Your vacation is still weeks away, but you know, you just know that you need a break. So what do you do without breaking the bank? That’s right – a day trip.
“Right now, we live in a society that is all about work, work, work,” says Dr. Jonathan Silberlicht, a family medicine specialist at Scarsdale Medical Group. “Having time to connect with your family is really important. With younger kids, taking a trip can be all about creativity and exploration. It’s also de-stressing for mom and dad.” Here, three trips that are about more than just family fun.
- Its small-town charm and historic attractions keep families coming back to Mystic, Connecticut. If you do only one thing here, make it the Mystic Aquarium. For lunch, try Bleu Squid Bakery, famous for gourmet grilled cheese and 60-plus types of cupcakes. Then, head to Mystic Seaport to learn about the town’s historic seafaring prowess. Visit the historic “town” to discover what life was like 200 years ago, and check out the children’s museum, or one of the kid-friendly workshops. Before you leave, be sure to swing by Olde Mistick, a charming village with independent retailers selling everything from fudge to colorful kites.
- Westhampton, the closest and most approachable of the tony beach towns on Long Island’s south shore, has plenty to offer. Explore the walkable downtown, with boutique shops offering everything from kid-friendly comics to vintage handbags. Rent a bike and take the short ride down to beach-lined Dune Road (with plenty of clearly marked bike paths) or sign up for a private surf lesson through Island Surf School. These types of outdoor activities provide excellent health benefits for the family, notes Dr. Silberlicht, and also provide a space to connect with the environment.”
- And less than an hour away, there’s the Hudson Valley. Start your day at Storm King Art Center in New Windsor, where kids can run, explore, and absorb a little culture as they search out more than 100 large-scale sculptures spread across 500 bucolic acres. For kids, it’s just about finding the mind-boggling structures, but parents will also recognize the names of famous artists. Pack a lunch and enjoy one of the park’s many picnic tables. Then head north to SplashDown Beach in Fishkill, where there are water-park rides, plunging slides, lazy rivers and wave pools. Or visit Walkway Over the Hudson, the world’s longest pedestrian bridge, which spans a stretch of the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland (a perfect place for a family bike ride).
For more details on these locations, see Get Out of Town in the Spring/Summer 2018 edition of Health Matters, by going to: https://www.wphospital.org/about/events/health-matters-magazine.