The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze Day trip

This month I’ve taken advantage of the warm weather October was throwing at us. My parents came to visit and I was excited to take a trip to the Historic Hudson Valley and share the Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze together. If you’re not familiar, it’s a two month long run of thousands of carved pumpkins by local artisans on display outside at Van Cortland Manor. Each pumpkin is carefully arranged into an incredible installation fully lit! It honestly is one of my top to do’s in fall so I had to share! They even have cider, doughnuts, wine, and yummy dough nuts to enjoy during your visit.

I highly recommend getting tickets early because they sell out fast, especially for weekend evenings. If you’re looking for more to do in the area check out the Historic Hudson Valley here. The event is easily accessible from the city by taking Metro North and you arrive under an hour at the Croton Harmon stop. If you’re looking for dining there’s a yummy delicious pizzeria serving up Italian in the plaza next door to the manor. I't’s really good!

I’ve attended The Jacko’lantern Blaze past two years and have seen some new installations of jack o’ lantern’s such as the “Museum of Modern Pumpkins” and some repeated ones like the moving carousel and tall statue of liberty. The event is perfect for a group, families, or even a date taking just about an hour to walk through.

There was one similar set up on Governor’s Island in the city. That one also has some incredible artists carving the surfaces of pumpkins to various theme, without a doubt the Blaze is done so well!

Just thought I’d share since the event is still running and will go through the month of November.

Let me know if you check it out! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

New York City Getaway to Storm King Art Center

Fall Escape to Storm King Art Center

Over the weekend my husband and I took advantage of the sunny weather and the changing seasons. We headed upstate within the Hudson Valley to a bucket list spot we have been wanting to check out since we’ve lived in NYC: Storm King Art Center!

As an art teacher I couldn’t let another season pass without taking a day to adventure to a new spot, to not only be inspired, but enjoy some good outdoor time this fall. Kevin kept saying what an amazing weekend we chose because all of the leaves are in the midst of changing and the drive upstate was breathtaking. If you’ve never been, Storm King is located just an hour and a half north of NYC and the perfect spot to hike, picnic, and explore as a couple or with a group of friends or take your children to run around and explore. There is an admission fee and lots of free parking. Another cost friendly option if you don’t own a car is to take the Metro North to the Beacon stop. Storm King provides a shuttle service on weekends from from the train station, to the sculpture park, and returning. You can find details for tickets here. October is a busier season so we recommend going earlier on the weekends between 10-12. There’s some fabulous long term and short term pieces on display and it’s easy to have it guided through an app that’s offered. This will give great insight into the artist’s ideas and themes for their work.

We wanted to see some other places while we took our time throughout the day in this area so we also adventured to a family run farm (Jone’s Farm) and the Woodbury Common Outlet Shopping Center. The farm is close to Storm King with a delicious fresh bakery of all the fall sweets on your mind. It’s a quaint lunch spot that offers pumpkin picking on weekends too. After we made a stop to the Woodbury Commons. It’s are a must if you’ve never been for a solid outlet experience. Many high end brands have some great items at low cost. There’s also a bus leaving Manhattan most days/ weekends that will bring you to the premium outlets and return you to midtown. Bus details for this are here. For additional discounts sign up online for their VIP membership and you can access coupons.

Overall, I highly recommend taking a weekend to escape the city and wander through the massive grounds of Storm King. You won’t be disappointed and it’s a great experience to see how art and the natural landscape compliment each other. Getting outdoors in the fall season does so much to boost your mood and overall health and wellbeing , just by walking or hiking in a change of scenery can be just what you need before winter rolls in.

Recommendations: Pack a water bottle, wear comfortable shoes/ sneakers for walking, bring a light blanket, and small cooler to picnic/snacks. There’s also a cafe and food car on site but both were quite busy.

Storm King Art Center

Orange County, New York

Other Hudson Valley Attractions:

Jones Farm (about an 8 minute drive from Storm King) Farm animals, cafe for breakfast/lunch, country shop and bakery (hello apple cider doughnuts). Enjoy hayrides to the pumpkin patch Saturdays & Sundays 11-4.

Brotherhood Winery The oldest consistently run winery in the country! Don’t go home without a bottle of their famous Riesling. We recommend the tour and tasting to learn about how the winery began. Going late? Enjoy dinner at 1839 the on site restaurant if you have time. Make a dinner reso for after your tasting.

Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets 25 minute drive heading back toward NYC. Many shops designer and non with a vast food court. All shops are outdoor accessible so recommended for spring, summer, fall. Round trip bus service available from midtown Manhattan most days/ weekends. Sign up for their VIP Passbook for additional discounts via email on their website.

Outfit Details

Sweater, also love this version and this chunky Free People find / Denim, Joe’s / Shoes, Steve Madden / Leather Backpack (Italy) more options here and here / Bamboo Gold Initial necklace / Headband, Anthropologie love this color for fall!

Coral Casual in Bermuda: Travel Guide Part 1

Kevin and I recently traveled to Bermuda for the first time together and I think I’ve officially won him over on a great island in the Atlantic! I had been going for many summers for work so I was looking forward to sharing this special place together to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary.

If you’re not familiar, Bermuda is a British Island territory located less than two hours by flight from NYC in the Northen Atlantic!. It can make for the perfect weekend getaway if you’re craving some tropical feels and the most amazingly clear beaches, pink sands and turquoise waters everywhere. The warm weather climate makes it a great tourist destination where lowest temperatures drop to just 50 in the winter and is in the 70’s by early April. I’ve always traveled in July and August, so if you travel then be prepared to be in the high 80’s and to never rely on the weather report. It rarely rains as much as it may say, and when it does it’s frequently a sun shower than is refreshing then clears quick. Even the thunderstorms on the island are beautiful to watch. Bermuda is also very accessible by cruise ship with Norwegian Gem and Royal Caribbean. Most leave right from NYC and NJ.

We’ve loved wandering the streets of the different parishes during our stay. Each home is more breathtaking than the last, all painted in different vibrant colors. The overflowing abundance of flowers had me wanting to landscape paint for days! I made a point to bring my sketchbook along to paint some.

We took some photos on our way to the grocery store early because it would get so hot by 11 am! Be forewarned, food is very expensive in Bermuda since it’s all imported in from each side of the Atlantic if you plan on grocery shopping. But, hello Digestives Cookies and Mars Bars! The most reasonable way to stay if you’re trying to plan your trip on a budget would be an air bnb , but plan on renting a twizzy or figuring out the bus schedule. The resorts are hands down amazing and worth it for the convenience of having private beach access, pools, and delicious restaurants.

The transportation system is efficient, but you cannot rent cars as a tourist nor is a camping type of spot. And if you try the electric twizzy’s be prepared to drive on the left side the road. So much fun! We rented ours from Current Vehicles which are located at many of the hotel resorts. I highly recommend doing this or a moped if you want to see as much as you can throughout the island. I’ll be putting together my Bermuda Travel Guide soon and will feature more tips on travel here. I’ll be rounding up the resorts, restaurants, what to do and what to see for a short or long stay. I can’t recommend this sunny island enough for a warm weather get away, you can’t take any bad photos because it’s all so breathtaking!

Outfit Details

Bodysuit, Aritzia / Denim Shorts, Levis / Sandals (great Valentino dupes!) / Hair Clip / Scrunchi Anthropologie/ Sunglasses Gucci