Quick, Easy and Affordable Escapes
Looking for a weekend getaway? A quick, easy and affordable escape can be yours at these destinations.
North Fork, Long Island, NY
Greenport, with all its restaurants and galleries and shops, is a very hot area for an escape. In addition to farm stands and wineries, there’s a restaurant infusion. The North Fork Table and Inn chefs came from Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan, and also have a parking-lot lunch-truck option for casual takeout. In Greenport, a microbrewery has taken up residence in a renovated firehouse. Noah’s and Blue Canoe Oyster Bar & Grill are also in Greenport. Sip rosé wines in the shaded garden of Croteaux Vineyards. Three nice hotels are The Greenporter, The Harbor Front Inn, and The North Fork Table & Inn.
New Hope, PA & Lambertville, NJ
New Hope and Lambertville are two towns, full of antiques, restaurants and shops to wander through. They are separated by the Delaware River, which you can walk over. On the Pennsylvania side, New Hope offers galleries, antiques and treats in Colonial-style buildings. Follow a lantern-led ghost tour along picturesque streets where you’ll learn about the doings of local phantoms. There are a number of places to stay, the Logan Inn is in the heart of the town and just outside New Hope is the Ash Mill Farm, a working farm and inn. Stop by Gerenser’s for homemade exotic ice cream. Lambertville has a path along the canal that’s great for biking, you can rent bikes at Pure Energy Cycling. For treasure hunters, the Golden Nugget Antique & Flea Market, a huge indoor-and-outdoor flea market, is open during the weekends. If you want a place to stay, the Lambertville Station is a hotel converted from a train station. For a more luxurious stay, the Woolverton Inn in Stockton, NJ is surrounded by 300 acres of parkland.
Cooperstown, NY
This Upstate New York village is home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is worth a visit. The village was founded in 1786 by classic American author James Fenimore Cooper’s father, the family lived there for generations, and their old home is now the Fenimore Art Museum, which you can visit for $12. There’s also a Farmer’s Museum, which features a collection of artifacts and a sprawling colonial historical village with real buildings dating back to the 18th century. Lodging options include the Inn at Cooperstown or the Cooper Inn where rates run $110 to $230 for standard-to-classic rooms. For drinking and dining, the Ommegang Brewery is located in Cooperstown. Tours run daily on the hour, and they’re followed by $3 tastings.
