Governor's Island

I had been wanting to take the ferry out to Governor's Island for weeks and finally got around to it this weekend. It was amazing! Such a great (and inexpensive!) escape from the city. The ferry was just $2 and there are also certain times when you can catch it for free. We packed bread, salami, and cheese for lunch and had a picnic as soon as we got there (we had to eat fast though, there were quite a lot of bees). Then we rented a tandem bike and just biked around the island for a few hours, enjoying the fantastic views of the city and the Statue of Liberty. 

We caught the ferry from Manhattan at the Battery Maritime Building. While waiting for the ferry to leave we watched helicopters take off and land at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. 

I loved all the houses with cute porches on the island, it reminded me of a small town in New England with a town square. 

Neither of us had used a tandem bike before, but luckily we caught on fast. 

Riding on the backseat and not being able to steer was an adjustment but pedaling was (obviously) much easier with two. That said, if you're trying to actually exercise, these probably aren't the best option.

 I just couldn't get enough of those views. ^

You're allowed to bring food onto the island, but there are also a lot of food trucks. We took a break from biking and indulged in some dairy-free strawberry ice cream from Alchemy Creamery. We tried the cookie crumbs topping and it was SO good.

I loved this telephone sculpture! ^

Right before returning our bikes, we saw these awesome paddle-boarders. It looked like so much fun!

Next time I want to go with a group and rent one of the surreys! ^

Before we left, we relaxed in the shade for a while and listened to a concert (part of the Rite of Summer music festival).

I'd love to go back to Governor's Island! The bike paths are amazing, and although the island is small, there's really a lot to see and do!