In need of suggestions.
For Christmas I like to give my parents a lodging or fine restaurant gift certificate. In the past I have done Williamsburg Virginia, Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, and The Hershey Hotel.
They?ve just moved to Point Pleasant NJ from the Wash DC area and I am not familiar with the area or weekend get-a-way destinations from NJ, within a 3-4 hour drive. They are also native New Yorkers, know the city well, but perhaps a NYC fine restaurant gift certificate, restaurant suggestion? Tavern on the Green? They have not spent much time in the Hudson Valley area and beyond. Is Cape Cod an option? Too far? Anything in Delaware? And of course anything in and around Point Pleasant?
They enjoy the waterfront areas, eating out is a big thing, always on the look out for good restaurants, especially seafood, sightseeing, a little shopping, and golf.
Thanks for your help!
Alicia
Getaway gift cert ideas in and around NJ
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How about the Marriott in Absecon, NJ. They have 2 golf courses, a nice restaurant, and it is close to Atlantic City for a short visit.
There are some wonderful inns and hotels throughout Vermont. Unless they ski, the best time might be for next fall. Places like the Equinox near Stowe, for example. (I know there are many others that would also be great choices. I'm sure Vermonters can suggest a few.)
In terms of where they are now, it's a fairly easy train ride from Pt. Pleasant to NY. Have you thought about getting them show tickets and dinner? For my parents, we'll often get them tickets to a Wednesday matinee and dinner, which allows them to get home by a reasonable hour.
For something fairly close by, the restaurant at the Smithville Inn would be a nice place. Smithville is a restored colonial village just outside of the Atlantic City area.
Another very nice restaurant not too far away is the Fromagerie in Rumson.
I have a beach house in Point Pleasant Beach. I won?t offer too much comment on things to do and see in the area, as you parents can get this info as they explore the area. The website for Point Pleasant Beach is www.pointpleasantbeach.org. There is also a Point Pleasant Borough, take a look at http://www.ptboro.com.
I can make a suggestion for a good restaurant in the area:
The Grenville
345 Main Ave.
Bay Head, NJ 08742
Email: info@thegrenville.com
Phone: (732) 892-0599
Fax: (732) 892-0599
http://www.thegrenville.com/
This is a lovely old B&B in Bay Head (a very upscale town next to Point Pleasant Beach). They have an excellent restaurant and serve wines from their own vineyard as well as others. They have a very good brunch which is a nice alternative to a dinner.
I can also make some suggestions for trips further afield from Point Pleasant:
1. The Brandywine area on the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware is about 2 hours and is a lovely area of the country. There are Longwood Gardens if your parents like gardens, and the Winterthur Museum if they are interested in colonial American and other antiques. The area around the river is charming as well. Take a look at http://www.longwoodgardens.org and http://www.winterthur.org. A hotel and/or restaurant suggestion would be the Inn at Montchanin Village. Go to http://www.montchanin.com or slh.com
2. The Hudson River area would be a very good choice at almost any time of year. They can tour historic homes along the Hudson, such as the Vanderbilt Mansion or Kykuit the old Rockefeller Mansion. These and other homes of the "robber barons" of the late 19th and early 20th century are in the Hudson River Valley area, esp along the Hudson. Huge homes and acres of gardens and woodlands. Take a look at http://www.hudsonvalley.org/web/kyku-main.html. There is a lot to see and do in this area, including outdoor activities like hiking and canoeing. Take a look at t the New York State tourism website at http://www.iloveny.state.ny.us/
Hotels to consider:
The Emerson Inn and Spa in Temper, New York (the Catskill area), about 1.5 hours north of NYC airports. Go to http://www.the-emerson.com/ or slh.com
The Castle on the Hudson in Tarrytown (30 minutes from NYC). Go to http://www.castleonthehudson.com or slw.com
Mohonk Mountain House, in New Paltz New York, about 90 minutes from NYC. Check out their website at Mohonk.com
3. We recently gave my parents a gift of a weekend in Cooperstown New York. They stayed at the Otesaga Resort Hotel which they loved. It is a lovely hotel on the lake (it is in Patricia Schroeder?s book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, which my Mom is working her way through. . . ) Take a look at http://www.otesaga.com. They played golf of the hotel?s quite famous and challenging course, and of course my Dad went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The town has a lot of antique and art galleries and has an opera festival in the summer called Glimmerglass. The drive would be about 5-6 hours.
5. Massachusetts or Vermont would be between 5- 6 hours. Places like the Wheatley in Lenox Massachusetts or the Equinox in Manchester Vermont would be a great choice for dinner or a stay. Go to http://www.wheatleigh.com or lhw.com and http://equinox.rockresorts.com or lhw.com
6. Cape Cod would be about a 6 hour drive from Point Pleasant. They may feel they get enough beach time in Point Pleasant however.
As a final note, if your parents like restaurants of the standard of Le Bec Fin, please do NOT send them to Tavern on the Green. There are so many better choices in NYC.