Mother’s Day experiences on LI mom won’t forget
Adventurous moms can zip line for free, with a paid climber, this Mother's Day at Long Island Adventure Park in Wheatley Heights (76 Colonial Springs Rd.) Advance register, use promo code "MOMS19" in online checkout at LongIslandAdventurePark.org Credit: Steve Pfost
The mother of all gifts might not be so difficult to acquire this Mother’s Day. In fact, there are a number of creative and inexpensive ways to celebrate individually or as a group across Long Island.
VENTURE IN THE TREES
Seven acres of adventure await in the Wheatley Heights park that is host to woodland wonders. Adventure Park at Long Island has an aerial forest (a forest climbing park), 10 trails, 15 zip lines and more than 140 “challenge” bridges.
At the heart of the park is a platform with 10 separate trails that end in treetops and that range in difficulty from beginner to advanced. A new "glow in the park" experience sets the fun after dark with the canopy aglow in lights.
INFO 75 Colonial Springs Rd., Wheatley Heights, 631-983-3844, longislandadventurepark.or; $57 ages 12 and older ($43-$49 ages 7-11) with $41 “last call” rate beginning at 6 p.m. for two hours of climbing on some days.
GO ANTIQUING
Huntington’s downtown area is polka-dotted with shops gloriously curated for those who love old things. More than 30 dealers sell vintage furniture, kitchen ware, barware, appliances, clothing, kitsch and other collectibles at the 19th-century Dutch blue house known as Rosie’s Vintage (101 Woodbury Rd., 631-549-9100, rosiesvintagestore.com).
Other stops on Huntington’s vintage trail include Funk & Swagger Antiques (220 East Main St., 212-875-0748, funkandswagger.com), the Huntington Historical Society's Antiques and Collectibles Shop (434 Park Ave., 631-427-7045, huntingtonhistoricalsociety.org) and, a tad south in Huntington Station, the Shops at Suite Pieces (1038 New York Ave., 631-560-9759, https://suitepieces.com).
Speaking of polka dots, it’ll be a sure bet that mom will want to go home with a retro-style dress (with matching shrug, purse and hair flower) from the Paper Doll Curiosity Shoppe Huntington (372 New York Ave., 631-923-3200, shoppaperdoll.com). Afterward, take her for a milkshake at the old-timey counter at Mundays (259 Main St., 631-421-3553) or order a stack of pancakes on midcentury inspired plates at Hatch (286 Main St., 631-424-0780, hatchbrunch.com).
WORLDLY TEA TIME
You won’t need to travel across the pond for English-style afternoon tea. At the Royal Tea House in Great Neck, you and Mom can take your pick from more than two dozen brews, including Moroccan Mint, cherry-almond Ceylon or rose milk tea — served hot or iced. Hot tea is served in a china pot set over a flame to keep it warm. “Milk tea,” a Hong Kong specialty blend of tea and sweetened condensed milk, is also available.
Settle into a turquoise velvet banquette for the royal treatment: a $36 English-style afternoon high tea that includes two pots of tea and a silver tower of open-faced avocado-ricotta sandwiches, scones, crème brûlée and chocolate mousse cake, available until 6 p.m. There’ll also be a $36 four-course prix fixe dinner that includes a complimentary glass of house red or white wine.
INFO Tea offered 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; dinner till 9:30 p.m. daily, 1 Great Neck Rd., Great Neck; 516-472-0885, royalteahousenyc.com
