BY RICH KNUTSON
Here it is... September. Labor Day weekend. Time for the kids to go back to school. Summer vacations are but a memory. Speaking of summer vacations, I had an opportunity to go on a two week vacation to visit relatives in the Midwest. The difference about this trip is that we drove to get there. As we past the "Welcome to (state name)" signs, I honked my horn and noticed something. There were no guards, no checkpoints, no guns. We traveled over 3300 miles on this trip. With something like this, as bad as we complain sometimes, you have to love this country. With that being said, it's time to get back to the ole grind. Ugh! The commuting. The crowded roadways, the packed like sardines on the LIRR, the no more room on the buses during rush hour. Rush HOUR. Ha! (The hour that lasts almost 3 whether you're coming or going). I have developed this site so it will help you navigate the roadways, the railways, the waterways and the airways of Long Island. As you can see I have a number of links available at your disposal. Under the "For More Information, click here" you will find EVERYTHING that you ever wanted to know about your auto commute. Whether it is on Long Island or in the New York Metro Area. For our LIRR/LI Bus commuters. My fellow brethren. Penn Station, Flatbush Ave. and bus kiosks, the ole stomping grounds. I have the Long Island Railroad/Long Island Bus link via the MTA web site. Not to be outdone, I have links for those of you that commute using the ferries that service our Island. There is Orient Pt. - New London run from which you can continue to Boston, the ski areas of New England, and of course Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos to name a few. I've added a link for our business and travel people who use MacArthur airport. This is a very good web site. I was surprised by it myself. It gives good information about airlines, flight info, and parking along with other useful info. Another plus for our "hometown" airport, a leading consumer magazine in its October issue rated MacArthur airport very highly. How about that. Other links such as the ferries that service the South Shore and Shelter Island will be forthcoming as they become available. Don't worry I haven't forgotten about our year round East End residents. Well there you have it. Use the information that is available to you. If you have any questions or if I have forgotten someone, please email me. Once again - Enjoy and "Happy Trails".
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Rich Knutson is a born and bred Long Islander who understands the joys and frustration of getting around on Long Island. He is a 15+ year LIRR - LI Bus/Suffolk Transit commuter and is a member of a two-car family.