Merry Ferry To Throwback Isle...

The inscribed tree stump above was the coolest thing I stumbled upon while traversing Governors Island, which is a hop, skip, jump, and a free ferry ride away from Manhattan. On the Lt. Samuel S. Coursen we saluted Lady Liberty as we merrily merrily merrily merrily glided across the bay. And five minutes later, we landed in 1965. As idyllic as the island appears, and it is indeed a peaceful throwback to a supposedly simpler time, I also found it a rather eerie place. Its rows of big uninhabited houses, its 18th century monuments reeking of secrets and depravity, and its expansive, isolating grounds would be a superlative setting for a horror film. It's also strangely remote considering that it's only half a mile across the harbor from one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Governors Island has a fascinating military history, having been used as an Army post from 1783-1966, and as a Coast Guard installation from 1966-1996. Prior to that, and prior to being stolen by the Dutch and the British, the land of course belonged to the Native Americans and was known as Pagganck (aka Nut Island). The northern end opened to the public in 2003 after being redeveloped as parkland and a historical/cultural/educational/ destination. Many New Yorkers looking to escape the city for a day, as well as lots of tourists, can be found picnicking, cycling the perimeter, taking in the public art, exploring Castle Williams and Fort Jay, wandering around the sculpture garden, poking their noses in abandoned homes, and simply basking in the glow of the land that time forgot.

Here's a video I made of my trip. A warning to those who are prone to motion sickness- it's a bumpy ride!

I definitely missed the 'bring your bicycle' memo.

I remember very clearly watching and loving old Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour reruns on Nick at Nite as a young girl, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that the dynamic duo was actually born on Governors Island, where their father, an army officer, was stationed. Who knows if I actually grasped the satirical humor of the show as a kid, but watching clips of the show today,  I can easily understand why it was considered so groundbreaking. Its influence on the political comics of today is palpable.  The show was comprised of incredible musical guests (The Beatles, Tina Turner, The Who, The Doors, Ray Charles etc...), great writing (Steve Martin, Rob Reiner, Don Novello), biting political commentary (Pat Paulsen), and the hilarious blend of folk singing and standup comedy by the stars of the show. The brilliant documentary, Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002), depicts the ongoing conflicts with and subsequent cancellation by CBS (with heavy pressure from Nixon's administration) in 1969 for satirizing America's involvement in the Vietnam War amongst other controversial topics. In a strange rehashing of events, the Bush administration gets Bill Maher kicked off of ABC 40+ years later for also pointing out the obvious.  A piece of pop culture history at its finest:

"Little bird up in a tree/ Looked down and sang a song to me/ Of how it began" --The Beach Boys, Little Bird