The Villages......Vavoom!!

Linda, Steve and I drove to The Villages to spend the day with Brian & Linda's favorite cousin, Bette Ann. Her father used to own a dozen or so cottages on Long Beach Island, NJ, back in the 50's and 60's and Brian and Linda would summer vacation there. I brought Betz, as we call her, a 1961 or '62 menu that Brian had saved from his youth, from Surf City Hotel restaurant. A jumbo shrimp cocktail could be had for just 90 cents, with Prime Rib of Beef for $4.50.  If the kids wanted spaghetti and meatballs, that was just $1.65. A slice of homemade pie for dessert would set you back 35 cents. Heck, a whole family could dine like kings and queens for under 10 bucks. Those were the days, eh?

Betz winters in the Villages, and spends her summers on LBI in one of her dad's remaining properties which she had converted to side-by-side condos; one for her, one for her sister. They're just a block from the ocean.  Her home in Lady Lake, Florida is adorable. She painted a wall for her two parrots and she's got a golf cart to tool around the massive complex. Her husband, Rich, lost his battle with cancer about 8 years ago. He was a great guy with an awesome sense of humor and Brian and I always enjoyed the time we spent with them both.



The cousins, catching up.


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