GARDENS  (back to top)

 
Garden Parties
Westport
The tours give both visitors and residents ingress to homes and gardens they might otherwise not see. Try the Discovery Garden Tour, June 2, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., to see private gardens in Southport, (372-3521, ext. 143). On Sunday, June 11, the Westport Historical Society holds its Fifteenth Annual Hidden Garden Tour (call 222-1424 or go to westporthistory.org).
 

 
Weir Farm, National Historic Site
Wilton
Bring it way down with a visit to the picturesque grounds of Weir Farm, a national historic site. Perfect for budding artists in your family — the landscape has inspired many. Also enjoy nature walks, bird-watching and gardens.Lots to learn. Hours: May through October, from Wednesday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton. 834-1896; website

 
The New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, New York
Who would believe that our area’s most verdant gardens are found on 250 acres in the Bronx? Because there is so much to see, plan your visit by stopping first at the Botanical Garden’s website. June is a great month to see the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden — all eighty-three beds — in bloom. Kids enjoy the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and its giant creatures constructed of flowering plants. Rainy days are best spent in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory where there are eleven different ecosystems, from a tropical rain forest to aquatic gardens. Your friends might even spot a cactus they never knew existed! Afterwards, head to Arthur Avenue, the Little Italy of the Bronx, to pick up fixings for dinner: excellent provolone, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, loaves of crusty Italian bread, handmade fettuccine, cans of San Marzano cherry tomatoes, delicate scallopini of veal and the tiniest of clams, and don’t forget cannoli and a bottle of limoncello for dessert.

The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road, is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: $13 for adults; $11 for students; $5 for children ages 2 to 12. nybg.org
 

PepsiCo Sculpture Gardens
Purchase, New York
Donald M. Kendall, former chairman of the board and CEO of PepsiCo, conceived these spectacular grounds as an integration of architecture, landscape, and sculpture. He believes that art can spark creativity in the world of business.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, pick up a self-guided tour brochure and map at the Visitor's Center. During the off-season, get a map from the guards. Pets are welcome on a leash. There is no picnicking or sports.

Pepsi World Headquarters, 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York; website

 

 

AS A COUPLE  (back to top)

Connecticut Wine Trail
Towns across Connecticut
Discover Connecticut's beautiful vineyards and sample its fine wines. The Wine Trail will take you through some of the most historic and beautiful areas of Connecticut. Sixteen vineyards are joined by the Connecticut wine trail. The trail is split into two sections that will take a day a piece.

View the website for directions and details or call 860-267-1399.
 

 
Harney & Sons Tea Tasting Room
Millerton, New York
This Tasting Room is a treat for all the senses. All loose teas are available to taste and consider. Just keep in mind that there have been many who have planned for a quick stop, but ended up staying for hours, tasting tea, perusing the shop, and discussing every aspect of the world of tea! Open 7 days a week, Monday - Saturday 10:00 to 5:00, and Sundays from 11:00 to 4:00.

Main Street, Millerton, New York. 518-789-2121; website
 

 
Greenwich Polo
Greenwich
No matter how lovely your home may be, it’s a good idea to plan an outing guaranteed to amuse — even impress — The Boss while escaping your chafing-in-their-best-clothes children for a few hours. Time their visit for a polo match just off North Street where, shortly after the 1 p.m. opening, the grassy knolls on either side of the spectator stand are covered with the poshest picnic spreads this side of a Merchant Ivory film. To avoid chaos in your kitchen, pick up a readymade lunch from Balducci’s (order ahead at 637-7600, after choosing selections at balduccis.com) or Plum Pure Foods, where we love the prosciutto and artichoke sandwich on an olive-studded baguette (869-PLUM; plumpurefoods.com). Bring folding chairs, a pretty blanket and binoculars and enjoy the sleek ponies and stylish spectators — a scene right out of the Great Gatsby. Have some fun at halftime by wandering the field to help replace the divots kicked up by the ponies.
Are your guests staying for dinner? Just over the Westchester line on the Bedford–Banksville Road is La Crémaillère Restaurant, in a historic manor house, famous for fine French cuisine and a 14,000-bottle wine cellar (914-234-9647). greenwichpolo.com
 

Longshore Park Skating Rink
Westport
Public skating on Mondays is from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m.to 5:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.. On Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; on Wednesdays, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; on Saturdays from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Prices are $9 adults, $6.25 children; $7 adults w/Handpass, $5 children w/Handpass; website
 

 
Westport Astronomical Society
Westport
The Westport Astronomical Society (WAS) is happy to be your host every Wednesday and Thursday night from 8PM to 10PM Eastern Time (weather permitting) at the Rolnick Observatory in Westport, Connecticut.The Observatory houses a 12.5-inch f/4.8 Newtonian telescope; on moonless nights, we also use a 25-inch Dobsonian telescope. WAS holds its regular meeting at 8PM on the third Tuesday of each month in the Educational Center on the Observatory site. All are welcome to attend.

182 Bayberry Lane, Westport. 227-0925; website

 

 

DRIVES  (back to top)

Beachside Avenue.
A drive down a shore road is a favorite pastime of locals, and a pleasure for visitors — especially this road, which hugs the coast in Greens Farms. With spectacular houses and wide-open views of the Sound, the road runs for a couple of miles between Greens Farms Road and Sasco Creek Road.

 
Sasco Hill Road.
The equivalent of Beachside Avenue in Fairfield is Sasco Hill. The houses are just as big but the walls are lower. The view of Southport Harbor beyond the Country Club of Fairfield also makes the trip a treat.

Southport Village.
Tucked away between the Post Road and the Sound, a warren of narrow streets will take you past one of the largest collections of historic and beautifully preserved houses in Connecticut. (Take Exit 19 off I-95, or Center Street off the Post Road, to get into the heart of this charming waterside village.) 

 

 

CHARTERS, FERRIES, AND GUIDED SAILS  (back to top)

From a $5 (child's) ferry ticket to a wallet-slimming private yacht to take your party on a cruise down to the Statue of Liberty and back, there are all sorts of ways to let someone else captain your ship.

Sheffield Island Sails
Norwalk
An easy, family-friendly way to ferry over to Sheffield Island is provided by the Norwalk Seaport Association, departing from the Maritime Center in South Norwalk. Daily sails are scheduled and you can spend hours on the island, hiking trails, exploring the historic lighthouse and beachcombing. Evening sails are also offered, including a lobster bake every Thursday night, rain or shine: $60 per person buys a dinner of Maine lobster, mussels, steamers and all the fixings served on the island, with a twilight cruise back into port.

Call ahead for reservations, 838-9444; for more information visit seaport.org/sheffield_island.htm.

Think sharing is, well, overrated? Want to book the entire boat and island for an evening? That’s possible too. Check out seaport.org/island_rental.htm.

The Island Princess
Norwalk
Operating out of Norwalk Cove Marina, this authentic side-wheeler looks like the old-fashioned paddleboats that ply the Mississippi — and, in fact, is the only vessel of its kind in the Northeast. It’s available for private charters, accommodating 140 passengers, from about $2,000 for three hours.

Call 852-7241.

 
SoundWaters Sail
Stamford
Want to make a big splash? Book a private three-hour sail on Long Island Sound on the eighty-foot, three-masted SoundWaters, styled after a nineteenth-century Chesapeake Bay sharpie schooner. Departing from Brewer Yacht Haven Marina in Stamford, SoundWaters is operated by a licensed captain and crew, so you’re free to enjoy the sunset and the company of up to forty-seven members of your extended family. Ask the person who books your trip for advice on caterers experienced in serving on board and arrange for hors d’oeuvres and beverages (wine and beer are permitted).

soundwaters.org; 203-323-1978
 

Lighthouse Cruises
Westcott Cove, Stamford
New this spring, Sound Navigation  offers sunset cruises to Sheffield Island Lighthouse and back, departing from Stamford’s Westcott Cove ($35 per person). There’s also a Sunday morning five-lighthouse cruise ($65 per person), with both trips conducted aboard a zippy Thrasher, which makes for a fun and exciting ride.

Call 866-461-9686 or go to soundnavigation.com.

Yacht Charters
Norwalk
If you can dream it up, this well-regarded broker can arrange for virtually any sort of vessel, with catering available. The Southern Stars fourteen-foot Boston Whaler, for instance, comes equipped with waterskiing and snorkeling gear. The ninety-five-foot Cloud Nine accommodates 149 passengers and is often used for wedding parties, which enjoy its popular dance floor as well as views around New York Harbor from the upper deck. Not nearly big enough? How about the four-level Lady Windridge, approved for 500 passengers? For more information call Norwalk

Yacht Charters at 838-2326 or visit norwalkcove.com/charters.htm.