A little known fact about the Pepsico Headquarters in Purchase, NY is that the grounds are a beautiful sculpture garden and it’s open to the public. There are 45 sculptures on the perfectly landscaped 168 acres, most by well known modern artists. A security guard at the entrance will hand you a map detailing the well maintained trails that take you past all of the pieces as well as several fountains, topiaries and a lily pond complete with frogs. The best part? It’s completely free!

There is no official website for the gardens but you can find more information and directions on the NY Times website here.

When the weather is nice, we love hiking and being outdoors and Will especially loves waterfalls. Located in Kent, CT, Kent Falls State Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. There is a hike that loops around the falls which is only about 1/4 mile each way and has lots of good viewpoints. Although it’s not long, it is steep and I recommend wearing good shoes.

The park is pretty much in the center of town and there are a lot of cute, little shops and fantastic restaurants to explore after you check out the falls.

Kent Official Site
Kent Falls State Park

The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore is one of those hotels that just takes your breath away. In addition to 2,500 rooms, it has a casino, exhibition space, theatres, over 50 restaurants and over 250 high end retail stores. Of course, it’s the Skypark which connects the property’s three buildings on the 55th floor that really makes it distinctive. The observation deck is longer than the Eiffel Tower and boasts a spectacular, panoramic view of Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands

Recently, Will and I visited Wave Hill, a 28 acre, public garden in Bronx, NY. It’s a bit small but it’s such a peaceful place to take a walk and the view of the Hudson River is beautiful.

Wave Hill

A few months ago we were driving around Westchester County, New York when I spotted a giant dam and made Will pull over so we could investigate. As it turns out, it is part of a county park called Kensico Dam Plaza. The park is small but it’s perfect for a picnic or as a quite place to lay out and read a book. We also spotted a few kids riding bikes. The main attraction is the dam, standing 300 ft wide and 1830 feet long. It was built in 1915 as part of the Kensico Reservoir which still supplies a small amount of water to New York City. Also located in the park, a sculpture called The Rising serves as a memorial to Westchester residents killed on September 11th.

Kensico Dam Plaza

One of my favorite things about travelling is discovering unique places to eat. While wandering around Washington D.C. in search of a snack, Will and I stumbled upon Co Co Sala. Although they do have meals, we visited during an in between time when they were only serving drinks and desserts. Will ordered a Mokha Java which came in a french press and was quite big. I decided to try the Hot Cocoa Trio Flight which let me select three flavors of hot chocolate. I chose Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate. All three were delicious but my favorite was the silky salted caramel, topped with one of their homemade vanilla marshmallows. We also shared the chef’s plate of artisanal chocolates which we enjoyed so much, that we stopped in their chocolate boutique next door to pick up a box to bring home. The chocolates are all excellent but we especially loved the banana-ginger….so different, so incredibly tasty!

Co Co Sala Chocolate Lounge & Boutique

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in Ohio, is a preserve along the Cuyahoga River containing the Ohio and Erie Canal. The most frequently visited section of the park is the Towpath Trail which runs beside the canal from Cleveland to Akron along the route that mules would walk to tow boats. The scenic trail can be hiked or biked and it passes many interesting points of interest including the canal locks and several visitor centers. It’s also not uncommon to spot some wildlife, espcially birds of prey and beavers!

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Will and I were in Washington D.C. over the holidays and we decided to check out the Newseum, a museum dedicated to world news which opened a couple of years ago. The building is beautiful and the exhibits are state of the art and interactive. One covers the history of the newspaper with a searchable database of over 35,000 front pages going back 500 years and including the current day. Another chronicles top news stories of all time and others give the histories of radio and broadcast news. There is also an active studio, a place where you can try your hand at reporting and several changing exhibits featuring major news stories. Plus, the roof deck has one of the best views you can get of the city. It’s such a massive place that your ticket is good for two days so you don’t have to miss anything! It was definitely one of the best museums we’ve been to in some time.

Tickets are $19.95 plus tax but you can receive a 10% discount by purchasing them in advance online.

Newseum

This unique beach located in Fort Bragg, California actually used to be a dump. Back in the 50s, people threw all kinds of trash here and it was a big mess. In 1967, the North Coast Water Quality Board outlawed the dumping and in the 90s, they removed all toxic and hazardous materials. What remains is a beach made of glass…sea glass, polished and smoothed after 30 years of being pounded by the surf. Today, it’s owned by the California parks department as part of Mackerricher State Park. Tourists are welcome to walk along the glittery beach and explore its tidepools but don’t even think of snagging a piece of glass as a souvenir because removing it is strictly prohibited.

MacKerricher State Park

About an hour north of New York City in the Hudson Valley sits a 500 acre outdoor art gallery called the Storm King Art Center. It’s permanent collection consists of over 120 sculptures by some of the most influential modern artists including Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi and Donald Judd. It’s a beautiful place to spend a nice day walking the trails and picnicking by the turtle pond and if you like shopping, it’s only a 15 minute drive from the Woodbury Common Outlet shops!

Storm King Art Center