Kayakers enjoy a rather unique perspective on the world. We can sneak up on all sorts of things—from ships to shipwrecks, bridges to buoys, skyscrapers to rollercoasters—and appreciate them at our leisure. Here’s our rusting, gleaming, clanking take on Ailsa’s travel theme, metal.

We love to paddle up the Sound towards Rye, NY, and hang out in the embayment of the country’s only Art Deco amusement park, Rye Playland. (Or “Playride Land,” as blogstress bluebrightly‘s son used to call it!) Click on video for gleeful sounds of summer.

Post-hurricane Sandy, padlocked gates blocked the park’s boardwalk.

Every so often in “sailboat land,” we come upon a hardworking vessel awaiting repair.

Red nun #2 near Rye Playland…

…and a greening rite of spring in City Island:

Then there’s the gloomy rust of Hart Island (no prison there today; but it remains NYC’s potters field—with the “remains” of nearly one million people.) In the absence of living human inhabitants, raccoons rule!

New York City itself is full of gleaming steel and glass…

…not to mention, certain copper and steel landmarks 🙂

Green lighted buoy #5 near the Palisades, on the Hudson River:

The anchor chain of Empire State, the training ship of SUNY Maritime College:

And close by, the Throgs Neck Bridge connecting the Bronx to Queens:

Vlad and Johna (amazing kayakers and bloggers at windagainstcurrent) heading back home to NYC after a weekend with us last fall:

Perhaps most beautiful of all, the gunmetal water of Long Island Sound on a late-summer evening: