Places to go on vacation in new york state
New York is the most populous city in the United States. It is located in the Northeastern region of the country, on the southern tip of Manhattan Island, which it shares with New York City’s other four boroughs: Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx.
New York City is a global center for many industries including finance, media and entertainment, art, fashion and design. It has been described as the cultural capital of the world by some international visitors.
Places to go on vacation in new york state
Photograph: Studio Robert McKinley
1. Kingston, NY
2hrs from NYC
New York State’s former capital has only gotten better with age. Establishing chef-inspired restaurants, music-driven bars and arty boutiques, a steady stream of creative entrepreneurs has made Kingston au courant once more, restoring the prime location as a perfect home base for exploring the Hudson Valley.
Proving that Kingston has the chops to be an elegant escape, four historic buildings have joined together to form the Hotel Kinsley, the town’s first destination accommodations. The smart, cozy rooms are graced with a distinct Scandinavian flair, and check-in takes place in a former bank vault—cha-ching!
A handful of trendy stores and unique hangouts like Rough Draft, a bookstore and taproom, have opened recently as well as a number of restaurants slinging delicious food like Ship to Shore and Lola. The Ulster Performing Arts Center, inside a restored 1926 theater, regularly has events and the city is also home to a number of festivals, including the Kingston Jazz Festival and the Artists Soapbox Derby. The Trolley Museum of New York even offers 1.5-mile ride on weekends and holidays along the Rondout Creek waterfront to Kingston Point Park.
Photograph: Courtesy Woodstock Farm Sanctuary
2. High Falls, NY
2hrs from NYC
They may all be born with sweet-baby-angel faces, but seeing pizza rats and trapped pigeons on the subway is a lot to handle. Hightail it to High Falls’ Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, where cuddly creatures roam the nonprofit’s 150 acres. Whether you’re volunteering (go you!) or just basking in the pastoral experience, you’ll meet some of the rescued farm animals, including Dolly the llama, Puddles the duck, Maybelle the cow, Tammy the lamb, Luna the goat and Luna’s brother Louie (he’s shy, but he’ll snuggle if you’re patient).
Stay: Speaking of getting snuggly, the sanctuary just debuted The Gray Barn, a modern five-bedroom guesthouse that overlooks a goat pasture. Wave to Luna and Louie while you’re munching away at your complimentary vegan breakfast.
Drink: For an altogether different farm foray, stop by Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery, New York State’s first post-Prohibition whiskey distillery
Photograph: Courtesy The Wild Center
3. Saranac Lake, NY
5hrs 48min from NYC
You’re already familiar with the High Line, but have you been to the majestic elevated park of the Adirondacks? We’ve been, and it’s called Wild Walk—an 81-acre museum complex, which literally lets you see the forest of upstate New York through the trees. Designed by Charles P. Reay, the innovative walkway takes you up and over the forest canopy for a truly breathtaking view, and a revelatory look at the dense and expansive landscape. Wander through exhibits like a giant spider web that is 24 feet above ground as well as the highest point, the Raptor’s Nest, where you have a clear view of the gorgeous vista and landmarks like the Whiteface Mountain and Seward Range.
When you tire of walking on the wild side, retire for the evening at the gorgeous Hotel Saranac, a historical building that has transformed into a modern haven. The hotel is positioned to offer the best of the natural world with nearby hiking trails and lake activites as well as bumpin’ nightlife for urban dwellers. The area’s downtown scene is equipped with art galleries, street musicians and performance spaces like Pendragon Theater or Blueseed Studios for your entertainment. The dining options are also ace, but we recommend stumbling into the french-themed Left Bank Cafe for its tender poulet basquaise, generous charcuterie plate and impressive wine list.
Photograph: courtesy Airbnb
4. Ghent, NY
2hrs 30min from NYC
There are a ton of affordable Airbnb rentals perfect for staying the weekend, including cute little cottages, tiny homes and cabins with waterviews.
After walking through nature trails such as High Falls Conservation Area (an easy trek featuring a 150-foot waterfall) or climbing Mount Everett (good for advanced hikers), drive up to local vino proprietor Hudson-Chatham Winery. Their tasting room is open from noon to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday. Before you head back to glamp, drive to Taconic Sculpture Park to peep at three acres-worth of mythical-themed sculptures.
ADVERTISING
Photograph: Courtesy Gavin Ashworth
5. Newport, RI
3hrs 20min from NYC
If you want to treat yourself to a swanky summer getaway, Newport, Rhode Island is bursting with finesse resorts, fancy waterfront restaurants and swanky mansions you can visit and pretend you’re a Vanderbilt. Be floored by the views when you stay at Gurney’s Newport located on a private island surrounding Narragansett Bay. Get unreal 360-degree views of the sunset and lounge on the wrap-around deck. Practice your backstroke in the outdoor saltwater pool and unwind with a massage from the full-service spa.
Once you’re pampered and immersed in the exterior beauty of the Rhode Island, head indoors to enjoy the lavish properties known as Newport Mansions. Guided tours are available for Chateau-sur-Mer, Chepstow, Hunter House, Isaac Bell House and Kingscote. Afterward, feast like a debauchee and go in on some lobster claws at The Mooring—an indoor and outdoor top-of-the-catch seafood restaurant.
6. Asbury Park, NJ
1hr 15mins from NYC
Asbury Park got famous as the place Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band broke onto the scene. But as of this summer, its legendary rock club, the Stone Pony, will get some healthy competition. Asbury Lanes, the retro-fab bowling alley and snack-and-cocktail bar that closed in 2015, just reopened as a 600-person-capacity concert venue. The Lanes’ lineup is already a powerhouse, with Tennis, Kurt Vile and Lupe Fiasco hitting the stage this summer (and, on June 18, none other than the Boss haimself). Plus, the actual bowling lanes remain, with a fancy new pin-setting system.
Set in a once-deserted Salvation Army building, the trendy Asbury Hotel now has it all: a rooftop bar, outdoor movies, food trucks, live music, summery black-and-white photos from the city’s past and even eight-person bunks, in case you’re traveling with a crew.
Just a few blocks from the boardwalk, Kim Marie’s Eat n Drink Away is a wood-covered, homey hang that boasts a bangin’ hangover burger, with shore fries (thick-cut, with skins), bacon, oozing cheese and a fried egg.
Photograph: Shutterstock
7. Catskill, NY
2hrs 30mins from NYC
The ruggedly beautiful Catskill Mountains have a multicentury history of creative inspiration and adventure. Washington Irving set “Rip Van Winkle” among their peaks, and Thomas Cole’s paintings of the area wound up radically changing how artists depict landscapes. For a peek of what these folks found so inspiring, take the Hudson River School of Art Trail, which starts at Thomas Cole National Historic Site, and bask in views like the 260-foot-drop of Kaaterskill Falls.
This respite isn’t strictly about historical appreciation, though. In the past few years, that old Catskill creativity has extended to mountain-modern hotel options like Scribner’s Catskill Lodge. A hotshot design firm from Brooklyn (where else?) revamped the ’60s motor lodge last year into a 38-room boutique hotel that we describe as mountain-man sleek, with curvy gray couches near sharp Adirondack chairs, all set off by colorful boho textiles.
The views are of course lovely, but if you’re jonesing for more adrenaline, these days Catskill makes a better base camp than ever for mountain adventures. Zoom at 600 feet in the air with New York Zipline Adventures.
Photograph: Jason Penney
8. Shelter Island, NY
3hrs 15mins from NYC
It’s right there, between Long Island’s North and South Forks, and yet Shelter Island is easy to miss: Yes, the 12.5-square-mile isle is small—in fact, the Mashomack Preserve occupies a third of its area—and it’s only accessible by ferry. But don’t expect an empty expanse: While it’s totes low-key, it’s also replete with historic 19th-century neighborhoods, troves of beaches and plenty of local characters to help you soak in the surroundings. You can even explore an intact 18th-century home at the Shelter Island Historical Society.
Perched over Shelter Island Heights, The Chequit Hotel stands out in all the right ways. Originally built as a Methodist dining hall, a cozier-than-thou renovation transformed the property into a stylishly sweet boutique that whips up a decadent complimentary breakfast.
Breakfast, lunch, picnic, whatever: It’s all up for grabs at Marie Eiffel Market, a dockside establishment where natives and visitors gather for great bites, such as lobster rolls and pillowy pain au chocolat.
9. Saratoga Springs, NY
3hrs 20mins from NYC
If the Victorians had a Vegas, Saratoga Springs would’ve been it. The resort town got famous in the 1800s for its relaxed vacay options, namely legendary spring water and thoroughbred racing (which included gambling, natch), and you can still soak in the little-bit-tingly rich-in-minerals H2O in the Roosevelt Baths and Spa within Saratoga Spa State Park. If you’ve never bathed in warm champagne, here’s your chance to get that sensation for a cool $45, which includes a robe and access to a sauna, an elegant relaxation room and a 40-minute bathtub soak.
Once you’re relaxed, it’s time for the ponies. Bring your poshest sun hat to the United States’ oldest horse-racing track, the Saratoga Race Course, which hosts the Travers Stakes and others on weekends from late July through early September. From the grandstand, gamblers can watch these majestic creatures battle it out. Afterward, visit the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The spot’s racing simulator is so authentic, you have to wear a helmet and vest—jockeys use it too. And you can actually stay along the racetrack at the reimagined Brentwood Hotel, where rooms are accented with antique brass.
Outside the track, Saratoga Springs has held onto its atmospheric core of old buildings downtown (Victorian, Federal and neoclassical, for you design fiends), but these days its also emits a modern, eclectic college-town vibe with a mix of shops like Tushita Heaven, which offers New Agey incense burners and prayer beads.
10. Skaneateles, NY
4hrs 10mins from NYC
For a classy and understated getaway, you can do a lot worse than the pastoral and chill Finger Lakes region. And the refined yet low-key village of Skaneateles is ace for tooling around the eponymous lake in an ultraquiet electric boat or exploring the many wineries nearby.
Launch your morning elegantly at the quaint dining room at Sherwood Inn with a butterific French croissant. Break for lunch at the nostalgic, summer-campy Doug’s Fish Fry—yep, the place famous for turning away Bill Clinton in the ’90s—where a model train runs through the whole facility. And of course, end with booze. Lately the Finger Lakes’ historically vino-centric beverage scene has diversified into cider, craft beer and whiskey; sample the full range at the sleek, waterfront tasting room of White Birch Vineyards Tasting Room.
Wind down at the Mirbeau Inn & Spa, with its Claude Monet–inspired water gardens, luxe spa and—melding the best of both—an outdoor hot tub that looks like a natural outgrowth of the craggy rocks and lush plants all around you in this super gorgeous setup.
Photograph: Shutterstock
11. Assateague Island, MD
4hrs 30mins from NYC
Want to get away from civilization and get in touch with your wild side? Plant yourself right on the beach on this 37-mile barrier island for an affordable respite. Two thirds of this wave-tossed ribbon of dunes and salt marshes is in Maryland, where camping is allowed; the rest is Virginia.
At Assateague Island National Seashore, you can build a beach bonfire, stargaze over the Atlantic Ocean and straight-up hang with wild horses. But that’s not all: Whales, dolphins—dolphins, you guys—sika deer, island foxes and great blue herons also flock to Assateague. Sea kayaking, crabbing, beach yoga and tours of 18th-century coastal plantation Rackliffe House are also on offer.
Naturally, getting away from it all means roughing it a bit. The sandy “primitive camping” setup includes toilets and cool-water showers. Stock up on firewood, sunscreen, practically mandatory bug repellent and steamed Maryland crabs at various provision stores along the way. And if you start craving off-island action, the sweet brick village of Berlin, which Huffington Post named the Absolute Cutest Town in Maryland and the Ocean City Boardwalk are each less than 10 miles from the island.
12. Portsmouth, NH
4hrs 30mins from NYC
This New England fave is the salty dog of New Hampshire’s seacoast—old, sure, but not tired. One of the three oldest towns in the nation, the waterfront settlement of 21,000 is ideal for imagining yourself in the United States’ (pub-jammed, beer-soaked) colonial past.
Portsmouth’s trusty vintage features include cobblestone streets, retro sailboats and centuries-old brick shops selling antiques and curios. But the city has new tricks, too. Try the 2,800-square-foot Portsmouth Book & Bar, in the refurbished, stately Custom House, for a highbrow mix of reading and drinking. Keep the old-timey appreciation going at Strawbery Banke Museum, an old waterfront settlement turned living-history museum with blacksmiths and other craftspeople at work.
Lap up more recent—and boozy—history at Portsmouth Brewery, brother brewhouse to the well-known Smuttynose Brewing Co. that helped start Portsmouth’s craft-brew revolution 20 years ago. No need to leave the suds behind at bedtime: Ale House Inn features 10 rooms set in a former brewery, with all the exposed brick and industrial-chicness that implies. Free bicycle use and tickets to its next-door Seacoast Repertory Theatre are part of the deal, too.