That other borough

Saturday we ventured out to a place that I'd never really been to before, at least that I can remember: Staten Island. (Guess I've been on a roll with visiting New York City's lesser traveled islands.)

The day started with a free ferry ride (not counting the subway ride that preceded it), which is part of the allure.

It was a gorgeous day, but a little windy (this little sailboat looked like it was about to capsize).

Once we got to St. George we took a bus to Joe and Pat's pizzeria (I highly recommend the vodka pie) and then we strolled through nearby Clove Lakes Park.

There we saw lots of ducks, and a heron (visible above in the distance). Plus a couple other birds that I couldn't identify.

Throughout our walk we came across several waterfalls, some more spectacular than others, most of them a bit difficult to navigate (there's a fairly embarrassing photo, not shown, of me struggling to climb back up a hill, hugging a tree for balance).

I love how the water cascades (err, trickles) down the stairs.

We made our way back to the ferry terminal (brilliantly, all of the bus lines in Staten Island lead there), where we saw this colorful barge floating by near the waterfront.

A little farther down (you can see it in the distance near the barge) is Staten Island's September 11th Memorial, dedicated to Staten Islanders who died in the attacks. Each of them is silhouetted in profile, with a listing of their name, birth date, and occupation (lots of fire fighters, bonds traders, and receptionists). It's a solemn memorial, but also quite striking.

Then we went to a baseball game, where wackiness ensued. (Lots of between inning races conducted on those large bouncing exercise balls, T-shirts thrown into the crowd by a man wearing two different colored socks, mentally handicapped people seated behind us and singing...such is the joy of minor league baseball.)

All in all, it was an enjoyable day. I'm kind of curious about what else Staten Island has to offer. And I really want another vodka pie.