Travels in the 2nd half

  There are many islands in New York’s harbor. Ellis Island and Liberty Island get most of the attention, but there is one more that is worth a visit - Governor’s Island. The name,  Governor’s Island, dates back to 1698, when the British reserved the island for the exclusive use of colonial governors. In 1776, a fort was built on Governor’s Island, and it played a key role in providing support during Washington’s retreat from Brooklyn Heights. Immediately after the war, Governor’s Island was home to a hotel and racetrack, but in the 1790’s, as tensions with England were again growing, new fortifications were built. Fort Jay was constructed in 1795, originally out of wood, and then rebuilt in 1809 as a stone fort. At that time it was renamed Fort Columbus. A second structure, Castle Williams was also built. Together they helped protect New York’s harbor as well as the Hudson and East Rivers. Fort Columbus - by Lowe, Jet Related names:Vincent, M, Public domain, via Wikimedia Com...

  When you visit a new place, one great thing to do is to explore its food culture. But how can you do that in a short period of time? I always look for food tour, and Savannah has a really great one, in the Historic & Secret East Side Food Tour. The tour explored some lesser known eateries and provided facts about historic Savannah to boot.   The tour started at the Capital Bee Company, on E. Broughton Street. Capital Bee is a gift shop that sells all sorts of honey, bee, and Savannah related items. But its specialties are the wide range of honey, sourced from many different places and flower types. Our tour was treated to a wonderful tasting of the different flavors of honey available. We left the store and walked three blocks over to Washington Square. Under its stately trees we stopped and enjoyed our next sample, a serving of fried chicken and biscuits from Rise Southern Chicken & Righteous Biscuits . The chicken was juicy and the biscuit was scrumptious. The st...

  Savannah City Hall When General James Oglethorpe founded the colony of Georgia in 1733, he chose a place along a high bluff to make encampment. And it was here that he created Savannah, the first European city in the area. The area along that bluff has played a major role in the city’s history, and it is a fun place to explore. Start you walk along E. Bay Street at Savannah’s City Hall. It was completed in 1905, and sits on the site of Savannah’s City Exchange, where cotton was bought and sold. Cannons presented to Savannah by President Washington in 1791 Bay Street follows the top of the bluff overlooking the Savannah River. It was the original commercial and shipping center of Savannah, where cotton was stored and graded before being loaded onto ships and sent to England and northern mills. Begin at City Hall, and head east. The old warehouses line the edge of the cliff, and at the top, where carts used to bring cotton from the plantations, is Emmett Park. It offers a shade cov...