3. A Southern Crawl | 7:30 p.m.

Begin at the Plaza. Skip the buzzy Champagne Bar in the lobby and climb the stairs to the more-intimate Rose Club, where plush chairs are ideal for tête-à-têtes. A Bloody Mary costs $23, but, hey, you can almost make a meal of free nuts and popcorn. (The Plaza Food Hall is a great place to pick up pastries and other treats to eat in the park.) Then walk west along Central Park South, peeking into the windows of bars to see what pulls you in, from Whiskey Park to the bar at South Gate restaurant in the J W Marriott Essex House. When you reach the Museum of Arts and Design, go to the ninth floor, where you’ll find Robert, a restaurant and lounge with live piano music and views of Columbus Circle. Across the street at the Time Warner Center, there are several bars (as well as upscale shops), including the lovely Center Bar, where you’ll also find live piano music, and Landmarc, which serves casual bistro fare. For something fancier, there’s the Stone Rose Lounge.

SATURDAY

4. Early Birds | 7:30 a.m.

Bird lovers know that daybreak is magical. In the Ramble, a more-than-30-acre maze of boulders and trees, birding is especially rewarding because, according to the Central Park website, it is on the Atlantic Flyway, a migration route that birds follow in the spring and fall. Walking its shady arteries, it’s easy to forget that this section of the park is almost entirely man-made: The running water in the stream can be turned on and off as if it were coming from a kitchen faucet. (For those who get a later start, the Central Park Conservancy offers kits with binoculars, maps, a guidebook and sketching materials that you can borrow at no charge at Belvedere Castle.)

5. Into the Woods | 10 a.m.

On sunny days, Central Park’s vast lawns are littered with people. If you want a little peace — and a hint of the Adirondacks — head to the North Woods. Be cautious, though, as this is a dense, somewhat isolated area. That said, the 90 acres of wildflowers, trees, a ravine and a waterfall will transport you to the country. These woodlands (another bird-watching hot spot) were designed to block out the skyline and drown out the noise of the city with babbling water. And do they ever. Little wonder that the magician David Copperfield has said that this is the place he comes to when he longs to disappear. Look, too, for the nearby Pool, where ducks nestle on the banks beneath weeping willows. Farther north, at the Harlem Meer, you can try catch-and-release fishing.

6. Tasting Menu | 1 p.m.

When you’re in the mood for lunch, walk over to Trump Hotel Central Park and into Nougatine, the elegant yet “casual sister” of Jean-Georges. Here Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s prix fixe lunch menu ($38) changes with the seasons but includes an appetizer, main course like seared salmon with corn pudding and cherry tomato salad or organic chicken with ricotta gnocchi, market carrots and Roma beans, and dessert (the warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream is a must).