R & R with Rachel (Rants and Raves with Rachel): A Delightful Afternoon at Old Westbury Gardens

What better way to get in some exercise than spending an afternoon on the property of Old Westbury Gardens in Old Westbury, NY?

I must admit that although I have lived on Long Island for 40 years I think I have only been to Old Westbury Gardens once or twice before. And, to be perfectly honest, I am not a big museum goer anyway. I would always choose to be outside rather than walking around a stuffy museum. Old Westbury's current exhibit, “Experiencing Art in the Landscape," was a perfect fit for me. My wife and I went this past Wednesday to see the Seward Johnson sculptures that are temporarily on their property. The sculptures depict Johnson’s love of nature and French impressionism. If you haven't seen them you must go! The exhibit has been extended until September 24th. Most all of the more than 30 lifelike sculptures are on their grounds (a few are inside the mansion). Following a map we were able to find all the sculptures and ended up walking 4 miles without even realizing it!

After having had such an enjoyable experience at Old Westbury Gardens I must now go visit and revisit some of our other local public gardens/museums. I don't know where all our readers are from but we are lucky to have many such landmarks on Long Island. I plan on checking out the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River, the Bailey Arboretum in Lattingtown and the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay (I haven't been there in many years). There are also a few that we have been to many times such as the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn and of course the Sands Point Preserve in Port Washington. I know we have a few New Jersey readers so here's a shout out to you -- I hear that the Monmouth Battlefield State Park is a great place to spend the day.

Here are some of the pictures from our day at Old Westbury Gardens:

Looks like a good book!

Wow did you read that? The Mets won last night!

I agree, this is a great place to take a nap!

Skipping is hard work!

Some young friends of ours recently enjoyed the sculptures as well. Can you tell which are real children and which is a sculpture?

Do you have any favorite places that you go to that incorporates culture and exercise? Let us know and we will share it with the rest of our readers! And, if you plan on going to any of the museums I listed don't forget to check with your local library to see if they have free passes!