My birthday is on Friday which means October is basically in full swing. There are Groupons for apple picking and Food Network is really touting the pumpkin pie and apple crisp recipe variations.
But had you looked at the weather app on my brand new iPhone 6+ (iPhone 5 with a broken lock button), you would have seen that this past weekend was boasting temps well into the 80s. It's actually kind of concerning. I mean...I've been wearing sweaters to work. I wore my full length leather boots last WEDNESDAY. I've taken my fashion scarves out of their nice summer storage box. How you gonna tell me I have to now go back and consciously put on a sundress?
NYC can be a pretty overwhelming place. What's beautiful is that there are so many little gems where you can go hide from the skyscrapers and speedwalkers. Governors Island is one of them. TT and I headed there for a Sunday adventure before it closes for the season.
You get to Govs Island by ferry and it's wonderful!
We left the ferry and immediately set off on foot to find some grub.
There are two different eating set-ups on the island that boast a rotating schedule of some of NYC's finest food trucks.
First up - Mr. Nice Guy Sliders, Fries, and Wings. I was so excited to learn they were Westchester natives just like myself!
We ordered the Classic Slider and the Special Bacon Slider with Special Sauce
I'm not often a fan of sliders. I usually find that the meat is overcooked when it's in such a small quantity. And the bread is never as light and fluffy as a real bun. But I was pretty impressed with these! They were tasty and juicy and a fab first treat of the day.
TT had his eye on the massive line outside El Paso NY...
More importantly, he had his eye on the massive nachos they were serving up. We grabbed a seat and finished the entire thing.
And then......the big Kahuna.
Wafels & Dinges. This Belgian waffle shop should be at the top of everyone's list to taste. They serve up a mix of savory and sweet waffles -- and you can top your waffle with basically any delicious thing you could imagine. We opted for the Turtle Bomb -- a waffle topped with dulce de leche, chocolate, walnuts, a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream, and powdered sugar. Check it.
You know when something delicious is on the table and you decide (foolishly) that you like the person you're with enough to share that delicious thing on the table and then once you start eating you realize all conversation has stopped and you're quietly spearing each other's forks away to get the biggest and best bites before it's all gone?
That happened.
Too full to move too quickly, we laid down in the grass and waited for the itis to pass.
The sun was high in the sky when we finally got up and our second wind carried us off to explore some more.
We quickly realized that at 172 acres, Governors Island is a bit too large to traverse on foot. We made a valiant effort but it proved to be too much so we headed back the way we came to rent bikes and have even MORE FUN.
Governors Island has just re-opened a brand new 30 acres of park after extensive renovations. They've implemented 14 acres dedicated to "play and relaxation," over 1,500 new trees, water features, and public art! We made our way to Hammock Grove - a new installation of 50 hammocks designed for public use.
We lounged in our hammock amongst the others lucky enough to snag a rocking bed.
It's such a wonderfully relaxing place. Couples sway side by side, people lay on their own, reading books or dozing with headphones on. There were even family parties with their kids competing to see who could swing their hammock higher.
The sun was setting as we drove our bikes back to the front of the island to return to the hustle and bustle of NYC.
Governors Island was beautiful. I can't WAIT to go back next summer!
