Fort Hamilton

Hi Everyone,

Yesterday I left you with this picture of the Verrazano Bridge from Liberty Island.  The bridge spans the entrance to New York Harbor to connect Brooklyn with Staten Island.  When it was completed in 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  It is known as the start of the New York City Marathon.  Maybe you are wondering why I have learned so much about one of the bridges in the area?

 

 

 

Well, maybe it will help to show you the view out of our hotel room's window.

 

 

Fort Hamilton, where we were staying, is right under the bridge!  The bridge is right outside our window.  Luckily our room was pretty much sound-proof so we didn't hear too much of the traffic going by all night. 

It was convenient to have the bridge as such a significant landmark to where we were located.  When we got out of the subway the first time, back in Brooklyn, it was really easy to see what direction we needed to start walking.  Another fun fact:  the bridge is also featured in the movie Saturday Night Fever, so quite often as I was walking around, I had Bee Gees songs running through my head.

I had expected to go to New York, see the city over the weekend, and when my husband completed his work on Monday, we would go home on Tuesday.  On Monday, however, the work he was doing "mushroomed" and ended up requiring the whole week.  I had brought my Kindle and spent the first two days reading, but then I got restless.  I found a food tour in the city and I also wanted to visit City Quilter in Chelsea.  But every time I decided I wanted to go, I didn't.  Either I was a bit intimidated to go by myself, or I really didn't want to go on my own.  At any rate, I contented myself with staying on post.  We couldn't even go out in the evening because my husband had to work on the computer.

I planned to visit the museum on post, but it is closed for renovations.  The post is quite historic.  Robert E Lee was there in the mid 1840s when he was a Captain in the Engineers, however it was built around the time of the Revolution.

I find a pleasing bit of symmetry in the fact that an army fort in New York was named for Alexander Hamilton who was the hero of the battle of Yorktown, right here where I live.  Did you know that?  When the Colonists and French surrounded the British at Yorktown and began the siege, the British had two large entrenchments called redoubts that needed to be captured.  French troops under the command of Lafayette took one and the Colonists, led by Alexander Hamilton took the other.  Alexander Hamilton is actually a really interesting founding father.  He became Washington's Secretary of the Treasury and is credited with the birth our country's banking system.  For that honor, and others, he is featured on our $20 bill.  His life ended when he dueled with Aaron Burr and was mortally wounded and died the next day.

At any rate, my husband was able to finish up things on Friday and we headed home on Saturday.

To get home, we had to cross the bridge.  It has two decks, so we went on the top one, so we could see things.  We actually crossed over it twice to visit the statue of Liberty.  When you leave Brooklyn it is a $15 toll! 

 I was really glad to be home because I had done no sewing whatsoever!  It is almost the end of the month and I hadn't even begun this month's Schnibble yet!  I am working on it now and should have something to show you tomorrow. 

Have a great day!
JoAnne