We recently caught the express train down to Bowling Green and hopped on the (free) ferry over to Governors Island. New York’s Governors Island is, in my opinion, a hidden treasure. I have only been over there twice now, but it’s so much fun, relatively easy to get to, and has such a laid-back, welcoming vibe, I always wonder why we don’t go more. My purpose for heading there today was to check out the Fete Paradiso, a traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is over on September 29, 2013.
While there we ended up renting bikes and riding all over the island (if there is a possibility to rent bikes somewhere, my husband will find it), stopping for some seafood and beer at Little Eva’s Beer Garden, and then grabbing a Mr. Softee (my first this summer!), before taking the ferry back into the city. Here’s a bit of what we saw:
^^ Helicopter tours were taking off while we waited for the boat to take us to Governors Island.
^^The island is very environmentally friendly. They have this little composting center where they teach all about it.
^^There was something beautiful, and at the same time creepy, about the old carousels of Fête Paradiso.
^^ View of the Freedom Tower from Governors Island.
^^ Lady Liberty, making an appearance in the background.
^^ A boy walking a goat. You certainly don’t see that every day.
^^ The cute little beer garden where we ate lunch.
^^ I recommend the Mahi Mahi fish tacos…although they were a bit expensive.
^^ Me, eating my ice cream, in front of the structure that was made entirely of recycled water and milk bottles, filled with blue liquid.
^^ Pretty.
^^ Carousel ahead!
^^Buh-bye Governors Island … see ya next year! 
Cheryl Lock is a former magazine, newspaper and website editor turned full-time freelance writer. She has worked on staff at the Daytona Beach News-Journal, More and Parents magazines, as well as for Learnvest, the leading women’s financial website. Her work has also appeared in Newsweek, Forbes, Ladies’ Home Journal, the Huffington Post, AOL Travel and more.
Cheryl was born in Nuremberg, Germany and grew up moving around every few years as an Army brat. The urge to travel has been with her her whole life. While she calls New York City home, Cheryl makes it a priority to travel as much as possible throughout the year. Some of her favorite places include Iceland, the Great Barrier Beef, Cabo, Rome, Calabria and Munich, although she hopes to never stop exploring. Cheryl blogs about her travel adventures (and what’s happening in and around New York City) at Weary Wanderer.
