Foggy Horses

6/11/2009

I was thinking of spending another day/night in Philly, but really there wasn't much keeping me there. Plus, by this point in my journey I was ready to settle in Rye, NY, my final destination. However, after hitting the road out of Philly, I got a call from my company director informing me that the house I am to be moving into is not ready due to some renovations. So I extended my tour a bit.

As I drove up the Jersey shore I picked a point on the GPS and went to it, figuring I'd stop when I saw something interesting. That did take long. Within an hour of driving I came across Monmouth Park horse racing track. I've watched the Kentucky Derby on TV and such, but I've never been to a live horse race. Lucky me, I got there in time to see the last four races, three on the dirt and one on the turf.

It was a unique day for racing because as you can see, it was a touch foggy. For the majority of last race, the announcer just said, "and I can't see anything, last I saw 'Fast Forward' had the lead." Because of the mysty dampness, the dirt was good and thick and clung to the jockeys. It was these little nuances that entertained me the most.

Like when a horse decided he just wasn't going to leave the stables. The caretaker tugged and pulled, but he just planted his hooves. Every once in a while he would buck up on his rear legs and everyone around would clear the way. The race was drawing nearer. The owner and jockey were discussing scratching. Then out of nowhere the horse decided he was in the mood for racing after all. He ended up taking second.

After the races, I continued my drive north on Ocean Avenue. I pulled off to walk over the sand dunes but saw nothing but a few feet of the Atlantic Ocean and a whole lot of fog.

I continued north and reached Sandy Hook National Park. I'm sure this place is gorgeous on a bright sunny day. However, I did not have such luck. Further into the park though, things got more interesting.

In the early 1890's this National Park was (and still is) a homeland security base. Some of the old turrets and mortars are no longer in use and are open to visitors. Well, they are sort of open. The cool parts are gated off. But that did stop me. There was no one else in the park, so I figured a little gate hoping wouldn't hurt. I went where this sign said I shouldn't. Opps, but worth it.