Celebrate Spring with wine, walking and butterflies

Despite the recent snow flurries, spring has arrived. Sunshine, green grass, fresh bright flowers and graceful butterflies will soon arrive on the scene. No need to wait for any of these delights. This next week you can get a head start with these breathtaking events.

The Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History is only $24 for adults and $14 for children. This lovely exhibition includes over 500 tropical butterflies in replicas of their natural habitats. You can take a sneak peek of the exhibit on the conservatory's butterfly cams. The Museum is located in Central Park West.

The Tap Project Water Walk on Sunday, March 22, 2009 is a one mile walk in Manhattan's Battery Park. The walk starts at 10:00 a.m. (registration begins at 9:00a.m.)  in front of Castle Clinton National Monument and is open to all ages including any school or community. The Tap Project Water Walk helps raise awareness and support for children worldwide who suffer from a lack of clean water.  While attending the walk is free, you can organize your friends and family to raise funds for the event. Just sign up at their website or at the Unicef site.

The Spring Horseback ride with optional wine tasting and bocce event is put on by the Adventure Society on Sunday, April 5th. You will want to make reservations this week as openings fill quickly and you can take advantage of the early registration discount until the 22nd.  This adventure starts early in the morning at 7:45 a.m. and ends approximately at 6:30 p.m.

The adventure starts in Midtown and transportation from Midtown is included. No experience is necessary for this horseback riding excursion. You'll will sigh at the beautiful valley's, historic gorge, rocky cliffs and mountainous single track trails. They divide the ride up by level of riding skill and each group has it's own private guide. Later you will visit a local winery in Hudson Valley to enjoy the local wine and music. Lunch takes place at a country bistro with mouth watering offerings like Margherita Pizza, salmon & brie, roast turkey breast with compote, seasonal fruit, cheeses and much more. Just when you thought you couldn't have any more fun the Bocce begins.  The trip is only $143 or less with early registration pricing.