Have car, will travel. A quick day trip away from the
skyscrapers and the busy sidewalks is a vacation in itself. It is an intentional
getaway to recharge your batteries. I would not dare call it a digital detox because I use my phone to capture beautiful scenery. Maybe,
when there is time for a longer staycation by the beach with no tight itinerary, that would be great.
In the meantime, these day trips feed my heart and soul.
Storm King Art Center, Orange County, New York
Oct. 28, 2024, 1h 19m from Queens
The vibrant autumn colors at the Storm King Art Center are a perfect backdrop for large-scale contemporary outdoor sculptures as they rise majestically up into the sky, dwarfing all the humans. It is absolutely worth the trip.
This past Saturday, throngs of people descended on this
500-acre open-air museum in New York's Hudson Valley, home to the largest
collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the United States by renowned
artists like Maya Lin, Alexander Calder, and Mark di Suvero. It was peak season
for the Autumn leaves to reign supreme. The tram ride takes you to all
different stops where you can hop on and off to explore and hike the trails.
Some of the sculptures are difficult to discern, so you can
create stories about these different works of art in bronze, metal, and
aluminum. My imagination ran away with my interpretation of the sculpture: I
saw intussusception, a dog, a Trojan horse, an elephant, R2D2, and Squiggles.
No disrespect intended.
The "Luba" by Ursula von Rydingsvard resembles a
petrified tree. This is a cedar-wood sculpture with cast bronze and graphite.
Interesting fact: my son knows her late husband, to whom this sculpture is
dedicated.
My favorite is "Fallen Sky," an artful rendition of spherical stainless steel pieces embedded in the earth, nestled in a hole left by an uprooted tree.
The five Ionic stone pillars (salvaged from an old
mansion along the Hudson River) stood like a vanguard on the crest of the hill,
where you could see the vast display of sculptures. It's my second time seeing
these pillars, but they continue to mesmerize me as I imagine myself as a queen
greeting my loyal subjects. Yeah, I know, delusions of grandeur. And my
self-mandated foliage pictures, ✔️ checked.
Briermere Farm and Harbes Orchard in Long Island's North
Fork area
Sept. 21, 2024- 1.5-hour drive from Queens
Day trip to Briermere Farm, Harbes Orchard, and Greenport in Long Island, New York. Our last summer hurrah before Autumn comes. Briermere Farm is a fruit farm and bakery with a long line of people lured by the sweet aroma of cookies, bread, and pies (fresh blueberry cream, raspberry peach, and cherry cream). You will gain weight just inhaling the aroma of the baked goods. The farm also had a colorful display of sunflowers and exotic flowers (I don't know their names) that beckoned me.
Then, just a few minutes away is the Harbes Orchard, a
pleasant, family-friendly farm with your pick of apples: Fuji, honey crisps,
Gala, and Granny Smiths. The farm also
offers pumpkin picking and Robin Hood–themed corn maze, kids’ activities, and
live music from 12–5 on weekends and holidays. There was open seating and live
music, with apple-cider doughnuts.
We also explored Greenport, a waterfront community in
Suffolk County on the North Fork of Long Island. The New York Times labeled the
village as a low-key alternative to the Hamptons. Nothing was low-key this
weekend, with the tourists enjoying the street fairs, live music, and the
yachts and boats at the marina. We later learned that there was a Maritime
festival and parade, and that explained the men and women dressed as pirates
and mermaids. It was a fun time.
Branch Brook Park, New Jersey
April 7, 2024, 47-minute drive from Queens
Branch Brook Park in New Jersey is home to over 5,300
flowering cherry blossom trees in 18 varieties, more than Washington, D.C. It
was the annual Cherry Blossoms Festival when we visited, and throngs of people
descended to celebrate the rites of Spring with a breathtaking explosion of
colors, from snow white to baby pink to vibrant pink.
Spring is my second favorite season. Nature is awakening
after hibernating in winter. A rebirth, new beginnings. Flowers are blooming,
the birds are chirping, the days are longer, and the nights are shorter.
As Charles Dickens said, "It was one of those March
days when the sun shines hot, and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the
light and winter in the shade." And what better way to end the day than to
go to Max's?
Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers, Westchester
County
Oct. 28, 2023, 1-hour drive from Queens
This time, we didn't have to travel far to see the Fall foliage. The Untermyer Gardens Conservancy in Yonkers, Westchester County, is a historic 43-acre public city park (free admission and parking) offering breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the Palisades.
Those with knee and hip problems should beware, but it was
all worth the minor aches and pains if you want to do some gorgeous photo
shoots. We saw a lot of pre-nups, pre-baby pictorials, and probably an
occasional TikTokker. The Temple of Love, featuring a rock-and-stream garden
and a small waterfall, evokes a fairy-tale setting.
The Vista is a must-see.
The descending staircase leads you down to the Overlook, where two
majestic Roman marble columns frame the spectacular scenery. I will not pretend
that I walked down those steps (hehehe). Jordan said it was really nice to walk
down between the trees with just a glimpse of the columns, and then when he got
to the bottom of the steps beyond the canopy of the trees, voila, the panorama
was dramatically stunning (hence the name). Like unwrapping a gift.
The Walled Garden was closed due to a private event (darn),
a Halloween event featuring people arriving in costumes. There was a pregnant
lady, or was it just a fake belly hanging out like it was ready to burst?
We ended up at the Hapag Filipino Restaurant in Yonkers. No
pineapple juice for me, but the food was yummy: Sinigang na pork, tortang
talong with corned beef, Ukoy without shrimp, and yes, taho (silken tofu, sago
or tapioca pearls, and a simple brown sugar syrup).
Wave Hill Public Garden and Cultural Center in the Bronx
May 29, 2023, 34-minute drive from Queens
Wonderful afternoon spent at the Wave Hill public garden and
cultural center in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. It is an oasis
tucked away in the Hudson Hill section of Riverdale with a spectacular view of
the Hudson River and the Palisades.
This 28-acre garden boasts a pergola overlooking the Hudson,
surrounded by magnificent trees and flowers, creating a horticultural paradise
featuring an alpine house, greenhouses, and a cultural center. If you’re a
birdwatcher, there are 127 species of birds, including ruby-throated
hummingbirds, great blue herons, and bald eagles.
This last-minute trip is such a revelation to me. I have
lived here in New York since 1983, and yet I am still discovering some gems, a
peaceful escape, in my own city.
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, New York
Oct. 23, 2022- 45-minute drive from Queens
We went for the Fall colors and the Hudson River, perfect ambiance
for self-reflection.
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are adjacent villages in
Westchester County along the eastern bank of the Hudson River.
Sleepy Hollow, formerly named North Tarrytown, officially
changed its name in 1996 after Washington Irving’s classic 1820 story, The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is a charming town with a reputation for being
spooky, especially during Halloween, for the Headless Horseman.
Tarrytown is the cultural hub, with local boutiques and children’s bookstores along Main Street. The Lyndhurst estate is a Gothic
Revival house that serves as a filming location for The Gilded Age.
Lavender by the Bay, Calverton, Long Island
July 5, 2021, 1 hour and 15 minutes from Queens
Happiness is... celebrating nature's beauty amid fields of lavender blooms, with the clear blue sky above and the aromatic breeze calming heart and soul. The fragrance fills the air and cleanses my spirit. Lavender is calming, as scientific studies have shown that the natural compounds linalool and linalyl acetate interact directly with the nervous system to lower cortisol levels. No wonder these multi-purpose perennial lavender plants are widely used for aromatherapy. Doing my Ujjayi breathing in a field of lavender.
The best month to visit a lavender farm is July, with the massive
French lavender fields at their vibrant peak.
I wanted to end the day at the Purple Yam restaurant, but it
was closed for the holiday. I had to settle
for the purple Ube ice cream.
