August 2, 2011
Fire Island Frolics: A Magical Night in the Pines
Michael K. Lavers READ TIME: 9 MIN.
Started writing at 8:49 p.m. on Sunday, July 31, after dinner at the cottage in Ocean Beach.
Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride?
Well I was able to finally pretend to be one at the Pines Party in Fire Island Pines over the weekend. My wedding veil certainly proved popular among the Smurfs, Princess Beatrice, the Playboy cocktail waiter, devils, unicorns and other fairy tale-inspired revelers who took to the sand off Coast Guard Walk. Lady Luck was also on my side: I won $17 at the Arts Project of Cherry Grove's Casino at Whyte Hall and the sunrise that Mother Nature bestowed upon the beach was nothing short of magical. A post-Pines Party breakfast at Floyd's in Cherry Grove capped off what can only be described as an amazing night with a wonderfully positive energy.
I continue to come back to life after a very long post-Pines Party walk to Ocean Beach amid a nearly continuous onslaught of sand flies. Some will unfortunately find something about the Pines Party to nit-pick, but this reporter certainly had a thoroughly good time.
Now only if someone would put a ring on it...
Fire Island Flora
Roses dotted the Burma Road in Fire Island Summer Club on Friday, July 29.
Fire on Fire Island?
This fire gong outside the Saltaire Fire Department is a quaint relic of an all too real concern on the beach.
A Kismetian stick
It was just this reporter and his stick on the beach near Kismet on Friday, July 29.
At the Casino
Miss Coco Love wowed gamblers with her fatigues and headdress at the Pines Party Casino at Whyte Hall on Saturday, July 30.
Arriving at the Pines Party
This reporter and his wedding veil arrive at the Pines Party on Saturday, July 30.
The Morning After
A tranquil downtown Cherry Grove on the long walk to Ocean Beach after the Pines Party on Sunday, July 31.
On the Beach
An early morning beachscape from the Sunken Forest beach access on Sunday, July 31.
Mass Exodus
The weekly mass exodus from the Grove continues with the arrival of the 7:50 p.m. ferry to the mainland on Sunday, July 31.
Based in Washington, D.C., Michael K. Lavers has appeared in the New York Times, BBC, WNYC, Huffington Post, Village Voice, Advocate and other mainstream and LGBT media outlets. He is an unapologetic political junkie who thoroughly enjoys living inside the Beltway.
