In celebration of the ever-continuing theme of being tourists in our own town, Beth and I took the Battery Park ferry for an afternoon on Governors Island. For nearly two hundred years, Governors Island had been a military installation just off the tip of Manhattan charged with defending the harbor from unwanted visitors. First operated by the US Army and then the US Coast Guard the base outlived its usefulness...let's say...after the War of 1812.

Three years ago, the island's ownership was transferred to both New York City and State and, while they figure out what to do with it, has been allowed to rot ever since. In the meantime, the oldest portion of the island has been designated the Governors Island National Monument and the National Parks Service has graciously opened the monument on a free but limited basis to the public. So, we thought it best to visit the island before closing for the season and, knowing Congress' past financial support of the National Parks Service, possibly for good. While we were disappointed by how little of the island we where actually allowed to explore due to safety concerns, we still found it fascinating that such a quaint and historic plot of land can exist in Manhattan's shadow.