The feast has ended and you’re ready to move beyond your seat at the Thanksgiving table. Here are a few local ideas to waddle off that turkey:
- If the weather is warm, visit the New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show and take a self-guided tour of the beautiful 250 acres. [NYBG]
- Spend an afternoon ice skating in Long Island City and avoid the crowds in Central Park; take the 7 train to the rink. [oM]
- Walk off the stuffing with a day of shopping at Woodbury Common outlets one hour bus ride north of NYC; Black Friday sales from 20—85% off. [oM]
- If you stayed in the city for the holiday and are pining for some fresh mountain air, hop on Metro-North for a hike along Breakneck Ridge. [oM]
- Or if you’ve already tried the Hudson Highlands, head to Harriman State Park by bus or train. [oM]
- Those with young children will enjoy our recommendations for shorter hikes near NYC [oM]
- If you ate too much and just can’t motivate to travel north, pack your chalk bag and head to 18,000- square-foot Brooklyn Boulders for an indoor rock climbing experiences. [oM]
- For those on a budget, do a self-guided tour of the street art in North Brooklyn or the mural art in the new Second Avenue Subway for the cost of one Metrocard swipe. [oM]
- Pair a tree lighting ceremony with a long walk outside at Locust Grove Mansion or in Spring Lake, NJ. [oM]
Happy Thanksgiving!
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram