25 weekend getaways every New Yorker should take

Newport, Rhode Island (about 180 miles east-northeast of New York City)

The Vanderbilts and Astors have been gone for decades, but the Gilded Age summer playground of the very, very rich is still very, very chic, thanks to Newport’s dramatic seaside location, renovated Colonial core and its ongoing appeal to the yachting crowd. Come September, however, the hordes of domestic and overseas visitors practically fall off the Cliff Walk, thus freeing up Little Rhody’s top destination, big-time.

Outdoor buffs will want to check out Newport’s famous Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile paved walk that takes you along the bluff overlooking Easton Bay and behind several of the mansions. Newport’s three best beaches are cleverly named First, Second and Third and look out onto Rhode Island Sound, beginning just east of downtown. Parking is free after Labor Day.

WHERE TO STAY: Check out the elegant downtown Hotel Viking or the beachfront Comfort Inn.

PLAN A VISIT: discovernewport.org ” data-id=”111778414″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/image-16.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.11778414″/>
Photo Credit: Artur Staszewski via Flickr (CC BY-SA)

Fire Island, New York (about 2 hours from New York City)

A getaway to Fire Island is about a 20-minute ferry ride that transports passengers to another world, a simpler world without the cars they must leave behind on the mainland. Fire Island is 32 miles long, but it’s no more than a mile across, from ocean to bay. Unlike the Hamptons, most of Fire Island’s 17 communities are down-to-earth places where adults pass the days playing Kadima on the sand or Scrabble under their beach umbrellas, and kids sell hand-painted seashells and lemonade from the red Radio Flyer wagons their families use to cart groceries from the general stores.

That charm comes at a hefty price, in part because of supply and demand; there simply isn’t an abundance of rooms on the island. Most Fire Island rentals are summer homes owners sublet by the week or month. Only a handful of hotels will rent for shorter-term escapes.

WHERE TO STAY: On Ocean Beach, the biggest community on Fire Island, check out The Palms, with Manhattan-style decor, or Blue Waters Hotel. If you’re staying on Kismet, the party spot, check out the Margarita Villas.

PLAN A VISIT: fireisland.com

” data-id=”110739607″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/8537_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10739607″/>
Photo Credit: Jason Andrew

Hudson Valley — Rocking Horse Ranch (about 90 miles from New York City)

Set on 500 acres of mountain views and a private lake, this year-round resort takes care of everything. Meals, baby-sitting, evening entertainment — RHR handles it all, making your vacation feel like a vacation and not an obstacle course. A cheerful Catskills-in-the-summer vibe pervades. Younger kids will love the pony rides, the bounce house, scavenger hunts and the indoor water park. Older children can escape their embarrassing parents for the day with activities such as rock (wall) climbing, miniature golf, archery and, of course, horseback riding.

Adults looking to escape their brood for a few hours can indulge at the spa, go line-dancing or hit the happy hour. Or, tour a number of nearby Hudson River wineries along the Shawangunk Wine Trail. Evening brings the family back together with a communal dinner and entertainment options such as karaoke, magic shows and musical revues.

PLAN A TRIP: rockinghorseranch.com

” data-id=”110739635″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/8538_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10739635″/>
Photo Credit: Jeremy Bales

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (about 200 miles from New York City)

Mile-long Rehoboth Beach, the largest beach resort in Delaware, has attracted sun-seekers from Philly and the D.C. area since Victorian times. But New Yorkers and New Englanders will find this newly cultivated foodie and LGBT-friendly destination a nice alternative to the wild Jersey Shore.

Take time off from the clean water and clean sand for an upscale innovative cuisine at Blue Moon, Turkish fare at Semra’s Mediterranean Grill or farm-to-table at Back Porch. Affectionately named the “Willy Wonka of Rehoboth,” Dolle’s Candyland has been around since 1927. It makes hundreds of pounds of taffy in 24 flavors every day. (Dolle’s doesn’t ship, so you’ve got to come in person.)

WHERE TO STAY: Families can stay at Sands Hotel on the boardwalk, which went through a top-to-bottom renovation in 2013 — adding the only oceanfront saltwater pool in town. Or try the Victorian Boardwalk Plaza, its charming lobby stuffed with plants, a real RCA Victrola and two extravagant birdcages with two engaging parrots.

PLAN A VISIT: visitsouthdelaware.com

” data-id=”110739567″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/8539_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10739567″/>
Photo Credit: Newsday / Martin Hollander

The Catskills (Andes is about 3 hours from New York City)

People hear “Catskills” and often think “Borscht Belt.” But beyond the traditionally Jewish resorts is the 700,000-acre Catskill Park with 98 peaks over 3,000 feet. About three hours north of the city, Andes, a picturesque former logging town listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places, offers hiking, along with restaurants, art galleries and antiques shops.

You won’t want to miss the 3.9-mile round-trip walk on the Andes Rail Trail, which takes hikers past beaver dams and bucolic views of the Tremperskill Valley. Another mountaintop hike past lichen-covered stone walls and attractive vistas is the 3.7-mile Palmer Hill Trail. The owners of Two Old Tarts started baking for a farmers market, and popular demand spawned this bakery and cafe that incorporates locally grown ingredients.

WHERE TO STAY: When visiting the Catskills, check out the Andes Hotel, a 10-room inn, tavern and restaurant, which combines rustic charm with enough elegance (and live music on weekends) to keep any New York sophisticate happy.

PLAN A VISIT: visithecatskills.com.

” data-id=”110739545″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/8540_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.10739545″/>
Photo Credit: Newsday / Lorina Capitulo

You want to shake off work without having to drive too far. We get it. That’s why we found one-tank trips every New Yorker should take — for all kinds of travelers.

Whether you’re looking for a weekend at the beach, a ski getaway, a family visit to an amusement park or a host of other quick destinations that feature everything for children and adults alike, we found 25 great getaways in the Northeast that won’t take more than a tank of gas.

Reported by Marshall S. Berdan, Lauren Chattman, Malerie Yolen-Cohen, Alison Gregor, Cate Latting, Erica Marcus, Mary Ann McGann, Jim Merritt and Beth Whitehouse.