Winter in Westchester

The more north you go in Westchester, the less sidewalks there are.  I live on one of the highest hills in Westchester.  There is a cluster of houses on my hill that form two connected loops.  One can see for miles around, at the valley below us, a lake of shimmering blue, clouds and trees that extend as far as the eye can see.  There are no sidewalks on my hill, the houses are on one to twenty acre lots.   We have a Nature Sanctuary with hundreds of acres of forest behind us.  The houses have front gardens with open lawns and trees. 

I love walking on my hill, looking at the views, enjoying the pure, white snow on peoples' lawns and on the tree limbs of the forest behind.  It's a bright, white, winter world.  Today, was warm in the afternoon, in the mid 30s.  With a scarf and hat, the clear, bright winter light, and the bright blue sky , the glittering snow made everything look clean and fresh.  Breathtaking.  I love winter where there are no sidewalks.  Just land overlooking a valley.  I just wanted to keep on walking, all day.

December in Florida

70 degrees farenheit.  Shorts and t shirt weather.  I love the South gulf coast:
1. Fort Myers Beach
2. Indian Rocks Beach

Both towns are not tourist towns, they're residential.  Rent a condo on the beach.  Condos are more quiet than hotels that have crowds of noisy groups waking you up late at night or early morning.  Live where residents live.  Go to sites like vrbo.com, homeaway.com, airbnb.com to rent a condo with a view.  A caveat though is that most of these sites won't allow you to cancel within 24 hours and get a full refund.  If you need something like that, focus on a hotel on the beach.

We spent lazy days December and January walking along the shore, watching dolophins - they appear around sunset, just swimming along the shore.  We walked every day, in the morning and at sunset.  Relaxing, beautiful.  By day, we went to special places for lunch - Columbia's in Clearwater is definitely a plus - beautiful water views, white table cloths, stunning cuban food, enchanting interiors.  

We listened to and read books that really changed my life and increased my sense of well being and happiness:
1. Change Your Brain, Change Your body
2. Emotional Intelligence
3. The Joy of Living

Also a very riveting book on character, leadership, and the U.K.
4. Tony Blair's - A Journey

These are some of the best books I've ever read.  If you pick any of them up, post back on this forum what you think.  They're my holiday gifts to you.  They'll expand your brain.  Happy New Year.

Clarence Fahnestock State Park in Putnam County, New York

Take the Taconic north.  You'll see a sign for Clarence Fahnestock State Park.  Get off at the next exit.  Drive West until you see cars parked on both sides of the road.  Park your car on the side of the road behind the other cars.  Cross the road and see a trail head on the south side of the road.  Follow the red trail markers on the trees.  This will take you deep into the forest.  Now, with the leaves off the trees and the floor covered with pale tan oak, beech, maple leaves, you get the feeling of walking on a carpet of gold.

You won't see other people.  It'll be you and the forest and the trees and the gentle hills and the sunlight coming through.  You'll come to a wide carriage trail, also blanketed with the leaves of the forest.  Take a right and follow the carriage trail until you see yellow markers on the trees.  Follow the yellow trail until it takes you high above a blue lake.  Sit on a rock, look at the sun reflecting off the water and there's no other place you would rather be. 

The beauty of the Forest reaches deep into one's soul.

Briarcliff Peekskill Trailway in Westchester

This used to be a railway line.  Now, it's paved and on both sides of the walkway, covered with trees.  Get off at the Underhill exit on the Taconic State parkway.  Drive south to Route 120.  Drive East along route 120, and you'll see a German restaurant on your right and then a little further east, a parking area for the trailway on your left.

Start walking south on the trailway and you'll cross on a beautiful, old bridge that spans the Croton Reservoir.  Wonderful water views.  Keep on going south and you'll see a lake on your left with swans.  Keep on walking south and you're in a forest walking on a paved path.  The trees surround you, embrace you.  You and the forest are friends.  You can walk for over 20 miles round trip on this trailway.  Turn back when you think you'll get tired.

Riverside Park

Enter at 116th street and Riverside Avenue in Manhattan.  I walked there this past week.  Yellow leaves on the tree.  A view of the Hudson.  Soccer fields, children's playgrounds, baseball fields beneath you.  Joggers, mothers with strollers, students.  All very well spaced.  You have tranquility and a sense of belonging.  Water, trees, people playing and contemplating.  This is what an urban park should be like.

Battery Park City

One of my favorite walks in New York City starts at Battery Park.  Wonderful views of Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The harbor and water are stunning.  Keep on walking west and a paved walkway with gardens appears as you walk along the residential buildings of Battery Park City.  I like buildings made of red, tan, and white stone and granite.  They seem more monumental, more artistic, more like a sculpture.  One of my favorite sculptures there is a life size lawn sculpture of a female cat upright, wearing a dress,  hand in hand with a male cat, just like characters from a fairy tale.

I had lunch at Kaidou, a japanese restaurant, overlooking the Marina with Bento Boxes that are just 13.00.  The service and surroundings were excellent.  After that, I kept walking north until it was time to catch the train home.  How lucky we are that we were made with legs so that we could feel the pleasure from walking! A wonderful day.

Muscoot Farm Park

This is another one of my favorite walks in Westchester.  The Yellow Trail.  It's about 3 miles.  It takes about 90 minutes to 2 hours depending on how many times you stop to rest to just look at the trees.  In the Autumn, the ground is covered with golden, yellow leaves.  Around you, are trees that are red, yellow, orange.  Such a bright yellow, orange and red also.  With the sun and the scrunching of the leaves on the ground, this spot is wonderful.  You finish by coming to picture perfect meadow and a blue sky that just stretches.  The forest surrounds you and enfolds you, bringing you back to life.