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Glamping on Governors Island: A Night with Collective Retreats in NYC

Sometimes the best escapes are the ones closest to home.


For our 40 for 40 location number 22, Rick and I decided to spend a night glamping on Governors Island with Collective Retreats, and somehow, despite being only minutes from Manhattan, it felt like we had fully left the city behind. That is one of the things I love most about Governors Island. It never really feels like New York. It feels quieter, slower, almost like a little forgotten town floating in the harbor.


We started the day the way we tend to do many of our mini adventures: overcommitting and walking four miles from our apartment through Manhattan to the ferry instead of simply taking the subway like rational people. Once we got to the island, we spent the afternoon doing what we always do there. Wandering. Eating random snacks. Sitting with a bottle of wine and taking in skyline views. Exploring little corners and paths we have somehow not seen before, despite visiting multiple times. We wandered through Fort Jay before eventually making our way to check in at Collective Retreats.


Our tent was beautiful. Waterfront, thoughtfully designed, cozy without feeling cramped, and with one of the best skyline views you can ask for. It was honestly hard not to just sit there staring at Manhattan for a while. Drinks by the fire pit, then dinners followed, before we settled in for the evening and, because it was October, naturally ended the night watching The Exorcist from bed. Very cozy. Slightly concerning choice for bedtime ambiance. No regrets.


Now, full honesty, because I try to keep things real here: while the experience itself was lovely, there were definitely some downsides. Dinner service ran very slowly, and around 2 a.m., a party boat parked nearby and blasted music for a while, which was not exactly the peaceful glamping ambiance we had envisioned.


Still, overall? It was a really fun experience. The next morning, we grabbed coffee, took one last slow walk around the island, and soaked in those final skyline views before hopping back on the ferry. It was one of those little trips that remind me you do not always need to hop on a plane or drive for hours to find something different. Sometimes adventure really is sitting right in your own city, waiting for you to notice it.


🎥 Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/oX5MNxJcTOA


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GLAMPING ON GOVERNORS ISLAND

Day 1: Walk to the Ferry, Exploring, and Glamping

The day started with a four mile walk from our apartment through Manhattan to the Governors Island Ferry. It felt like the perfect way to ease out of city life and into something slower.


Once we arrived on the island, we spent the afternoon wandering, eating snacks, and sitting with wine while taking in the skyline views.


We explored Fort Jay before heading over to Collective Retreats for check in.


After settling into our tent, we enjoyed dinner and drinks before curling up in bed to watch The Exorcist. A very fitting October evening.


Day 2: Slow Morning & Quiet Walk

The next morning started slowly with coffee and another peaceful walk around the island before catching the ferry home.


One of the best parts of staying overnight is getting to enjoy Governors Island after most visitors leave and again before the crowds arrive in the morning.


Where We Stayed

Collective Retreats Governors Island. A beautiful and unique overnight stay with some of the best skyline views in NYC. Comfortable tents, thoughtful design, and an overall memorable experience. Just be aware that it is pricey and depending on the night, may not be as quiet as you expect.


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Originally from Iowa (Kassie) and Kansas (Rick), we met in Kansas in 2005 and immediately found that we had so much in common - including our desire to someday see the world. We now live in NYC and quickly started catching up on travel after our first (just us) international trip to Iceland in 2015. We decided to start making videos for us and our family/friends to track our travels. Kassie is in Marketing, an Author (see her poetry + author videos), and Puppet Creator. Rick is an Engineer and Script Writer (see our current and coming puppet movies!)


Kassie's Author Site: https://www.kassiejrunyan.com/

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Important Links and additional information:

Governors Island https://www.govisland.com

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