I Remember Briny as a Magical Place

I can still hear the surf and smell the salt air at night.

Normally my family would just make the four-day drive south to Briny Breezes and then locate a “house” to rent for a few weeks.

I recall Dad and Mom hauling that old Yellowstone or Trotwood trailer from South Michigan down to Briny one year. All two lane of course, and the trek over Monteagle, TN was a real hoot. I do believe Dad sold it and left Briny for snow country sans trailer that spring.

I remember Dad, AJ (Jack) Freeland,  as always a “cash and carry” man-- product of the depression — no credit card, no bank notes, no mortgage, no debt. He would carry a roll of money in his pocket and when the roll got quite small I always knew we would be heading north very soon.

I also remember Dad and Mom belonged to a group called the “Tin Can Tourists“… a bunch of post war travel trailer nuts.  Fun though.

I believe Briny had a resident – Bernard Kessman — a yankee from NY.  I knew Bernie as a kid. Wonder what ever happened to him?

My mom(Viva Freeland) passed away in 1957 while we were staying at Briny but she did love it there.

My step Mom, Mrs. Judy Martin, retired and died at Briny some years ago. She had a list of surnames… Judy Halstead-Freeland(my Dad); Robertson/Martin… what a lady.

I recall a bunch of us kids running behind the ice truck that wondered through the park delivering blocks of ice to the residents. The guys would give us big slivers of ice to chew on.

Around 1953-54 I managed to swim into a Man-O-War.  It’s a good thing my dad was on the beach with me.  I was a mess for a long time and I  wouldn’t venture back into the water on next year’s trip to FL.

I recall mom taking me over the draw bridge to shop in Delray Beach. We would always walk down to the train station and watch the Seaboard or Atlantic Coastline trains go by.

And I do recall seeing movies in that old military style Quonset hut building. I hear it burned down.

And buying ice cream in that walk up store right on the beach. I loved to watch my dad and mom and all playing shuffleboard at night under the lights.

I remember dad taking me to the Gulfstream Polo Grounds and watch them play polo. My dad had an old friend who owned and operated a tavern not to far North of Briny on A1A… I can’t recall the name of the place, but his name was Claire Whitehead.

I’m now living on the beach west of Galveston, TX and I have such fond memories of Briny.

The place was magic to me then. I can still hear the surf and smell the salt air at night….nothing like it anywhere.

I fell in love for the first time in Briny.

I hope to get over and down to Delray and Briny soon again.

Shalom to all, Craig