The island has a varied history, serving as a base for multiple different Army operations, that spanned the Revolutionary War through the Cold War.  In the 1960s, the island was given to the Coast Guard.  The Coast Guard used it as a self-contained residential community and at the peak of its operations 3,500 people lived on the island.

Governors Island opened to the public in 2007 after being sold to the residents of New York in 2003 (except for 22 acres that are maintained by the Park Service).  In the three years since its purchase, the island has hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors each summer and early fall, all eager for a relaxing retreat.

The island felt other worldly.  The yellow homes, military housing, and apartments (except for those being used as test sites for firefighters!) were in well maintained physical condition. It seemed like those who had lived there had peacefully disappeared, leaving everything in a neat state.  There’s even a drained swimming pool behind one of the houses.

The most common sound I heard on the island was laughter.  Honestly, I haven’t been around so many relaxed people in quite a long time.  Visitors were biking on both bikes and quadricycles, picnicking, participating in ‘fitness boot camp’, learning how to trapeze, reading in giant red Adirondack chairs, and napping in hammocks.

For our first visit, we chose to simply stroll around the island.  Our walk gave us up close and personal views of the Statue of Liberty, a giant cruise ship, and the Staten Island Ferry.  The island provides a  unique view of lower Manhattan; Wall Street and Battery Park City eclipse most of the other other buildings on Manhattan, leading to a skewed perspective of the city.

Landscape architecture firm West 8 continues to work on renovating the island.  You can read about their truly amazing plan in its entirety here.

And the best part?  It’s only 3 minutes from our apartment!

The current rainy, slightly chilly weather is a much welcome break from the agonizing heat we’ve had this summer.  Am I being a tad dramatic?  I don’t think so.  I’m staring out through the rain splattered windows and willing Fall to come, despite the calendar being stuck firmly in the middle of August.

The most refreshing Summer 2010 weather I’ve experienced only happened because last weekend I left the city and went to Cape Cod.  I was met with cool ocean breezes, day time temps in low 80s, nighttime temps in the 50s (!), and  zero humidity.  I just finished organizing and editing the pictures from our trip.  We spent the weekend sitting by the water, wandering antique stores, eating fresh fish, and catching up with family and friends.

If it were possible, next weekend I’d leave the city again–which seems to be 75% tourists at this point–and head straight back to a chair on the beach, my toes in the sand.

See more pictures from our Cape Cod trip HERE!

We’re spoiled and lucky with our milk choices in New York.  Nearly every grocery store or farmers’ market carries one or more of the following dairies:  Ronnybrook, Milk Thistle, Hudson Valley Fresh, Battenkill Creamery.  These dairy farms let their cows live in accordance with their species-specific needs, allowing them pasture grazing, extra time with their calves, appropriate feed, and even cow mattresses!  The dairies never inject their cows with hormones and have created self-sustaining operations, through the use of re-usable glass milk bottles, solar power, and creative distribution networks.  Each dairy has a loyal following, but for me it’s like picking a favorite child:  I can’t choose.

Once in awhile, as a special treat, Justin and I will buy a small container of Hudson Valley Fresh’s chocolate milk.  I first bought a quart of it on a whim…and then we promptly drank the entire creamy, ‘just-as-good-as-ice-cream’ bottle.

This past weekend, while shopping for dinner ingredients at a Massachusetts Whole Foods, we saw one solitary bottle of this:

A quick back and forth proceeded.

–Ooooh what’s that?
–Dark chocolate milk!!
–Should we get it?
–Of course!!
–But we don’t know anything about the dairy…and it’s $7.
–I really want to get it; it’s the last bottle–we’ll do the research when we get home.  It’ll be fun!

Cocoa Metro’s bottle and graphic design had enticed me and there was no turning back.  The paper label on the front loudly announces ‘Don’t be afraid of the dark’, with the words ‘Premium Belgian Dark Chocolate’ in large font.  Combine that with the fact that a quick scan indicated that the milk came from Vermont cows and the bottle could be returned and we were sold!  Or rather, the last bottle was sold…to us.

The brains behind Cocoa Metro are husband and wife team Mike and Lizzy, self-proclaimed chocolate lovers.  A few years ago, they decided to create their own chocolate milk–one that ‘didn’t leave them hanging’.  They experimented with ratios, chocolate, and milk before settling on their final concoction that uses Callebaut Belgian Chocolate, Vermont milk (I have a message out to them to learn more about which dairy/dairies they source from), evaporated cane juice, and natural vanilla flavor.

We poured ourselves half-full glasses of the milk and savored each sip.  (Actually, one of us chugged down the whole thing in 3 seconds.)  The dark chocolate flavor was readily apparent, with a well-balanced ratio of milk to chocolate.  Cocoa Metro’s milk definitely uses the most high end chocolate of any chocolate milk I’ve had.  Our only caveat with the milk was the actual milk:  it tasted like skim. We felt the milk should be full  and that glasses of Cocoa Metro  would be even more decadent with a creamier milk.

Cocoa Metro is available in Whole Foods throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, as well as specialty shops in Boston.  Indulge yourself next time you’re in New England!

Follow Cocoa Metro on Twitter for the latest updates.

Apparently, the town eagerly anticipates next year’s bake as soon this year’s is over.  Each time the cooks checked on the food’s progress, the crowd rose from the picnic tables and excitedly rushed over to the long table.  All of the food bakes in wooden crates, deep inside a fire pit.  The crates are wrapped together in thick plastic and the food–lobsters, mussels, clams, corn, potatoes, onions–bakes for as long as it takes.

After the food was read, it was proudly carried over and laid out on the long table.  Then, you just pick up a plastic tray, load it up with everything you want, and dig in.  Just don’t forget your bib…or the butter!

Cafe Grumpy roasts their beans at the Greenpoint location, using a restored vintage Probat.  These beans are then brewed and served at their three stores.

Like so many other coffee establishments in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Cafe Grumpy is part of a movement known as the Third Wave of Coffee.  This current wave focuses on understanding, improving, and respecting coffee on every level–from growth to sourcing to roasting to brewing.  Coffee shops like Cafe Grumpy foster direct trade relationships with coffee growers and traders, methodically research roasting methods, and help customers understand the flavor subtlety and growing region of the cup they’re about to drink.

If you’re interested in learning more about the roasting process, Cafe Grumpy encourages you to arrange a time to meet the roaster and watch.

Realizing the draw of their expressive, cranky bean, Cafe Grumpy recently collaborated with a plush artist to bring this bean to ‘life’. Each plush grumpy coffee bean is handmade and comes in a hand sewn and screened jute bag.

Now when I need some extra motivation in the morning, I can give Mr. Grumpy a quick squeeze, while sipping Cafe Grumpy’s coffee.

After dragging ourselves out of bed bright and early on Sunday morning (*actually, 11ish, as dinner went until 2 in the morning the night before!), Justin and I headed to the Storm King Art Center, per a friend’s recommendation.  Storm King is a sculpture park, but very different from the static (albeit, good) sculpture parks I’ve been to at various museums and gardens. Storm King’s 100 plus sculptures are positioned in direct harmony with the rolling hills, plains, meadows, and woodlands of the Hudson Highlands.

Getting there took much longer than expected; our drive was stalled by random road work and closed roads.  One detour became an unexpected delight.  The road hugged the mountains and opened up to sheer stone cliffs and boat-filled harbors.  These views seemed like something out of Switzerland, not my perception of New York State.

Unfortunately our late start and the detours meant that we only had an hour and a half to explore Storm King’s property.  The center is 500 acres–even I, with a reputation for being a bit of speed-walker, couldn’t possibly see everything in such a short amount of time.  We consulted the friendly guys at the cafe, who recommended using our time to wander Museum Hill.  They said the hill would give us close-up views of many impressive sculptures and put us in a position for distant viewing of others.

I’ve grown to appreciate large, often abstract, sculpture much more (than ever before).  I’m not sure what the catalyst for this has been; maybe the Henry Moore exhibit in Denver?  Maybe the way New York City is constantly reviving their outdoor spaces with temporary sculpture art?


Storm King felt like a renewal.  Climbing Museum Hill and looking out onto the vast meadow and sculpture field cleared my active mind and all I wanted to do was take in the scene for as long as possible.

We’re already planning our return visit, with a picnic and a good book in tow.

Dubrovnik

The Dalmatia Coast hugs the Adriatic, encapsulating the land between Split and Dubrovnik, including all of the islands in between (biggest=Brac, Hvar, Korcula, Mljet).  Our travels along this coast allowed for exploration of rocky, sandy, and pebbly shores, none of which resembled the Mid-Atlantic coastline to which we’re accustomed.

Hvar Town

Beach going felt adventurous.  While the locals rock-bathed on yoga-like mats or wandered the beach, massaging their feet on the smooth stones, our tender, shoe-wearing feet only allowed us to take a few tentative steps before carefully tip-toeing back to put on our shoes.

Courtesy of Kusmi Tea and Choice Kitchen