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Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, NY

Admission Fee (some libraries offer free passes), Parking Lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.oldwestburygardens.org

"The magnificent Charles II-style mansion is nestled amid 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds and lakes."  I went here with family during the spring, and was floored by the grandeur of this property.  If I win the lotto one day, I am bringing my builder and landscape architect to this property.  It felt as though someone dropped me in the middle of 19th century aristocratic Europe.  Lots of films have been shot at this property as well.  For more information, visit their website.  I loved the lily pond, the driveway entrance into the property with the canopy affect of the trees, the garden, and the outside of the mansion.  I understand that Halloween is another great time to visit Old Westbury Gardens when they hold their annual "Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns", which features the work of dozens of local artists and sculptors in a unique walk-through experience that's suitable for visitors of all ages."

For acquiring free passes, contact your local library.  For Great Neck residents, click here www.greatnecklibrary.org.

You can also check www.groupon.com for deals before you go.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Drive over to Old Country Road and get some shopping done! Also, newly renovated Roosevelt Field Mall is nearby!

For a list of other mansions and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures. And share with you friends if you appreciate this page.

 

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Manhasset Valley Park

Manhasset, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

Bring a high quality camera, bring your children, and go the second week of November.  Enough said.  Just view the gallery!

Kill a few birds with one stone:  This whole stretch of Northern Blvd is high end shopping at its finest.  You can start at Macy's across the street, but if you want to do some serious damage, hit up the Americana strip mall a few miles east!  Also, any neighborhood off of Northern Blvd in this area is worth driving around in.  Some of North Shore's finest homes!

For a list of other great parks during fall foliage, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

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Kings Point Park

Kings Point, NY

 

No admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

Located in Great Neck's most affluent town, King's Point Park is mostly a forest with hiking trails.  It also has a baseball field and picnic areas and a playground on its south side.  But the main draw, I think, is the hiking mid November during the peak of foliage.  It took an hour on the trail we took, but it was lovely at every turn.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Visit neighboring Stepping Stone if you have a park pass and are a Great Neck resident!

For a list of other parks great for hiking, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Central Park Conservatory

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Central Park

Midtown, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

www.centralparknyc.org

There are not enough days in one's life to visit every corner of this oasis located smack in the middle of the concrete jungle.  I myself with and without the children, have visited the Shakespeare Garden, the Central Park Zoo, the Carousel, the Mall, the Reservoir, the Great Lawn, Loebs Boathouse, Strawberry Fields, Conservatory Water, and my very favorite (with an album all of its own)....The Central Park Conservatory.  Of all the famed gardens in NYC and its outer boroughs, THIS IS THE ONE TO SEE!  It is completely free, and walking the grounds you can't help but feel like royalty.  It is no where as big as NY Botanical Garden or Brooklyn Botanical Garden, but it is far more exquisite. I went here on Mother's Day with the entire family and we enjoyed every minute.  Tip:  Go the week Magnolia or Crabapple trees are in blossom.  Pay attention to those specific trees in your neighborhood so you have an idea of their bloom period before you go.  Also, there is a Maoz felafel stand right outside the garden in actual Central Park, perfect to feast on during a picnic!  And go to the park early (before 11am) if you are driving in or if you want to avoid long lines to rent a row boat by Loeb's Boathouse.  It costs $15 per hour and $5 per each additional hour per boat (not per person). Make sure you know how to row before you go!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Or kill a billion birds with one stone.  There is prime real estate all over Central Park.  There is no going wrong with dining, shopping, or just walking around every block and enjoying the architecture! 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue run parallel along the East Side and Columbus and Amsterdam run parallel along the West Side and showcase some of the most expensive residential building in the world as long as high end shopping.  Also, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and the Jewish Museum line up the Museum Mile on 5th Avenue.  Central Park South has hotels such as The Plaza and Ritz Carlton.  The West Side has the Museum of Natural History, Time Warner Building, Columbus Circle, The Dakota Building, Lincoln Center a block over.  The North has Harlem and Columbia's campus.  There's no losing anywhere you turn!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prospect Park

Brooklyn, NY

Admission fee (some libraries offer free passes), parking lot fee, free parking on street

Free from November though February on weekdays

Free on Tuesdays (double check before you go)

Free on Saturdays from 10am to noon (double check before you go)

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.prospectpark.org

www.bbg.org

Cherry Blossom Festival!  This is the time to visit this gem of a garden in Brooklyn's Prospect Park!  It took us nearly one hour to find parking, but once we did, it was all worth it.  Get a map and make sure to take in as much as you can!  Every inch is a work of art! The gallery speaks for itself!  

If you have extra time, venture out and expore all of Prospect Park (designed by the same architectural team of Manhattan’s Central Park) which should take about two hours to walk the perimeter trails. You will find lakes, ponds, a carousel, an ice skating rink, a roller skating rink, open fields, playgrounds and even waterfalls in this magical place in the middle of Brooklyn. You may even be able to spot an animal (we saw a peacock!) through a fence that connects to the Prospect Park Zoo!

For acquiring free passes, contact your local library.  For Great Neck residents, click here www.greatnecklibrary.org.

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Visit the Brooklyn Museum when you are here!  You may as well!  We visited with a baby and a toddler strapped in a double stroller, and walked into the museum for free one hour before it closed for the day.  There was a special exhibit that month of structures made out of soda cans as you can see in the photos. You can also dine in Park Slope a couple blocks West of the Botanical Gardens. This is a truly magical part of Brooklyn and a very upscale and wealthy neighborhood.  The townhouses are gorgeous!   There are other beautiful affluent neighborhoods to the South and West, and lots of celebrities live around here.  But Park Slope should be the hippest.  I would love to go back once a year!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above, the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

The Boathouse

Grand Army Plaza

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NY Botanical Garden

Bronx, NY

Admission fee, parking lot fee

Free grounds access on Wednesdays; does not include entry to the Enid A Haupt Conservatory, special exhibitions like the Orchid Show and Holiday Train Show, Everett Children's Adventure Garden, Rock and Native Plant Gardens or Tram Tour (visit neighboring Bronx Zoo which is also free on Wednesdays)

Free on Saturdays b/w 9am and 10am (double check before you go)

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.nybg.org

I went here in the very beginning of spring, when only a few trees were in bloom.  But the Orchid Show only goes on for so long, and that was the main draw the month I went.  Admission costs more than it otherwise would have because of this spectacular display in the greenhouse!  I wish I had gone at night to see the flowers illuminated during Orchid Nights!  It is the perfect spot for a romantic date or a proposal! The outer grounds were also beautiful but unfortunately, there was not enough to see just yet.  Had I gone early May, the garden would have been at its peak!

There are activities here throughout the cold season as well!  From December 31-January 22, there is an "All Aboard with Thomas & Friends" show as well as the "Holiday Train Show" that are great activities with the children.  More information is included on their website.  

Always check www.groupon.com for deals before you go.  

For a list of other gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Allenwood Park

Great Neck, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot and free street parking

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

One of the many parks in this lovely neighborhood, Allenwood is at its peak of beauty in the fall!  It has two wonderful playgrounds, one for older and one for younger children.  It has a pond where we were once able to feed the ducks.  It has sprinklers for children during the summer.  And just beautiful landscaping!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Riverside Park

Upper West Side, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park

Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is one of Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront parks.  We decided to go on a Mother's Day with my own mother as well and started our journey south from the 91st Street Garden.  There is a playground at the very bottom of the hill here (from what I recall from my memory) and then you can begin walking down a pedestrian walkway along the Hudson River.  There are a lot of bikers here as well.  It was just such an extraordinary experience and it happened to be a beautiful 80 degree day!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue are just a few blocks over and full of boutique shops.  Just walking around the neighborhood is enough of an activity with your children.  Trust me, for those who say their children don't enjoy these activities, it's only because they haven't been exposed to them!  

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

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The High Line

Chelsea, NY

Parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

www.thehighline.org

I have been here five times.  Different seasons.  Different times of day.  With different groups of people.  Each time is better than the last!  This public park built on a historic elevated freight rail line runs above the streets of Manhattan's West Side from West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues, down to Ganseevort Street in the Meatpacking District.  It is mind boggling to think of how they converted a train track into a boardwalk with such unique landscaping and scenery.  Only in New York!  This is wonderful walk to do with children, on a date night, or for exercise.  There are lounge chairs south of 23rd street too lie down and elevators at 23rd and 34th street entrances (maybe more?)  This is very stroller friendly until you run into an exit with no elevator.  Then you can rely on a fellow New Yorker or tourist to help you bring the stroller up or down.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Explore the Meatpacking District, its shops, boutiques, restaurants, and hotels!  Ganseevort Meatpacking rooftop (with a pool accessible only to those who stay at the hotel) is a true favorite to go for drinks with friends or on a date.   Dream Downtown rooftop and their pool deck is just as unique and interesting, with breathtaking views of Manhattan!  Also, Chelsea Market is a very unique indoor shopping mall with lots of cute shops.  

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Staten Island Ferry

Downtown, NY

Parking on street, Parking lot fee, No fee for ferry

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

www.siferry.com

It is almost impossible to find street parking here so your best bet is to park in a lot.  Afterall, the Staten Island Ferry is a free ride, and it's about a twenty minute ride from the downtown to Staten Island.  Make sure it is over 80 degrees so you can stand on the outer deck and enjoy the wind on a scorching hot day.  Love the views of downtown Manhattan, Statue of Liberty, and the Freedom Tower.  I'm sure this is even more impressive at night.  The ferries run every half hour from each terminal and the schedule is online.   

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Battery Park is supposed to have a beautiful garden but I never had any luck finding it (even though it's on a map)!  Let me know if you do!  Also, there is a playground for the kids right outside the Terminal.  For dining, we found a Bravo Kosher Downtown that had delicious pizza and had outdoor seating on Trinity Street.  This is within walking distance from the terminal.  My friend had also suggested walking on Stone Street, a charming cobblestone street, but I never got around to it!  I will definitely go back to this area and visit Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty next time!  

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Battery Park

Downtown, NY

Parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

One boring Sunday in the winter, I round up the troops and decided to go to downtown Manhattan and explore Battery Park.  From the southern tip, we walked up about a half mile on the boardwalk until we hit a charming city playground and just sat on a bench and enjoyed the views of New Jersey's new and improved skyline! On our walk back to the car, every turn in every narrow street, we saw a beautiful angle of the newly built and architecturally beautiful Freedom Tower!  But beware, street parking here can be difficult and if you are with a stroller and you have to cross the bridge on West Street, it will be pretty annoying.  Try to find parking west of West Street so you don't run into this bump along the way.

Kill a few birds with one stone:  The Oculus hadn't been built when we went a couple years ago, but I understand it is definitely something to see if you are in the area.  Google it!  Also, Seaglass Carousel at the Battery Conservancy was completed in August 2015.  It is $5 per 3 minute ride.  Definitely something to do with the young children while you are there!  Particularly at night when it's illuminated.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Christmas in New York City

NYC and outer boroughs

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

There is nothing more magical than Christmas in New York City!   Start your day trip at the window display at Macy's Herald Square. Then walk up 6th Avenue to Bryant Park and purchase a hot chocolate, crepe, and go ice skating at their annual Holiday Shops at Winter Village!  Keep heading north all the way up to 59th street, turn right and head towards 5th Avenue along Central Park South. Start walking back down on 5th Avenue and make sure to pass by all the the high end department and boutique stores as well as Rockefeller Center!  Try and catch the amazing light show outside Saks Fifth Avenue that occur on the hour every hour after sundown. And remember, go inside all the department stores as well.  Their indoor decorations are just as beautiful!  

Downtown Manhattan is also a site to see during the holiday season. If you find yourself in the financial district, definitely check out the Oculus and enjoy high end shopping and ice skating on the Hudson River at the beautiful and recently opened Brookfield Place.

If you want the best of the best in Christmas lights, head over to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn.  Nothing says "anything you can do I can do better" quite like the homeowners in this neighborhood, with their ornate and outlandish front lawns!  But beware, there will be bumper to bumper traffic the whole week of Christmas leading up to New Year's day.  Google "Dyker Heights Christmas lights" and plan your trip wisely!

My very very favorite home is located in Jamaica Estates Queens on the corner of Chevy Chase and 80th Street.  I ran into this house purely by accident after having dinner on Union Turnpike.  My children, husband and I parked the car and decided to go outside to see what all the commotion was about.  There was a crowd of about 70 people lined up to see the display windows of this house (better than anything in any NYC department store...and much more impressive because this is someone's residence!)  When I went home, I discovered that indeed I had seen the most famous house in the tri-state area.  For those of other faiths, not to worry! The owner has got decorations covered for a whole range of observers. Please check the videos below to see what all the hype is about! (On December 15, 2019, my friend shared the tragic news that she passed the house and saw no lights. I told her she’s an idiot and to go to the exact corner. She said she did. I quickly went to their facebook page, because of course this house has a facebook page, and they had written in 2018 “Dear friends and neighbors, We just wanted to let you know that Christmas in Jamaica Estates will not be turning on our lights this year. We love doing it for our friends, fmaily and neighbors, and we hope t be back next year. We wish everyone from the bottom of our hearts a happy and safe holiday season! Best wishes, the Gurino Family”. I am sorry for all those who never got to experience this home! Hopefully, 2018 and 2019 were just bumps in the road and they will return in greater fashion once they get over the trauma of their annual electricity bill!!

If you live near Pelham Gardens in the Bronx, it’s worth a visit to the Garabedian Family’s Christmas House located at 1605 Pelham Parkway North at Westervelt Avenue. “Mixed in with a traditional nativity scene and plenty of corpulent angels are nearly 200 animated figures, all glammed up in old-school Hollywood-style gowns. Holiday music blares from multiple speakers and there’s a horse-drawn carriage from which a Cinderella-like mannequin elegantly exits.” www.mommypoppins.com. The neighborhood is no where as impressive as Dyker Heights, and the decorations here are not as impressive as those in front of any home in the Brooklyn neighborhood. No need to cross any bridge and pay a toll to visit this house. (I made a stop only because I was at nearby NY Botanical Garden for their annual and magnificent Holiday Train Show and figured I’d kill two birds with one stone. But I went too early in the season and the lights were not on yet. Just the mannequins were up. Take a look at the video below for a better idea!)

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Williamsburg Waterfront

Williamsburg, NY

Park on street

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

I am lucky my sister is a resident of Williamsburg.  I was able to enjoy 4th of July (well, half enjoy) fireworks with my children on the East River!  We experienced sunset and breathtaking views of Manhattan's skyline. Unfortunately, I had no idea the fireworks begin at 9:30 so by then, my toddlers were already hours into suicide watch!  Whenever the fireworks are on the East River, and your children are older, or you have a babysitter, definitely park in Williamsburg....the views won't be nearly as nice as those in DUMBO or downtown Manhattan, but it gets the job done with far less people traffic!

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Bedford Avenue dining!

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass)

Brooklyn, NY

street parking and parking lots

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer

Grimaldi's Pizza!  Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory!  Jane's Carousel!  Brooklyn Bridge Park!  The River Cafe! The Brooklyn Bridge!   The newly opened Empire Stores!  Cecconi's Restaurant!  The 1 Hotel!  These are all hallmarks of this cobble-stoned neighborhood located just across the East River from downtown Manhattan.   With breathtaking views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and the NYC downtown skyline, every inch of DUMBO is as charming as the next!  Parking is an utter disaster (unless you get lucky) so just do yourself a favor and dig into your pockets and pay to leave your car in a parking lot!  You can spend the entire day here with children.  Best to go around 3pm and stay as long as you can to experience the sunset.

Reservations at River Cafe need to be made months in advance, but it's worth just taking a look from the outside of this famed NY restaurant!  It is utterly magical at night when the gardens are illuminated and you can see the sparkling skyline and Brooklyn Bridge through the leaves of the trees!  Videos of both the day and night can be viewed below.

Also, Cecconi's DUMO is a new and beautiful indoor/outdoor restaurant on the ground floor of Empire Stores with prime real estate between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.  I have been told the food here ain't all that but the Instagram posts after your less-than-fine dining is what you are paying for.  But if you are looking for an excellent restaurant with great decor, service, food and views, I prefer Maiella on the waterfront in Long Island City overlooking midtown Manhattan with views of the iconic Empire and Chrysler Buildings.  

Love the energy in this little nook of Brooklyn as much, if not more, than that of Manhattan!  My favorite thing to do on an uneventful Sunday with the family!   And DUMBO is ever evolving.  When I went last year, Empire Stores looked like an abandoned warehouse and I just kept wondering why they hadn't restored this beautiful building.  And what do you know, I came back one year later to find a mixed use shopping mall/office building.  I have pictures of the inside and outside in the gallery above and videos below.  

I am still torn between whether DUMBO is more magical during the day or in the evening.  For sure there is an unmatched and vibrant energy during the day with the crowds of people.  When we went on a Thursday evening, the kids were missing, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory was closed, but the lights of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges were reflecting off the East River and there was a beautiful serenity that you don't find during the earlier hours. Definitely visit DUMBO at least once in your life, and make an effort to catch it at both times of day. Tip:  For the money shot, head to Washington Street to get a pic of the Empire State Building peaking through the Manhattan Bridge (pictures above)

Nearby

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6

DUMBO

Park Slope

Governor's Island

Carroll Gardens

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Brooklyn Museum

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Queens County Farm

Little Neck, NY

Optimum Seasons:  Fall

www.queensfarm.com

This is not the best farm in NYC by any means, but it is close to my home and there is no admission fee.  So it is a win win experience!  I went here two times, once with my one year old, husband, parents and sisters and the next with my two sons when they were seven and four.   This experience will take at most three hours of your day.  Just note that the farm offers no fruit or apple picking.  

In the month of October, they have a pumpkin patch repeating every Saturday and Sunday as well as the amazing maize maze (a three acre corn maze that takes approximately 45 minutes to get through and is a great experience with your young children!!!  Costs $10 per adult and $5 per child over 4 years old). They also have a Haunted House the last weekend of October.

Kill a few birds with one stone:  If you are in the mood to see beautiful and lavish homes, drive north approximately 2 miles to the neighborhood of Little Neck (which is also amazing for trick or treating so best to go to the farm on Halloween day so you can go through this neighborhood after.  There are two sections, one west of Little Neck Parkway and one East (between the LIE and Northern Blvd).  The west section is the nice homes but the east is where all the great trick or treating and decoration action is!  Visit both.  You won't regret it.  Also, if you love Christmas decorations, come back in two months and visit the neighborhood again!

For a list of other farms, click here.

Click on the gallery above to view pictures and the video below to get an idea of the corn maze.  And add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  Share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Wickham's Family Fruit Farm

Cutchogue NY

Charge per bag of fruit

Optimum Seasons:  Summer, Fall

www.wickhamsfruitfarm.com

The drive through the farms and wineries of the North Fork of Long Island is so scenic that it is worth the long drive.  Also, I prefer this farm because there are no tolls to pay as I live on Long Island, they have a tractor to drive you to the farm to pick your produce, and they have pies.  We were at the farm a total of one hour though. The drive each way was an hour and a half.  You have to check their website regularly to make sure they have fruits to pick.  I picked the most delicious apples here and there was plenty left mid October.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Go to the Tanger Outlet in Riverhead for some shopping, even though the prices aren't so discounted.  

For a list of other farms, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

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Central Park Zoo

New York, NY

Admission Fee

Park on street

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.centralparkzoo.com

I went here towards the very end of the summer on a warm day with two young children.  This zoo is no where as impressive as The Bronx Zoo and one tenth of the size....but, it is smack in the middle of Manhattan.  The landscaping is exquisite with the back drop of condos on the Upper East Side and Central Park South.

Kill a few birds with one stone:  FAO Schwartz is no longer around!  But walking down Fifth Avenue, or just around Central Park itself, is enough to make this day well worth the hours it took to find a parking spot!

For a list of other zoos in the area, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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The Bronx Zoo

Bronx, NY

Admission Fee

Pay what you will for grounds access on Wednesdays; does not include admission to special exhibitions like the Butterfly Garden, Congo Gorilla Forest and Jungle World; visit neighboring NY Botanical Garden which is also free on Wednesdays

Parking on the Street

 

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.bronxzoo.com

Make sure you go when your children are old enough to appreciate the animals!  I had gone with my husband and two year old son, and I got more enjoyment out of the experience than my toddler!  But every child is different! I'm sure if I go again with my older children, they will understand how cool it is to be face to face with a guerilla (separated by a glass screen), or see a polar bear, lion or giraffe within a few yards!  The zoo is massive and I only walked around for two hours as my son soon grew impatient.   

In July of 2017, the Bronx Zoo debuted Nature Trek.  Expect sand, water (seasonal), and loose branches in the nature play area.  Admission to Nature Trek is included with the Bronx Zoo Total Experience ticket, which is $6.00 per person.  Read more about this here.  Also every October the Zoo hosts Boo in the Zoo every weekend for Halloween.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  There isn't much to do in this neighborhood! If you have enough time and money, definitely stop by the neighboring Bronx Botanical Garden if you are here in the spring!  

For a list of other zoos in the area, click here.

Click on the gallery above to view pictures and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Cooper's Beach

Southhampton, NY

$40 Parking Fee

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

There is a $40 fee to park (most in Westhampton are $25 and under), a longer walk from the parking lot to the beach, and a longer drive from home as the Southhampton is further east than Westhampton, but if you are into people watching and a decent concession stand (serves fries, breakfast, and sandwiches), this is the place for you!  I find the water the clearest of all the beaches I've been on the south shore.  Depending on the time of the season you go, there may or may not be huge waves.  We went towards the end of the summer and for some reason, there was a huge cliff by the shore so we were not able to sit in our beach chairs and watch our children at the same time.  They were under our field of vision.  The second time I went this was not the case, so I'm guessing this is just based on your luck!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Go into their town for dinner and some high end shopping. 

For a list of other beaches, click here.

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