It was like New Years all over again when I took the ferry to Governors Island for another volunteer orientation yesterday. I was actually there last Sunday, but the orientation is when you see many folks all in one place since the following season. It was good seeing some old friends and also meeting new people with whom I will be working over the summer.

This year I will be focusing on a few specific things. I am going to do some Interp on the Military Service Institution, the YMCA, and the II Corps Building. There is well over a century of history to work with there. I am also hoping to prove or disprove an urban legend I once heard from two returning Coast Guard personnel about President Franklin Roosevelt and a visit he made to the island as commander-in-chief. I don’t want to give it away, but I can find documentation of something these two men told me, it will make for a great story. We’ll see what happens.

The island is open seven days a week until the end of September, with a full compliment of Park Service activities every day. Visit your national parks.