Mohonk Mountain House - New Paltz
Literally carved out of the gorgeous Shawngunk Mountains, Mohonk Mountain house is worth the slightly-more-than-an-hour drive simply to gawk at—so treating someone special to the amazing Mother’s Day Grand Luncheon Buffet will just make you child of the year for the rest of your life. In addition to what one would expect to find at a Mother’s Day Buffet there is not one, not two, but THREE carving stations, a charcuteri display, a seafood display and an entire table dedicated to desserts. After the meal, all diners will have passes to explore the grounds of both the resort and the preserve, including the Greenhouse, the historic Barn Museum and the secret-nook-filled path that makes a loop around the swimming lake. You could spend days exploring Mohonk and still not see everything it has to offer (no, really, you can. Make a weekend of it and book one of their award winning rooms for the weekend!). On your way out of town, be sure to leave a little while to take explore the town of New Paltz—it’s one of my favorite places on Earth.

Bear Mountain Inn - Bear Mountain
Just a hop, skip and a jump across the Hudson River, The Bear Mountain Inn has been serving families for 100 years—so they really know what they’re doing! On Sunday, May 10th, The Bear Mountain Inn will be offering their annual Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet from 11am-3pm in the Perkins Ballroom. There are options for omnivores and vegetarians that run the gamut from breakfast to lunch and then, of course, to dessert. Plan to work up your appetite (or work off your brunch) with a hike around the park, a walk over the Bear Mountain Bridge or a trip to the playground or Merry Go Round (I highly recommend doing the Merry Go Round BEORE eating!). Children and adults alike will enjoy a trip to the Bear Mountain Zoo and a walk or drive up to Perkin’s Memorial Tower will reward Mom with spectacular views. Snagged an early seating and looking for dinner on the way home? Stop in downtown Peekskill for more dining options!

Glynwood Farm - Cold Spring
If mom is a locavore, the food doesn’t get much fresher than the Glynwood Farm Mother’s Day Brunch and Farm Tour. Located just outside of beautiful Cold Spring in Putnam Valley, Glynwood Farm is a 225 acre working farm experimenting with cutting edge farming practices. On Mothers Day, Sunday, May 10th, there will be two seatings for their traditional brunch buffet featuring their own farm raised eggs, local greens and salads, home-baked pastries, breads and desserts as well as Hudson Valley teas, jams and sweet treats. Just before the brunch families will have an opportunity to tour the farm, see how the farm is run, get an inside look at what is growing and meet some of the newborn additions to the farm family. Afterwards we encourage families to linger in Cold Spring, do some shopping and stop by Boscobel for a breathtaking view of the Hudson River and West Point beyond.

Wave Hill - Riverdale
For those of us living in Northern Westchester, it is sometimes easy to forget that we don’t have a monopoly on open spaces and gorgeous views. Turn the car around this Mother’s Day and head south to Wave Hill in the Riverdale section of the Bronx to experience spring at its finest. With seatings at 11:30, noon and 12:30 the Mother’s Day Brunch at Wave Hill is an excellent brunch-introduction for families celebrating with younger children (or for expectant mothers…I went to this brunch when I was just a month away from my due date and it was a perfect fit for those days when I couldn’t bear to sit anywhere for too long!) Their menu is simple and family friendly--who wouldn’t be excited about Belgum Waffles with chocolate sauce? Families visiting for the day can stroll through the gardens or take advantage of several programs happening including a birding walk, a family art project, a family garden walk, an evening "night lights" show and special vendors selling a selection of fine jewelry and embroidered artwork (no need to buy gifts in advance; Wave Hill has you covered!). For a more unstructured day, pack a picnic of mom’s favorite foods or buy lunch at the café, explore the grounds and the museums, enjoy the view of the Hudson and  just relax. Because honestly, what else do moms really want?

Flickr image credit: Stuart Webster