Central Park was a picturesque fall setting a few weeks ago for an out-of-town guest and me. With New York only a short train ride from home, quite a few family members and friends put the city on their wish list of places to visit when staying with us. Such was the case with my mother-in-law when she flew up from her Florida residence. I only ever explored the very southernmost tip of the park, never having much time to venture further; so when she announced her goal was to see the entire thing in an afternoon, I was game. My husband, who was lugging around the camera bag for the day, was not terribly thrilled, particularly because we both stopped at the most inopportune times to take pictures. For a Saturday with sunny, cool weather, the park definitely wasn’t as crowded as I had expected it to be, which was a nice surprise. As you’d expect, visitors were heaviest in the more popular spots, with quite a few couples, runners, a few wedding parties and a lot of dog-walkers. We all three agreed unanimously on which parts of the park were our favorites, including Bethesda Terrace, Sheep Meadow and the Reservoir. I could definitely see myself visiting Central Park  on a regular basis if I lived in the city, as it is definitely one of the most well-groomed and well-kept parks I have ever visited. We actually did end up walking all of the park and in only about four hours (but we missed our train). If you live in the area, the weather is nice and you’re looking for a way to kill a Saturday, I’d say it’s definitely a great place to be. — Holly Riddle, marketing & sales assistant