Just the beginning
But you don’t have to go into the city to enjoy music, theater, art, dining, and more. While Cedar Crest’s Trips and Travel Club is best known for its group vacations—they’re taking a Panama Canal cruise next month—they also sponsor day trips, says Betty Flanagan, who runs the club along with Lucille Joseph. None are scheduled until spring, but some of them would make excellent winter getaways as well.

“They’re all within an easy drive from Cedar Crest,” says Ruth Ellerthorpe, who is planning day trips for Trips and Travel. “Many of the trips I’ve chosen are up in the Hudson Valley, as we’re very close to the New York border here.”

There are a lot of great places to go right around here, agrees Tom. Here are some of the wonderful local events and attractions you can enjoy this winter. Not all are Cedar Crest trips.

Musical Performances   New Jersey Performing Arts Center • One Center St., Newark • 888-466-5722 The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) will perform at Prudential Hall—the larger of the Center’s two elegant theaters—throughout this winter. Call for the NJSO schedule and other upcoming performances.   Bergen Performing Arts Center • 30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood • 201-567-3600 This winter’s schedule includes the Ailey II dance ensemble (Feb. 1), the Bulgarian State Opera “Marriage of Figaro (Feb. 23); and the NJSO.   The Community Theatre • 100 South Street, Morristown • 973-539-8008 The New Jersey Ballet, Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadway, the American Repertory Ballet, and the Dave Brubeck Quartet are among the attractions for this winter and spring.   The State Theatre • 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick • 732-246-SHOW This winter the State Theatre will host the NJSO; Filarmonia Arturo Tosconi; Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida; The Bulgarian State Opera’s Aida; Garrison Keillor; and Turandot by the New Jersey Opera Theater, among many others.   Theatrical Stage Performances   Papermill Playhouse • Brookside Dr., Millburn • 973-376-4343 This well-known theatre is the “closest to a Broadway playhouse on our side of the Hudson,” says Tom. On stage from Jan 10 to Feb 11 is Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke. From Feb 28 to April 1, enjoy Romance/Romance—two one-act musicals in one.      Chatham Community Players – Chatham Playhouse • 23 North Passaic Avenue Chatham • 973-635-7363 From March 2 to 17, see Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, depicting the complex lives of five women who come together at a James Dean fan club reunion.   The Barn Theatre • 32 Skyline Drive, Montville • 973.334.9320 William Inge’s Tony Award-winning Bus Stop and Rupert Holmes’s unique mystery thriller Accomplice are this winter’s dramatic productions. Also catch “A Big Band Valentine” Feb 9 & 10.   Luncheon Theater Call for information   Brownstone House • 351 W.Broadway, Paterson • 973) 595-8582 Fiesta • Rt. 17 South, Wood-Ridge • 201-939-5409 Nicole’s • 11 Main St, Highland Falls, NY • 845-446-4729   Museums and Art   The Newark Museum • 49 Washington St, Newark • 973-596-6550 New Jersey’s largest museum, it features over 80 galleries of art and natural science exhibits, as well as a small zoo and planetarium.   Montclair Art Museum • 3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair • 973-746-5555 Housing a distinguished collection, the Museum has a national and international reputation for its American art and Native American artifacts.   Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt & Presidential Library and Museum • 409 Albany Post Rd., Hyde Park, NY • 1-800-FDR-VISIT About 90 minutes from Cedar Crest, the FDR Home and Library is open all year round. While in Hyde Park, visit the Eleanor Roosevelt Center, Vanderbilt Mansion, and Culinary Institute of America   A Great Getaway   Mohonk Mountain House • 1000 Mountain Rest Road, New Paltz, NY • 845-255-1000  This grand Victorian Castle is the perfect place to have lunch, spend a cozy winter’s day, or an overnight stay. While outdoor activities (cross-country skiing, hiking) are available, this gracious hotel also offers wonderful indoor attractions—not least of which is relaxing by a stone hearth or gazing out at the mountain scenery.