Staten Island Sojourn

This is turning into quite the nautical summer as F.I.B took another boat trip. This time the trip had a destination to to Island of Staten, where I got lost for about 2 hours, practically doing a complete circle around the island on the S51 bus. Eventually I got to where I needed to go, The Alice Austen House which is a little bit of heaven in what I was calling at the second hour of my journey, Satan Island.
For some reason I don't think the energy on this ship is "golden".

Alice Austen was a photographer in the Victorian era, a real rebel girl for the time, biking around Staten Island and Manhattan with over 50 pounds of photo equipment! This nationally landmarked house is sort of victorian/gothic and hosts revolving photo exhibits. It's a great spot and there is a shaded lawn overlooking the harbor, where on a clear day, which this day at temps in the 90's and humid was not, one can see the Manhattan skyline. The beach is also a nice spot, lots of sea glass from old bottles. Someone told me that sea glass is becoming extinct because there aren't as many glass bottles in the world anymore. Not at THIS beach honey, this place was sea glass mecca!Once again my camera konked out and this is just about the only photo I got of the actual house. Anyway, if you get it right and take the 10 minute rather than the 2 hour bus ride from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal this is a nice little getaway. It's a peaceful spot amongst the Victorian homes of Staten Island. Fortunately for F.I.B every bit of this trip was FREE, ferry (from where, if you crane your neck you can see all four waterfalls at once!) and all. Even the bus was free because the fare box was broken! (making up for all those useless Metrocards I have with 5 cents left on them, does that piss anyone else off as it does me?)

The Alice Austen House
2 Hylan Blvd. Staten Island