A Virtual Westchester Getaway

History in the morning

Start your day with this pumpkin cornmeal pancakes recipe from Sleepy Hollow’s Philipsburg Manor. This 18^th-century milling and trading complex explores history from the perspective of the enslaved individuals who once labored there.

After breakfast, it’s colonial crafts time. Tune in to the manor’s tinsmithing workshop to create your own decorative lantern cover using common household items like aluminum foil, hammer and nails.

Next stop: John Jay Homestead—the Bedford home of the founding father and five generations of his descendants. Virtual visitors can enjoy a general house tour as well as several thematic tours and browse through the museum’s digitized exhibitions. 

Wild and woolly lunch break

While you enjoy your lunch,* check in on some of Westchester’s most famous wildlife. Strategically placed webcams at South Salem’s Wolf Conservation Center let you watch families of red and Mexican gray wolves in their habitats, along with the center’s ambassador wolves: Alawa, Zephyr and Nikai.  Or, set up a private Zoom call with the adorable alpacas, horses and donkeys at Faraway Farm Alpacas in Yorktown Heights.

*Westchester residents, consider ordering lunch from a favorite local restaurant. Here’s a current guide to delivery and takeout options in your neighborhood.

Art in the afternoon

Spend the afternoon on a virtual museum crawl. Start with Hudson Valley MOCA’s latest exhibition, How We Live, and view a panel discussion with the curators. Then, move on to Katonah Museum of Art for a look at their recent exhibition, Bisa Butler: Portraits. Watch the artist “Live in Conversation” as she explains the influences behind her fabric portrait quilts.

Hungry for more culture? Head to Hudson River Museum’s Museum from Home, where online options span everything from Awesome Astronomy to eight Google Arts & Culture exhibitions.

Jazz happy hour

Grab a drink and tune into your choice of archived performances from The Jazz Forum’s LIVE with Jazz Forum @ Home series.

To keep the Westchester theme going, you might whip up a pumpkin-spiced LT Dan’s Cold Brew from The Blind Pig in White Plains, or try this favorite from Tarrytown’s Goosefeather:

400 Rabbits:
- 1 oz. tequila
- ½ oz. mezcal
- ½ oz. Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
- ¼ oz. Velvet Falernum
- ¾ oz. lime juice
- ¼ oz. passionfruit juice
- ¾ oz. carrot juice
- ¼ oz. cinnamon syrup
Shake and serve in a Collins glass with a mint sprig and a slice of carrot.

Westchester residents can pick up an award-winning craft beer from one of Captain Lawrence Brewing Company’s two locations in Elmsford and Mount Kisco.

Night at the movies

Cap off your at-home adventure with a movie screening. Jacob Burns Film Center’s Virtual Screening Room lets you feed your inner art-house denizen with a curated selection of retro revivals and new releases.

Bedford Playhouse also offers a streaming library plus Live Q&A recordings with film luminaries like Parasite director Bong Joon-Ho and The Wife star Glenn Close.

Bonus for Westchester locals: Recreate date night at the Bedford Playhouse with the lasagna takeout special or a selection of small plates, complete with a bottle of wine, from the Playhouse Café.