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Once you’ve been to Sea World’s Aquarium this pales in comparision. It has improved somewhat since it first opened it’s doors. They’ve added a Bird Sancturary. They have a lot deacons who will educate you about all things Ocean. In 2005 some teenagers broke into the Aquarium and wrecked havoc. They smased a turtle egg; threw furniture and garbage in the tanks; tortured, battered sharks. One was found dead outside, having been smashed on the wall. They were caught when they returned the next day to have some more “fun”. Because of their age, they weren’t really punished for their crimes. They had to write letters of apology. One of the boys said he didn’t know he’d done anything wrong. Sad.

The photo isn’t the Traffic Circle at PCH & Lakewood. Some people from North Jersey can’t manuever traffic circles, because there aren’t many; whereas, South Jersey has lots of them. When I first drove this Traffic Circle, they do it differently than in South Jersey, so took a while to learn. One day entering the Circle from Lakewood Blvd going West, as I rounded the curve going uphill, a dog apppeared out of nowhere and I instantly hit my breaks. Didn’t even think that I could have been rear-ended, the dogs safety was my only concern. Hearing him cry, realized he was under the tire and backed up and he ran ‘cross the highway. Pulled across and parked. My daughter and I searched for the dog to take it to a Vet. It was nowhere to be found. We felt horrible not being able to find it and because it seemed impossible for it to appear so quickly, and also get across the highway with all that traffic, we called it a ’ghost dog’, that maybe it was not real.

The quaint shopping area had a florist where I worked for a short time. Delivered flowers to the Wedding Chapel and reception rooms and once in a while a vactioner had ordered them for their rooms. The Queen Mary is rumored to be haunted. The walls on the various levels are lined with interesting old photo’s and historical facts. There was a bit of controversy with the town of Long Beach and the owners about taxes.