The other day a group of women decided to rent a car at Avis at 43rd and 2nd Avenue and take a day’s outing. We started out at Grace Farms in New Canaan, Connecticut then The Bedford Post Barn in Bedford, New York and then wound up at The Katonah Museum, in Katonah, New York. It was a beautiful day and here are our stops…

Grace Farms

Grace Farms Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which is a cultural and humanitarian center.

Their mission is to bring individuals from all sectors to give them the opportunity to explore nature, the arts, justice, community and faith. This is all done at the SANAA-designed River building and Barns, which sit on the 80 acres of natural landscape.

Their humanitarian work to end modern day slavery and promote more grace and peace in local and global communities includes the Design for Freedom movement which was set up to elimate forced labor in the building materials chain.

I was extremely impressed by their Design for Freedom movement to eliminate forced labor in the building material chain after learning that over 75% of all global laborers are not put on payroll and that is not, not good.

Here are some images of the grounds and The River Building…

Then it was lunch at The Bedford Post Barn

I learned that the Bedford Post Barn was part of The Bedford Post Inn That the Inn was originally built in 1762 and dates back to the 18th century. The main building was a stagecoach stop along the Old Post Road and therefore a major thoroughfare which connected New York City to Boston. Also that during The Revolutionary War Bedford and its surrounding areas played an important part as a strategic outpost.

Bringing it up to date, in 2007 Richard Gere and his business partner Russell Hernandez bought the property and created an extensive renovation project to restore the inn to it’s former glory while adding the necessary modern luxuries.

Today the Inn is managed by Sunday Hospitality and allows its visitors to enjoy the timeless ambiance of the place and to become part of the Inn’s story as well.

Here are some photos of the Barn (restaurant).

Now, last but not least was The Katonah Museum.

The Katonah Museum of Art wants to promote the understanding and enjoyment of the the visual arts. I’ve been to many museums but this one by far is the smallest. It only has two exhibition rooms but a fabulous outside space. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant experience.

Some cute books I found…

So I definitely recommend this as a day’s outing especially if the weather is great!