 Salustiano and Carmen Fernandez originally visited Lake Hopatcong with their two children in the early 1950's as a day vacation trip from Clifton, NJ. After falling in love with the charm of Lake Hopatcong, the Fernandez family soon purchased a marina park called Ack's Beach.
Salustiano (better known as Ray) and Carmen provided boat slips and a great place for families to spend peaceful time swimming and picnicking at their tranquil lakeside park.
Ray and Carmen also operated a successful lakeside restaurant providing quality home cooked meals to hungry boaters and tourists at Lake Hopatcong.
Their son Joseph, who was already an accomplished boater, opened up Bridge Marina at the facility and also purchased a marina adjacent to Ray's Park.
The facility has been managed and operated by the Fernandez family since 1957, transitioning from Salustiano and Carmen's command to Joseph in the 1990s, and now to Joe's son and Carmen and Salustiano's grandson, Ray.
Many changes and improvements can be found at Bridge Marina (or Ray's Park as some still say), but the family values, work ethic, and customer service laid by Carmen and Salustiano are still engrained in the foundation of the business and can be seen in their grandson Ray.
The Fernandez family is celebrating 50 years in the marine business in 2007 and has provided a vacation destination for thousands of families along the way. The newest generation is dedicated to carrying on the family tradition, creating an even better vacation destination and boating experience for thousands of families in the future.
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