This time of yr has us eager for the intense halcyon days of summer time or the golden hues of fall, however winter is right here, and to fight the grayish season—that’s particularly colorless as a result of Omicron—we discover ourselves craving enjoyable outside actions like skiing and ice skating, or principally something to distract us from the slushy sidewalks of NYC.
And if reserving air journey via Skyscanner and heading to the airport is simply an excessive amount of to bear proper now, contemplate these 13 weekend getaways—all accessible from NYC inside 5 hours by public transport or automotive—to balm the pandemic-weary soul as an alternative. Whether or not your focus is solely on consuming or hitting the slopes throughout the neighborhood of Hunter Mountain, there’s an escape on this checklist for you.
Data listed right here could also be topic to alter relying on the growing scenario with COVID-19’s Omicron variant. Please verify for the most recent updates accessible or contact every institution instantly for more information.
Greatest Historic Getaway: Lancaster, PA
Tucked in South Central Pennsylvania, Lancaster is likely one of the oldest, inland cities within the U.S. and with that comes a well-preserved historical past of not simply the realm but additionally the start of America as a nation. From the second you step out of its Federal-style prepare station, count on to be immersed within the small metropolis’s historic magnificence.
Begin your getaway within the coronary heart of downtown Lancaster by lodging at Marriott Hotel, Penn Square, which is constructed round a preserved part of the Underground Railroad. Go on a strolling tour on the Discover Lancaster Visitors Center earlier than stopping by the oldest working farmer’s market within the nation, Lancaster Central Market, in an exquisite brick constructing erected in 1889 with unique hardwood rafters.
For theater youngsters, the Fulton Theater continues to placed on programming and can be a former jailhouse from colonial occasions which is allegedly haunted—and along with the Fulton Constructing, (for those who’re from NYC, this moniker would possibly ring a number of bells), is called after hometown native Robert Fulton, inventor of the primary business steamboat to ply the Hudson. If cemetery excursions are your factor, head to St. James Episcopal Church on Duke Avenue constructed within the 1700s. To delve into the native meals scene, Exchange Lancaster is a rooftop lounge with panoramic views of downtown and stellar dishes (strive the roast squash pizza); Luca presents a country menu of wood-fired Neapolitan pies and handmade pasta; Callaloo is a go-to for Trinidadian eats; the Horse Inn has pub fare and drinks; the Conway Social Club is understood for signature cocktails and a satisfying dinner menu; and there’s native brewery Lancaster Brewing for its taproom and craft beer choices.
By public transit: Take Amtrak three hours from New York Moynihan Corridor at Penn Station within the path of Harrisburg and hop off at Lancaster, then take a 10-minute taxi to downtown.
By Automotive: Three hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in Lancaster
Greatest Wellness Getaway: Washington, CT
Inside a 58-acre nature sanctuary in postcard-perfect Litchfield County, the Mayflower Inn & Spa is the type of vacation spot the place you’re capable of mentally try earlier than you’ve even checked into your room. The five-star resort has gone via some latest large modifications, from the daring visible poetry of inside designer Celerie Kemble to the debut of THE WELL experiences, which honor each Japanese and Western drugs practices. Whether or not you’re seeking to rebalance your Qi with acupuncture and medicinal herbs, unwind with a milk, honey and lavender therapeutic massage, or go forest bathing in close by Hidden Valley Protect, this wellness retreat is aware of reset your physique’s chemistry.
Make the most of the lodge’s complimentary automotive service to the charming city of Washington Depot for Marty’s Cafe, the Hickory Stick bookstore, and numerous boutique outlets. Later within the afternoon, following dips within the indoor or outside pool and a stroll in Shakespeare’s Backyard, settle in for dinner in the garden room, the place the house—that in some way strikes a high-drama-meets-homey sensibility—is as breathtaking because the meals. Sit at a sales space and order The Elder cocktail with elderflower, amontillado sherry and Mine Hill gin, which is able to encourage a guided Grain to Glass tour on the Mine Hill Distillery, and you’ll want to make an early night reservation earlier than in style dishes run out. Submit-feast, recline round a bonfire, maintaining an eye fixed out for albino deer.
By public transit: Take Metro-North from Grand Central one-and-a-half hours to Brewster Station. Make advance lodge preparations for the 50-min taxi to the Mayflower.
By automotive: Two hours
The place to remain (if not on the Mayflower Inn): Find a great Airbnb in Washington
Greatest Meals Getaway: Hudson, New York
With tons of vacation spot eateries and boutique accommodations just like the Hudson Whaler Hotel, The Hudson Milliner, The Maker, and The Wick, this riverfront metropolis rivals any restaurant row within the 5 boroughs. Upon arrival, go brunch whereas social distancing within the lush backyard at Red Dot, then stroll off the gnocchi mac ’n cheese in any respect the galleries and classic outlets on Warren Avenue. After that, cease by café-motorcycle store Moto Coffee Machine and produce a heat maple latte to discover the carriage trails and 250-acre grounds at Olana State Historic Site, a Victorian villa and the hilltop refuge of Nineteenth century Hudson River Faculty painter Frederic Church. On any given day, decide up a cheese board at Talbott and Arding and revel in it on the dreamy cocktail patio at women-owned Cooper’s Daughter Spirits distillery on Olde York Farm, a 10-minute drive from city.
For dinner, hip farm-to-table spot Swoon Kitchenbar presents contemporary seafood like pan-roasted salmon and oysters on the half shell, whereas Wm. Farmer and Sons seasonal menu will be paired with a drink from their artistic cocktail program of reinvented classics. For a bacchanal expertise, seize a bubbly bottle of Bairrada Espumante Rosa Pét-Nat from duck farmer-vintner, Joao Pato. Need to sate your candy tooth with one thing wholesome whilst you amble down Warren Avenue? Bask in Culture Cream, with scoops, sorbets, and shakes of “residing ice cream” made with probiotics for a wholesome intestine. Ever had lacto fermented strawberry ice cream or pineapple lemon balm kombucha sorbet? The melange of fruits, herbs, and ice cream is a really candy expertise. There’s a cause Hudson is termed “Upstate’s Downtown” as a result of it’s really a meals lover’s getaway.
By public transit: Take Amtrak two hours from New York Moynihan Corridor at Penn Station and get off at Hudson. Warren Avenue is 5 minutes from the station.
By automotive: 2.5 hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in Hudson
Greatest Out of doors Getaway: Harriman State Park, New York
There’s loads of nice hiking and camping to do close to NYC, however Harriman State Park—the second-largest state park in New York with over 47,000 acres and greater than 200 miles of mountain climbing trails—has all of it. There are waterfalls, expansive views from atop Lengthy Mountain, hammock-friendly bushes by the lake, and few, if any, passersby to interrupt the peace and quiet.
For lodging, select between a cabin on the Harriman Out of doors Heart, organising camp on the park’s rustic Sebago Cabins, or reserving the Adirondack Mountain Membership’s Camp Nawakwa, then hike the average 4.5-mile Pine Meadow Trail that skirts a spectacular lake with boulders made for meditating or cliff leaping. Different actions embody boating, fishing, and ice skating in winter, to cowl all seasons. Submit hike, unwind at close by espresso store The Village Blend for a latte and croissant round one of many outside hearth pits.
By public transit: Take NJ Transit two hours from Penn Station on the Port Jervis Line to Tuxedo, then a 15-minute taxi to the state park.
By automotive: One hour, quarter-hour
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb by Harriman State Park
Most Inexpensive Getaway: Catskills, New York
A well-liked ’60s retreat (good day, Soiled Dancing), the Catskills has skilled a renaissance in recent times whereas nonetheless remaining in attain of funds vacationers. Although it’ll value you simply round $35 to get to Phoenicia by bus from Midtown, your finest wager is to hire a automotive to benefit from your time. There are numerous hip and inexpensive accommodations to remain in, together with Graham & Co (bunkhouse lodgings from $99/evening) in Phoenicia; Eastwind outside cabins, Scandinavian lodges (from $279/evening) in Windham; Hotel Dylan (from $149/evening) in Woodstock; Callicoon Hills (from $129/evening) and Getaway (two-person cabins begin at $199/evening) in Catskill. As soon as there, fly-fish, roast marshmallows, and dance on a log within the woods like Swayze would need you to.
For sustenance in Phoenicia, go for the thin-crust wood-fired pies at old-school neighborhood joint Brio’s Pizzeria or cornmeal waffles on the Phoenicia Diner—each of which will provide you with all of the power it is advisable climb the best peak within the Catskills (close by Slide Mountain). In Bethel, dwelling of the 1969 Woodstock Competition, try programming on the legendary Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, bike the O&W trail (hire bikes or snowshoes from Fortress Bikes), then head to picturesque Seminary Hill for a pint of cider paired with venison sausages and wood-fired greens.
By public transit: Take the Adirondack Trailways bus for 3 hours from Port Authority to the middle of Phoenicia.
By automotive: Two hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in the Catskills
Most Underrated Getaway: Silvermine, CT
With its slim, meandering roads lined with towering oaks, vintage colonials, transformed barns, riverfront A-frames, and little else, the Fairfield County hamlet of Silvermine isn’t an apparent draw for weekend vacationers. That’s exactly why you’ll end up right here, on the Inn at GrayBarns, a elegant un-Brooklynized nexus at which to collect with pals or simply be with your self. Wealthy in historical past but refreshingly trendy, GrayBarns has advanced from a Seventeenth-century artist outpost to a Nineteenth-century textile manufacturing facility, a roaring ‘20s speakeasy, and a ‘60s lodge, which as soon as hosted Hollywood honeymooners, Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher.
Immediately, the adults-only property includes a six-suite inn overlooking Guthrie Pond, a rustic store-cafe with three studio rooms above, known as the Mercantile Apartments, and a farm-to-table restaurant, Tavern, prized by locals. Whereas this hidden oasis is difficult to go away, particularly after a 60-minute deep tissue therapeutic massage, take out one of many first-come, first-served Precedence bikes and ask for the 1.8-mile waterfall-laden route. Slip away to a 49-acre sanctuary in neighboring New Canaan, centered round Phillip Johnson’s architectural marvel The Glass House, only a 10-minute drive from the lodge. While you get again, take within the views in your deck and pop a bottle of champagne from the complimentary mini bar, feeling remarkably revived, very like GrayBarns itself.
By public transit: Take Metro-North from Grand Central for an hour to South Norwalk, then a 10-minute taxi.
By automotive: One hour
The place to remain (if not on the Inn at GrayBarns): Find a great Airbnb near GrayBarns
Greatest Cultural Getaway: Beacon, New York
As soon as an previous manufacturing facility city, Beacon has fully remade itself into each an artwork and meals vacation spot. Although it’s simply an 80-minute rail trip up the Hudson River, boutique gems just like the Roundhouse Beacon make it price an in a single day keep—a braised quick rib sandwich with views of the gushing Beacon Falls will probably be a spotlight of the journey.
On Fundamental Avenue, gas a day of gallery-hopping with French toast from BJ’s or a bacon, egg, and cheese from Mr. V’s Deli. In case you’re mountain climbing close by Breakneck Ridge, refuel with a cappuccino from café-cum-gallery Bank Square Coffeehouse and a Hazelnut chocolate glaze with over a dozen topping decisions from Glazed Over Donuts. Between visits to the myriad galleries, quirky unbiased outlets, and hand-blown glass studios like Niche Modern and Hudson Beach Glass, seize a seat on the patio on the Hudson Valley Brewery for a pint of sours, IPAs, exhausting seltzers, and extra. Don’t miss Howland Cultural Center additional down Fundamental Avenue. Inbuilt 1872 and on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations, its excessive ceilings give it a cathedral aptitude because it homes multimedia artwork reveals, sculptures, and music occasions. Beacon is known for its avenue artwork scene in order you amble the mile-long Fundamental Avenue, look out for avenue artwork depicting social justice, meals, nature, and even the odd sculpture (trace: Hudson Seashore Glass often has artwork on its facade). Beacon Arts hosts a citywide celebration each second Saturday of the month with galleries, artists, and different occasions open for all to expertise.
Depart a number of hours (and loads of telephone cupboard space) for Dia:Beacon, a 300,000-square-foot former Nabisco manufacturing facility housing a set of monumental modern works, like Dan Flavin’s mild installations, and Sol LeWitt’s Isometric wall drawings. The museum is open with advance reservation solely. Afterward, head to Denning’s Point Distillery, and ensure to deliver dwelling a bottle of the award-winning Beacon bourbon produced from New York-farmed grains.
By public transit: Take Metro-North from Grand Central for 80 minutes on the Croton-Harlem line to Beacon Station. It’s a five-minute stroll to Dia:Beacon and 10 minutes from the lodge and Fundamental Avenue.
By automotive: One hour, 45 minutes
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in Beacon
Greatest Household Getaway: Mohonk Mountain Home, New York
Perched on a cliff in New Paltz, the grand Mohonk Mountain House is a 152-year-old, all-inclusive resort for adults and youngsters. All through the 1,325-acre cliff-perched property, you’ll discover tennis, golf, yoga, a spa, an indoor pool, boating on the lake and 85 miles of mountain climbing trails—all simply accessible with a complimentary lodge trip from the close by bus station in New Paltz. You can also expertise this landmark resort affordably with a one-night Sunday getaway (unavailable in July, August & October) to bask in luxurious spa therapies, hike the grounds, or simply cozy by a heat hearth.
By public transit: Take a Greyhound bus from Port Authority for one hour and 35 minutes to New Paltz station or take the Metro-North from Grand Central two hours to Poughkeepsie.
By automotive: Two hours
The place to remain (if not at The Mountain Home): Find a great Airbnb in New Paltz
Most Luxurious Getaway: Winvian Farm, Connecticut
As you go via the white gates of Winvian, revel within the feeling that you’ve got carried out one thing proper in your life. The resort sprawls over 113 acres, the place 18 designer cottages embody a 35 foot-tall treehouse, a “secret society” temple, and a multi-level steady.
Actions embody croquet, seasonal al fresco feasts at The Restaurant, and complimentary mountain bikes for a crisp winter trip to cruise round close by Bantam Lake or go to Sunset Meadow Vineyard alongside the CT Wine Path. All the cottages are fully distinctive however equally outlandish—you’ll be able to even sleep inside a completely restored 890-square-foot 1968 Sikorsky Sea King Pelican helicopter as soon as utilized by the Coast Guard. The lodge may prepare off-site diversions like horseback driving, bonfires & s’mores, and ax throwing—and the 4,000-acre non-public White Memorial Nature Protect is an eight-minute drive up the street for these seeking to do a relaxed hike.
By automotive (your best choice): Two hours. The resort is instantly accessible by way of helicopter, for those who’re feeling significantly lavish.
The place to remain (if not at Winvian Farm): Find a great Airbnb near Winvian Farm
Greatest Boozy Getaway: North Fork, New York
Kick off your weekend within the Napa Valley of the East Coast (there are at the least 60 vineyards!) with a glass of stainless steel-fermented chardonnay at Sherwood House Vineyards (reservations beneficial), then transfer farther East to Lieb Cellars—tucked away on Oregon Street—for Bridge Lane rosé and bucolic views off the patio. Get a Bang Bang Shrimp and Baja tacos with a facet of spicy fried cauliflower at Mattitaco (closed Friday & Saturday) and take it to Nassau Level, an exquisite spit of sand (unknown even amongst locals) in Cutchogue. Pair these native wines with artisanal chocolate from Disset Chocolate, handcrafted in North Fork with scrumptious signature items and vacation themed collections in shiny colours.
Subsequent, head to the Greenport Brewing outpost in Peconic for a crisp pint of Haus Pils and an enormous salty pretzel. Make sure you top off on contemporary produce at Sang Lee Farms, 8 Hands Farm, and Country View Farm Stand earlier than heading dwelling. The very best North Fork expertise is had on a whim, be it by automotive, or with Dan’s Bike Rental, which is able to meet you on the prepare station with a 21-gear hybrid-style Trek bike and loads of insider ideas.
By public transit: Take the Hampton Jitney for a three-hour trip or the LIRR for 2 hours and 40 minutes from Penn Station to Mattituck.
By automotive: Two hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in North Fork
Greatest Faculty City Getaway: Hanover, New Hampshire
Ivy League cities don’t get higher than Dartmouth’s dwelling of Hanover, New Hampshire, with its beautiful inexperienced backdrop, nice native meals scene, vibrant artwork collections, and old style Fundamental Avenue—the place you’ll be able to even begin mountain climbing the Appalachian Trail.
Test into Hanover Inn, overlooking the Dartmouth Inexperienced, and contemplate your choices: seize a six-pack of Smuttynose and a sandwich from Umpleby’s; kayak on the Connecticut River with Hanover Adventure Tours; go to the Saint Gaudens National Historical Park; or just roam the charming downtown and regal campus. Regardless of the way you spend the day, you’re beginning with “The Large Inexperienced” platter of French toast, two eggs, cob-smoked bacon, sausage, dwelling fries, and a muffin on the patio at Lou’s (a neighborhood breakfast custom since 1947), having dinner on the terrace at celebrated farm-to-table restaurant Pine, and a nightcap (or pregame drink if it’s that type of evening) at Murphy’s on the Green.
By public transit: Dartmouth Coach departs East forty second between Lexington and Third Avenue and drops passengers off subsequent to the Hanover Inn in beneath 5 hours.
By automotive: 4 hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in Hanover
Greatest Mountain Getaway: Hunter, New York
Hunter could also be primarily often called a well-liked ski vacation spot, however there’s loads to do off the slopes, like mountain climbing to Kaaterskill Falls, mountain biking, and flying over 50 mph on the longest and highest zipline in North America. Test in to the ultra-modern Scribner’s Lodge, a 38-room former Sixties motor lodge that provides 270-degree deck views of the Catskill Mountains, an outside hearth pit, complimentary masks, and a mountain concierge for all of your journey wants. Prospect, the lodge’s on-site restaurant, presents shareable Alpine-inspired and Hudson Valley-foraged dishes. In close by Tannersville, get blueberry pancakes at Maggie’s Krooked Café and Mama’s Boy Burgers’ grass-fed cheeseburger to carry you in your Catskill journey.
By public transit: Take the Adirondack Trailways bus for 3 hours from Port Authority to Tannersville, then a five-minute taxi to the lodge.
By automotive: 2.5 hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in Hunter
Greatest Romantic Getaway: Finger Lakes, New York
If North Fork wine nation isn’t sufficient of a far-flung weekend vacation spot, contemplate a visit upstate. The Finger Lakes area is understood for its 11 lakes, lovely rolling farmland, quaint cities, and outside journey—however its vineyards are the principle draw.
Drink Thirsty Owl Wine Company’s riesling alongside the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, sip the sauvignon blanc at Fulkerson Winery, or faucet into the burgeoning brewery scene—Climbing Bines has tastings and seasonal choices. Break up all of the boozing with an outside exercise: a go to to Watkins Glen State Park with its 19 waterfalls, a winter stroll or bike ride along the lakes, a Canandaigua Lady cruise, or buy advance tickets to the expanded Corning Museum of Glass, the place you’ll be able to blow your personal piece of glass artwork. For lunch, choose Red Newt Bistro’s patio with lovely nation views, cheese plates, and a riesling flight, then cozy by the hearth within the library room at The Lake House on Lake Canandaigua.
By public transit: Take the ShortLine bus from Midtown for 5 hours to Elmira.
By automotive: 4 hours
The place to remain: Find a great Airbnb in the Finger Lakes