getting out of the city but not too far

Well, the Poconos are not too far, lots to do there - rafting, hiking, biking, skiing, etc. The Catskills are just right up the Hudson with many of the same activities to do. Now is a good time as the roads are full of tag sales, I think there wasn't fewer than 20 tag sales when we were last there two weeks ago. You could always go to the Jersey shore (which is kind of scary being around all those New Jerseyans). I also suggest just heading west and going to Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area (which is the Poconos) has lots of state parks around it.

Oiseau wrote: Well, the Poconos are not too far, lots to do there - rafting, hiking, biking, skiing, etc. The Catskills are just right up the Hudson with many of the same activities to do. Now is a good time as the roads are full of tag sales, I think there wasn't fewer than 20 tag sales when we were last there two weeks ago. You could always go to the Jersey shore (which is kind of scary being around all those New Jerseyans). I also suggest just heading west and going to Pennsylvania, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area (which is the Poconos) has lots of state parks around it.

If you're going to the Poconos, don't forget "b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l Mounty Airy Lodge" (sung to the beautiful Mouth Airy Lodge theme tune).

Carnivore wrote:
If you're going to the Poconos, don't forget "b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l Mounty Airy Lodge" (sung to the beautiful Mouth Airy Lodge theme tune).

Ahhhh yes snowmobiling, horseback riding, skiing, and heart shaped jacuzzi's. When I was 10 I thought thats what a date was.

go to a bookstore and browse through this book for some ideas:

Heavenly Weekends: Travel Without a Car: Daytrips, Overnight, and Weekend Getaways Near New York
by Susan Clemett, Gena Vandestienne

Oiseau wrote: [quote=vanilla]i don't have a car or want to drive one, is this a problem?

Well then a great daytrip is to take the Hudson line up to say Irvington and walk up to the Old Croton Aqueduct and walk down it to Yonkers or thereabouts. You can then catch Metro North there back to the city.
Good call!

Captain M wrote: [quote=Carnivore]
If you're going to the Poconos, don't forget "b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l Mounty Airy Lodge" (sung to the beautiful Mouth Airy Lodge theme tune).

Ahhhh yes snowmobiling, horseback riding, skiing, and heart shaped jacuzzi's. When I was 10 I thought thats what a date was.

When I was 13 we went on a field trip, "camping" at a place with cabins that used to be some sort of romantic retreats. They'd installed bunk beds for the kids but there were still heart-shaped mirrors and bathtubs (not jacuzzis) and stuff. As you can imagine, my classmates handled this with the utmost maturity.

I'm not saying because I don't want people to go there

Ooh I fogot to mention Storm King. If you have a car or I think there's a bus from somewhere that goes there.

Anonymous wrote: [quote=daveb]You can roundtrip to Vermont with Jetblue for about $120, give or take. 48 minutes in the air to Burlington. Huge lake, marketplaces, hippies and armpit hair.

Ummm, I think it's a bit more than that. I was checking for flights yesterday around Thanksgiving break, and it would have been about $250 bucks for a flight out to Burlington. For a nonholiday flight, it would be around $200. It's still worth it, though, since there is only one overbooked train that runs from Penn Station to Montreal in the morning, and the only other option is to take a cramped, overbooked bus for 6 hours to Plattsburgh .

Prices go up around holiday times and also fluctuate for reasons unknown to me...maybe due to busy times of the day and/or how full the plane is, who knows. . I fly there several times a year and actually will be doing so next week and my bill for that flight was about $125

Subject: Re: getting out of the city but not too far

vanilla wrote: where do you go for short trips outside of nyc?

If you're into beaches, Fire Island makes for a great day trip and it's much closer than the Hamptons and does not require a car. It's only 2 hours away by LIRR from the Flatbush Ave station. And then there is a short 15 minute ferry ride. Lots of different little towns to visit. Pristine beaches, not crowded especially now. Nice hiking.

I rented a house in Fire Island Pines this summer and never had a more relaxing vacation - admittedly an expensive proposition. But also, I've done some excellent, fun day trips too. Great for people who don't own a car (not allowed on F.I.) and hate driving anyhow