An adventure through White Plains reveals a vibrant city that offers a little something for everyone on this week’s Road Trip: Close to Home.

First let’s fuel up for the day’s activities with an international twist at Araras Coffee. 

It’s a locally owned Brazilian cafe with traditional handmade savories with cheese, chicken, beef and more.

And for those with a sweet tooth, you have to try some of their pastries that are all gluten-free,  kosher, and hand-made fresh every day.

The truffles melt right in your mouth. They’re made with peanuts, strawberry, white chocolate or dulce de leche. It pairs perfectly with a unique cup of Brazilian coffee that you’ll only find at Araras. 

Then, a quick drive will bring you to Turnure Park where nature is in full bloom.  

Stroll  through four acres of picture perfect landscaping, and there are plenty of trees for shade to lay out a blanket and picnic with your loved ones. And for the kiddies out there, there’s a playground to explore. 

Next, dive into the collective experience of a community during the depths of the pandemic and check out ArtsWestchester’s newest exhibition - “Together Apart.”  “We’ve been closed for over a year and so this is how we’re welcoming back the public with an exhibition of artwork made by residents of the Hudson Valley,” says Kathleen Reckling, Deputy Director, ArtsWestchester 

To make this exhibition possible, ArtsWestchester put out an open call to all Hudson Valley residents and now 220 of them have their artwork on display here today. “The exhibition features a really diverse amount of artwork. So there’s paintings, there’s photography, there’s dance video, there’s original musical compositions, there’s writing, poetry. It’s very sort of a holistic exhibition of all the ways people have been creative over the last year,” says Reckling.