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Interstate 495, a.k.a. the Long Island Expressway, extends 71 miles from Manhattan to Riverhead serving as a central thoroughfare for commuters and commercial vehicles traveling to and from the mainland. A few years after its completion in 1972, with 130,000 vehicles traveling the route daily and notorious traffic jams, it became known as “The World's Longest Parking Lot". The later addition of HOV lanes helped ease congestion during the morning and evening commutes and handle the 200,000+ vehicles now travelling this road daily.
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This virtual brings you to the Long Island Welcome Center located on the eastbound side of I-495 between exits 51 and 52. Since its opening in October 2016, this 15,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art site offers travelers a convenient place to take a break with an average 40,000 visitors stopping here monthly. In addition to available services and amenities, visitors can wander through a star-filled Walk of Fame, explore a floor-sized map of the island, and view exhibits highlighting Long Island’s history. Kiosks provide information about the abundant hiking trails, parks, beaches and wineries, and a market offers food and beverages made from locally sourced ingredients.
To log this virtual, you'll need to pause here to stretch your legs, clear the cobwebs from your mind, and do some exploring.
There are 2 requirements for claiming credit for this virtual:
#1- Message me with the answers to the 4 questions below
#2- Post a photo of yourself in front of the "I Love NY" photo wall with your log (see Guidelines)
>>> If found as a group, each member must submit their own answers and photo <<<
You can log your visit after sending your answers and I will notify you if there are any issues. Please be careful not to include any answers or spoiler pics in your log or they will be deleted.
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- Visit the Walk of Fame in front of the building's main entrance and find the Long Islander whose name contains 4 E's and 4 O's.
- The building's outdoor nautical theme includes several navigation buoys used to mark the island's waterways. What is the result when you add the identification numbers displayed on the two GREEN buoys at the Northwest and Southwest corners of the building?
- As you enter the building, what is the first attraction displayed on the enormous floor map of Long Island (closest to the entry doors)?
- As you continue toward the back of the building, you will see a Curtiss P40B Warhawk fighter plane suspended from the ceiling. These planes played a critical role here on Long Island and in almost every theater of WWII. What is the plane’s identifying tail number (numbers and letters)?
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Photo Guidelines: On the back wall of the indoor seating area, you'll find the ‘I LOVE NY’ photo wall with the iconic Fire Island Lighthouse in the background. At 168 feet, this is the tallest of over 25 lighthouses on Long Island.
When logging your find, include a photo of yourself with the lighthouse in the background. You do not have to include your face in the picture. If you prefer, you can photograph something geocaching-related in front of the lighthouse.
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Optional: Include the hidden word with your answers to show your advanced geo-sense of direction!
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I hope you enjoyed this traffic break. Hopefully you discovered something new about Long Island's history and natural attractions during your exploration and found a new destination to visit. Now you're ready to resume your journey with a fresh start and a smiley.
Safe travels!
*** CONGRATULATIONS to RoandJoe for FTF! ***
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.