governor's island

g. has been wanting to go to governor's island for awhile now. today i suggested we bike there. this wasn't met with the enthusiasm you'd expect (fresh air, exercise, the beautiful river path) only because he hates getting the bikes down off the bike rack in the bike room and pumping the tires with air, as much as i do. but we managed to adjust our lazy minds to the task and take off (i mean, we should be saying a thousand thank yous for just HAVING a bike room to keep those monstrosities in).
i was anticipating a smooth, carefree ride as we biked over to the path. but when we got to the path i almost panicked. this wasn't like the quiet bike paths we rode on with my sister in connecticut! no, these bikers and joggers and roller bladers were coming one after the other at a speed i wasn't at all happy about! and there were so many. i felt like i was trying to get on the BQE. for a minute i really doubted that we were going to be able to merge with everyone . . but then of course you do merge and you're out there riding and driving just as crazily as everyone else . . . . and you find yourself even pedaling on the sidewalk with all those phlegmatic pedestrians (g. and i always curse those cyclists and roller bladers and joggers who DARE weave in and our of our sacred leisurely pace. don't they know there's a bike path for people who move faster than a snail's pace?)
we rode around the staten island ferry building to the maritime building, to a cute little ferry that, thankfully, wasn't crowded and we stashed our bikes in the bottom back of the boat and relaxed on deck. it's just a seven minute ride, so i couldn't really blink or do more than a row of my knitting.
i've read on the website that governor's island was referred to by the native americans as pagganck, meaning "nut island' as there were a lot of hickory, oak and chestnut trees. the dutch supposedly "purchased" it from the manahatas indians for two axe heads, a string of beads and a handful of nails. in the early 1800's, new york transferred ownership of the island to the government for military purposes and two forts were built. eventually a whole lot of housing was also put in for coast guard families in the 1960s. it felt very odd to be riding around all these well maintained, and some very pretty but vacant buildings.
we chose a spot across from brooklyn to have our picnic, and then we rode around the island until the last ferry at 7 pm. while riding home we decided to take the pedestrian path (!) (the bike path is currently unfinished through the battery) and visit penny park, where someone is always on the lookout for YOU.