I spent Thanksgiving at home with my family in Westchester, and before we had our feast I got to take a beautiful snowy hike with my Mom. Rockefeller State Park in Pleasantville was the destination, and it was so beautiful and memorable. This is a very extensive park with a plethora of trails to choose from, on account of the cold weather and early dinner plans we decided on the 13 Bridges Trail. We took the Old Sleepy Hollow trail to and part of the Eagle Hill trail to get there. Most of the bridges were similar and nondescript,
but a few stood out.
Either way it was wonderful to see the flowing water in the still brisk setting.
On our way back the Old Sleepy Hollow trail was bustling with life! The snow ceased for a bit and we spotted four deer,
an eastern blue bird (the NYS bird, and I had never seen one before!),
and another deer crossing the trail.
What an exciting way to end the hike! This park was a real ideal pick for the season because the carriage roads were easy to hike on even with the layer of snow. We decided to drive through the town of Pleasantville to see if any bakeries were open, and we got lucky. Flour & Sun Bakery was open, and it totally fit the bill.
Quaint, cute, and equipped with pie. Since we hadn’t eaten lunch we couldn’t resist gnawing on saw mill river bars, they were madly delicious.
Sweet and salty, layered with club crackers, chocolate, and caramel. We sat in the sunny bakery and spoke to the lady about the eastern blue bird while sipping on hot tea. We left with a delicious apple crumb pie in our hands and smiles on our faces after a day to be thankful for.
http://nysparks.com/parks/59/details.aspx