening and drive on out there.
The beach at the end of the boardwalk has been cleaned up in recent years. I remember when I was little we used to have to watch where we walked for fear of stepping on broken beer bottles and still lit cigarettes. That does not appear to be an issue anymore. They have built up the boardwalk area to have live bands, nice benches, and apparently they do fireworks during the summer quite frequently. The beach itself has a nice parking area that, on off times, provides excellent views while you eat your pizza in the warm coziness of your car!
Due to the shortcomings of the boardwalk beach, when I was little we always visited the Salisbury Beach Reservation. Nana had a car pass, and would therefore bring little Heather and Amy to the beach and watch us play in the sand. It was always nice at the reservation, if a little crowded at times. The beach was kept up and no one really bothered you - not to mention there was always plenty of parking (an issue during the summer at the boardwalk). On heading up this past weekend I suggested to Brian that we check out the reservation. I couldn't believe that he had been making these trips with me for almost ten years, yet I had never brought him there. It had probably been 14+ years since I had been myself!! As we pulled down the entrance feelings of nostalgia kicked in - soon to be replaced with WHAT THE HECK?! The camping area - which I definitely do NOT remember from when I was younger, though could have been there - was HUGE! It looks like all the boardwalks had been replaced - when I was younger it was just paths through the dunes. There were changing stalls, showers, bathhouses etc. There was even a PLAYGROUND - which either was not there when I was little or Nana just didn't allow us to play on it. It was gorgeous - all of it!
Stinks loves beaches (probably steming from the fact that we have been bringing him to not only Salisbury Beach but also the beaches on the Maine coast for his entire short life)! He loves walking on the sand and trying to get as close as we will allow to the water. He loved the boardwalks, the sand, the dogs, everything about the reservation. There were some ominous clouds threatening rain and we told Stinks we had to go back to the car - he was not having any of that!! I am sure from now on we will definitely be bringing our pizza over to the reservation for eating. I leave you with these beautiful pictures of the day!! Oh and remember everyone needs to have Beach Pizza at least once in their lives!!!
I have never been to Disneyland, Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris, or Hong Kong Disneyland. I have, however, been to Disney World many a time! Though in recent years, Magic Kingdom has not been a frequent stop for us - it seems we will be changing that now that we have a little one to enjoy the "magic". Animal Kingdom, also, was never very high on the to-do list while visiting. Though they do have some exceptional rides (Everest) and the atmosphere is gorgeous. MGM - oh I'm sorry - Disney's Hollywood Studios was always a favorite of mine from the very first trip we took to Disney when I was 7. The addition of the Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and the Stunt Show have solidified it as a must see whenever a Disney trip is to be made. MGM (I'm sorry I will never be able to think of it as anything else) is also home to Fantasmic!!! If you have never caught a Fantasmic show, and you are in Disney I suggest you get yourself over there for priority seating right away! Talk about goose bumps! (Of course it may be because I am a HUGE Maleficent fan and there is a HUGE Maleficent in the show but I would have to say that it is one of the best Disney shows I have ever seen - it kicks Illuminations butt!!) My absolute favorite of the Disney World parks is Epcot! Not only do you have all the fun of future world - where I rode my first ever Segway, but the World Showcase is the perfect way to spend a day! Might I suggest going during the food and wine festival, that way you get to try all the wonderful different foods!! Also, Epcot is home to Figment - and who doesn't like Figment? 
