Tuesday, August 10, 2010 9:17 pm
August10
Looking for a place to ride to on Long Island? Love roadside attractions? Well, then you’re in luck. Long Island is home to an interesting collection of deliciously kitschy roadside awesomeness. Break out the map and string some these great destinations together on a route. Here are 10 of my favorite Long Island Roadside Attractions.
click images to enlarge
The Big Duck
 Listed on the National Register of Historic places, the Big Duck of Flanders, NY is Long Island’s most recognizable roadside attraction. It was built in the early 1930′s as an attraction to sell Peking Ducks. Constructed with a frame made of wood, wire mesh was then attached and covered in cement. The Duck’s eyes are made from Ford Model-T taillights.
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Riverhead Raceway Muffler Man Indian
 This handsome silent sentry stands on the grounds of the Riverhead Raceway. He is Long Island’s only Muffler Man. Many folks will recognize him from an episode of the Sopranos where Tony walks in front of him at the raceway.
Location: Riverhead Raceway – 1797 Old Country Road, Riverhead, NY |
Mr Millennium – The Giant Snowman
The smiling snowman is nearly 20 feet tall and stands outside of North Sea Auto Radiator on Sandy Hollow Rd. I don’t know why but I totally love his big mittens. They’re so cute! His plaque says he was made in the year 2000 and that his name is Mr. Millenium [sic].
Location: North Sea Auto Radiator-Towing – 25 Sandy Hollow Rd., Southampton, NY 11968 |
The Giant Rooftop Hotdog
 Located on top of First National Franks in Medford, the giant rooftop wiener is a winner! You can ride to eat and see something kitschy in one shot. What’s better than that?
Location: 3147 Route 112 Medford, NY, 11763 |
The Pirate House
No doubt the neighbors of the Pirate House in Miller Place must get fed up with the gawkers who stop by for a look.
“The Connor Belle”
The local story that I have heard about this house is that the owner built this temple of pirating for his daughter who has a brain injury. It came in the wake of seeing her happy reaction to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride during a trip to Disney World. I cannot say if that is indeed true; it could just be an urban legend.
   
The house does have a notary public sign out front. Maybe you can get the scoop from the horses mouth while having a document notarized? Hmm…
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 Nothing says delicious Italian food like a stucco castle with 2 Musketeers, a horse, a two-headed snake and a gold lion in the yard. From what I understand the food is actually quite good. Go for the kitsch, stay for the pasta.
Location: 59 Montauk Highway Westhampton, NY 11977 |
Home Depot Cemetery
The Home Depot in Commack is now located on what was once a World War I air field called Brindley Field. Prior to that, it was a farm. Today it has an interesting secret “hidden” in plain sight; the Burr Family cemetery plot. As people go shuffling by with their carts full hammers and nails, many do not even realize the tree-lined little square houses a handful of tombstones.
Location: Home Depot 5025 Jericho Turnpike, Commack, NY
  
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Giant Bull of Calverton
 I found this guy by accident one day just cruising around. He stands inside the pen of a private farm. Between you and me, I like him so much more than the oft talked about Smithtown bull.
Location: Wading River Manor Rd. Calverton, NY |
Atlantic Seafood
The Shark Mouth door of the Atlantic Seafood restaurant always makes me smile when I ride by. Its amazing how many locals don’t know the name of the place and just call it ‘the shark mouth.’ View on flickr
Location: 125 Main St Center Moriches, NY |
The Cement Sphinx
 A Long Island landmark since 1911. “She who climbs the Sphinx’s head, a millionaire will surely wed.” Unfortunately ladies, the sphinx gives mixed messages with it’s ‘No Climbing’ sign. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Location: 890 Montauk Hwy, Bayport, NY |
 Nipper the Dog
This 6ft tall fiberglass Nipper the dog stands at the front door of Plesser’s Appliances in the town of Babylon. He’s a town favorite!
Location: 6 E Main St Babylon, New York 11702 |
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Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:31 am
August8
When asked for advice on different brands and styles of wash and wear, comfortable underwear and socks that would be good for motorcycle traveling – my blog readers came through with some great ideas. Our commenters are apparently a wealth of knowledge in the underpants department.
Here is a listing of some of their suggestions:
Underwear
- LD Comfort
I got a response from Catfish who used these during the 2009 Iron Butt Rally. He said they worked great for wash and wear and he would absolutely use them again.
- Ex-Officio
A few folks gave these a nod in different styles from briefs to boyshorts. Boyshort styles offer fewer irritating seams. Ex-Officio’s Give-N-Go fabric was noted as fast drying, breathable and comfortable. I have not been able to find anything in local stores, so I can’t give anything a touch-feel test. Would have to buy online.
- Under Armour
We got a few votes for Under Armor. The range of garment styles they offer is diverse; from long legging tights to briefs and boxers. The upside of this brand for me is that it is readily available in many places. Many outlet malls stock their goods as well – if you aren’t picky about colors you might be able to get a pretty good discount.
- Basic padded bicycle shorts
Available in a myriad of bicycle shops. Probably fairly easy to find and try on locally.
- IceBreaker clothing
Merino wool has excellent temperature management properties and is less stinky than other synthetic technical clothing fabrics.
Sports Bras
Without getting too specific, I am difficult to fit in the sports bra department. Being able to find items locally to try on is a huge plus for me.
- Moving Comfort
This was a brand that I was able to find locally to try on at Dicks Sporting Goods. MC offered more defined cup/band sizes than just S,M,L which was a welcomed option. Their website offers a Sports Bra Basics buying guide as well.
- Under Armour
I was able to try on or… attempt to try on an Under Armour Endure model. It was a pull over style – no hooks or zips. It was simply too tight to pull on. I was afraid I was going to get stuck half in and half out of it in the dressing room. Who wants to make that call for assistance? I wriggled my way back out and decided that without some sort of closure hardware, maybe UA isn’t for me. Or more specifically that style of bra, regardless of brand isn’t for me.
- CW-X
Socks
Though I failed to mention it in my previous blog post, if I am not wearing a legging under my riding pants I prefer socks that will cover my calf at least as high as my boot goes. I like to put a layer of fabric between me and the boot. Whatever socks I ultimately choose will have to be fairly long.
Reader suggested socks brands:
A huge thank you to all the readers who offered their input!
If you have any additional brands or information – please don’t be shy. Comment below:
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Thursday, August 5, 2010 7:04 am
August5
Women’s undergarments have a long history of being cruel, hateful things. Whale bones, laces, wires – all of them evil, all of them found in ladies intimates. Sitting on a motorcycle all day can really showcase just how uncomfortable a pair of underpants can be.
For an upcoming trip, I am looking to find some new travel-friendly socks and underwear that provide all day comfort in the saddle. With luggage space being a premium, I’m specifically looking for items that can easily sink-wash and dry overnight so that I can pack less of them.
Wash and Wear
For underwear, the Ex-Officio Give-N-Go bikini briefs on REI.com get great reviews as do the Patagonia Active Briefs. I think they’ll be on my short list. See what I did there? Hopefully the elastic in the legs openings don’t become a problem after sitting all day. If you have experience with either of these pairs, brands or fabrics – please comment below!
The same applies for sports bras. I’m looking for a sturdy and supportive wash and wear options that can carry me through the week on the road. I welcome any suggestions.
For socks, I’m a little up in the air. I don’t know what to pick. I like SmartWool socks very much but the ones that I currently have are a little bulky to pack several pairs. Also, I’ve yet to wash them in the sink to see how quickly they dry. Is there something better, something slimmer, something that can do a fast wash and wear overnight? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Let’s hear from you:
- Do you have tips or tricks on how to bring less clothing without “suffering” on a road trip?
- Do you have any experience with any particular products that we should know about?
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Friday, July 30, 2010 10:05 am
July30
Until I visited the Barber Motorsports Museum, the only rotary engined motorcycle that I’d ever seen or heard was the Suzuki RE-5 owned by my friend Quacka. There’s a good reason for that. There were never many production models made using a rotary mill.
Like the RE-5, the Hercules was apparently a victim of it’s own innovation – the rotary power plant was prone to heat issues. It never saw favor in the marketplace and the model died off.
The German-made Hercules W2000:
For More Information on the Hercules W2000:
The Barber Motorsports Museum is the most amazing place. It is like a Church of Motorcycling History. Be sure to check out more
blog posts from our visit there!
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Thursday, July 29, 2010 3:22 pm
July29
Okay, everybody. Let’s give a nice warm welcome to Mr. Millennium! “Hiiiiii, Mister Millennium.”
He stands ever-smiling, braving the elements in front of North Sea Auto Radiator. Hmm. Auto radiators… yea, that seems like a likely place for a 20ft snowman.
When I pulled over on the shoulder to take his picture, I took my helmet off. I don’t usually do that when I stop for a snap-and-go-photo. After taking the picture I put my camera away in my tailpack and stood momentarily looking at him in all his dirty snow glory. I heard someone say ‘are you okay?’ in the distance and thought nothing of it. Then it came again, ‘Miss, are you okay?’ I turned, smiled and waved and said I was fine.
Now, I’m left to wonder if seeing my un-helmeted head makes people think there is something wrong with me or he didn’t get why anyone would be looking at the giant snowman. Tough call.
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