Whisking off to Westchester

Just like everyone else in NYC during the pandemic a year in, I'm getting a little stir crazy. We have very little space, and no outdoor space for us, but the one blessing we do have is a car. And since we have been inside enough, we decided to drive out of the city for a little outdoor time and see what's up with Westchester!

We started our day with a long, leisurely hike at the Rockefeller State Preserve. I found the trail on AllTrails, and picked it specifically because of its length and ease (I'm new to this hiking thing!) There were a surprising amount of people around despite it being a cloudy Thursday in March, but it was the first day where we almost hit 70. I have to imagine in the summer and fall with the foliage the trails would be packed. But the park itself is huge; way bigger than I could have imagined. We walked around for two hours and still only did one section around the lake.

I'd love to go back and check out the rest of the park and all the different trails - they were easily marked and followed on our phone, but there were just too many to fit into one afternoon!

We cut the hike a little a short and decided to drive through Sleepy Hollow and down the Hudson river to grab some coffee before our dinner reservation. Another pandemic hobby I've developed like everyone else is Zillow browsing and W O W are the homes gorgeous in Sleepy Hollow!! I didn't take any pictures and I so regret it. We passed through Philipse Manor and saw huge, old estate type houses. It was a lovely way to relax and cool off with a slow drive and a great view.

We ended up just driving until we found a coffee shop on Main Street in Tarrytown. We grabbed some iced coffees and walked around the downtown area - there were so many shops and places to explore. They had a super cute yarn store that made me almost want to pick up knitting; a vintage thrift store and a vintage toy store; a homemade ice cream shop; plus tons of little bars and restaurants. I was sorely tempted to cancel our reservation for dinner just to keep exploring the downtown area. It was easily something you could have spent all day doing!

Finally, we headed off to an Italian restaurant called Tramonto about 10 minutes away for a reservation. My boyfriend is not a pasta eater, so we only end up getting Italian together once or twice for special occasions. However, he's starting a new job at an Italian restaurant and needs to do some research! As a cheese, coffee and carb connoisseur, I gracefully agreed to be his research partner ;)

We dined outside; the food was to die for and the service was fantastic. If you're in the area and haven't tried them yet, I highly recommend. We drove back home full and happy.

But the best part about Westchester for NYC - it's an easy day trip on the rail too! For those that don't have access to a car, it's a quick trip on the MetroNorth and the town is easily walkable with so much to do. When you are short on time and money for a getaway, a day trip to Westchester is the perfect solution!