CHERRY GROVE FIRE ISLAND IS FANTASY LAND
Johnny Pool With Lois And James Edstrom
Cherry's On The Water
Sunset At Cherry's Fire Island
Well I spent a wild and crazy few days in Fire Island New York, drinking and running around through the woods and beach. The trip was great except for the horrible Cherry Grove Beach Hotel and you can read my review on the place by clicking here. But this is the one vacation spot I love more than anything. Except for the very high prices. I mean, a slice of pizza is $3.50, a large soda is also $3.50. Cigarettes are almost 9 dollars a pack. A very small milk shake is 6 bucks. If you go to any of the restaurants, it's going to cost you anywhere from 27 dollars to 50 dollars for just a main course. And the food at these prices isn't all that great. But the beauty of the island just keeps luring me back year after year. There is just something about the place. I thinks its the freedom and the people that are there year after year. There are no cars in Cherry Grove. Just little boardwalks with street names. You can drink, smoke, run in the woods and beach nude and no one even blinks a eye. You can spot celebrities just having a good time. Late night cable queen Robin Byrd invited me to her mansion in The Pines (The town next door) on Sunday. I was amazed at her home on the water, it was so beautiful and quiet and her wonderful partner Shelly was just the best host. They had food and beer ready for me when I arrived and we sat by the pool and I really got a education on how much work they have to do to produce their late night show 7 nights a week. I just thought they taped the shows and everyone else did the work. Not so.... Robin and Shelly are hands on. They go through every show and they edit all of them themselves because they feel to deliver the best product to television every night, only they can edit it the right way. Well after a wonderful afternoon at their mansion, we strolled through the famous meat rack over to Cherry Grove to visit world famous bartender Johnny Pool at the only bargain in town, Cherry's. We were there just in time as this was their Christmas party tonight. Yes Christmas ! Everything is different in Cherry Grove. They celebrate Christmas and Halloween in September. Cherry's was decorated with Christmas trees, everyone was wearing Santa hats. They had a snow machine blowing Christmas spirit through the club. Christmas songs were playing and drag shows galore. The place was packed. My mother called me and when I answered, I told her I was at a Christmas party. She thought I was crazy. I told her we do everything different on Fire Island. Nothing is real here. This place is the ultimate gay escape. Johnny Pool is the best host in any of the clubs I have ever been too. They have a new hunky bartender named Mike and I never saw anyone serve drinks so fast. They have a new owner, I think her name was Jackie and she is really working hard to make the place like it was when club icons Lois and Merle owned it. Lois and Merle ran the place with class and love. When you arrived you felt like you were home and you felt loved. This is why the place has always been the best on Fire Island. It was because of Lois and Merle. The club has fair prices, great food and even better the best music ever, even better than New York City. You can see drag shows, drink a pina colada, have a great meal and most of all meet some old or new friends. The sunsets are to die for. This might be a gay mecca, but there are many straight people there because they know they are going to have the time of their life. As long as you don't stay at the Cherry Grove Beach Hotel, you will feel like a queen. Stay at the Belvedere where you will be surrounded by antiques and half naked men. As long as you stay there and party at Cherry's, you are going to have the best trip of your life !
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