we will be in new york city in early april (might be raining) and would like to get out into the country for a romantic few days. Any suggestions where to go w/i 2-3 hour drive of the city? resort?BB? Read bad reviews about Mohonk. any other ideas? could be conn.

Do a search on this site of Hudson Valley. It would be a nice time to be there and there are plenty of things to do -- historic homes, wineries, Culinary Institute, etc.

I feel like a broken record ;-) Head to Newport R.I. and stay at the Castle Hill Inn or Oceancliff. Have dinner at Bouchard -- very romantic.

How about the Hamptons? Here's an option: www.enclaveinn.com

Fun things to see & do, plus great dining opportunities.

If you head toward the Hamptons, but are looking for something a bit more quiet... try Shelter Island and the North Fork wineries... April could be cold or rainy -- or nice...

The wineries have some quite nice wines.

As far as accomodations, I would recommend a B&B on the Island, or one of the Spa-type Hotels in the Hamptons area (Gurneys comes to mind) depending on your budget.

I also love the idea of the Hudson Valley -- make sure you include Dia Beacon (an incredible relatively new art museum) and Storm King (an outdoor scullpture park). There is also the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park for great meals.

Hope this helps... as NYC residents wwe often head out to all these places for a day or more, so glad you are up for exploring!