day trips
Classical — and moreCaramoor summer season opening night
Tickets: $45 to $110
June 16
149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, N.Y.
Tony-winner Audra McDonald kicks the summer off at Caramoor’s opening night concert. And it should be an interesting summer, one that runs through July 27 and is the first since the departure of longtime bel canto expert Will Crutchfield. He’s taking his expertise to Purchase College, while at Caramoor the schedule in a bucolic session includes appearances by Kronos Quartet, the Jasper Spring Quartet and a jazz festival on July 21. It’s a dizzying mix, and even a short drive here takes you into a new world.
staten island’s gifts Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden
Instead of making fun of Staten Island, try visiting. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden would be a treasure for any borough — and it’s well worth a day trip from Manhattan. It’s more than one place, and there’s more than one way to visit. History, art, architecture and horticulture all get attention at Snug Harbor. Only two attractions, the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and the lovely New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden, have admission fees. Every Saturday from June through September, you can take a 90-minute tour that gives you a sense of all there is to offer in this multifaceted part of your city.
Hill of a place Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
Oyster Bay, Long Island
Anyone who thinks history is dull hasn’t been to Sagamore Hill — or heard of the 26th President of the U.S. either. Visit Theodore Roosevelt’s “Summer White House,” where individual tour tickets are required, cost $10 (children 15 and under are free) and are well worth the investment. Almost all of the home furnishings are original, making this seem like a step back to another era, one where a Republican president pushed a progressive agenda. You can see why foreign dignitaries were happy to visit here.