Hi! My parents (late 50s), wife and I (late 20s) are planning a 3 day vacation over labor day weekend. We would like a relatively relaxed holiday with an emphasis on scenic places and some light hiking, but do not want it to be too laid back either. We are ok with visiting more than 1 place if that is a good idea.
Ideally, we would like to drive for about 3-4 hours from Manhattan, or take a train if that is faster (and rent a car from where the train drops us off!), but want to avoid flying.
We would love to hear from you about what you think are good places to go.
Thank you!

PS: We know it is a little late to plan, but our parents' visit came together just now!

Are you looking for suggested areas and accomdations? What is your price range? Are you looking for basic accomodations or something more upscale?Also, do you want water {beach, lake etc}.

I would think that the more popular places are going to be booked already, but with a bit more info...folks here could come up with some ideas.

Hope this helps...
Debi

I would recommend you look into the Berkshire region of Western Massachussetts and/or the Albany/Saratoga Springs/southern Adirondack region of New York. Both areas are very accessible from NYC by car or train and are great weekend getaways. Beautiful scenery, lots of outdoor activities, cultural/arts events and historic sites.

njwanderer, if you want a relaxing weekend then avoid Saratoga Springs. It is going to be a mad house as this is a final weekend of horse races.

Consider Mohonk House www.mohonk.com
It is a gorgeous scenic spot with a very easy access from NYC. It is only 2 hours drive on I-87. Beautiful place with lots of to do and many hiking trails. Some of them are easy some are not, you may chose as you wish. If there are no rooms available for your dates you can always stay in New Paltz in one of many B&Bs or inexpensive motel, it all depends on your bud=get. When not staying in Mohonk House you can still visit Mohonk by paying day admission and get access to hiking trails.

How about Watkins Glen? It's a pretty little town with wineries and there is a nice hike in the gorge there, although I don't remember what that's called. It's very pretty though.

http://www.schuylerny.com/main.asp?ID=43

ttt
Thank you! We quite like the Mohonk idea, though Watkins Glen sounds more like a day / overnight trip than a long weekend, and in fact heard from a friend that we could consider the Lake George / Adirondacks area. Would you have any thoughts?

Lake George is too close to Saratoga Springs so it is going to be extremely crowded. If you don't mind to take an easy 5 hour drive to Lake Placid then this is an excellent area. Agree with you about Watkins Glen, it is a nice spot for a very brief visit. Good luck and try to decide asap. Book your accommodations soon.

I would definately consider the Adirondacks. Especially Lake Placid and Lake George. Both very scenic and lots to do.

Hi: One of the best weekend trips we ever took from NY was to Rhinebeck NY. We stayed at the Beekman Arms and had several dinners at the Culinary Institute of America (you most go on-line now and hope to get into any one of the three wonderful restaurants). The dining experience was fabulous! You are also free to roam the grounds and the first floor of the Institute to view the classrooms. During the day, we took a tour of The Roosevelt House and the Vanderbilt Mansion, both overlooking the Hudson. Highly recommend this trip to anyone.

When are you planning on doing this driving? If it's the Friday and Monday of Labor Day weekend you should assume that times will be much longer than they are ordinarily - unless you leave by 7am on the Friday and return after 10 or 11pm on the Monday.

If you can do train to the area - and rent a car there - it might be more comfortable. But if so - rent a car now. And get train tickets now - and be ready to rush onto the train the moment it pulls in. (I took the LIRR on the Saturday - not Friday of Memorial Day weekend and many passengers had to stand for at least the first hour of the trip.)

I think Mohonk mountain house itself is too restrictd - but you can do day trips from there to various spots along the lower Hudson. Be aware that it is VERY traditional - and definitely not a hot spot.

LOL! Mohonk House is definitely not too restricted. Well, it may be if you are going to stay inside the hotel. There are gardens, lake, beautiful mountains with roads to walk on and trails to hike on. There are 75 miles of trails. Minnewaska State Park is right there with many scenic trails and Shawangunks Mountains where you can go rock climbing or be fascinated by watching others climb. There is a lot do do and no need to to venture beyond the area.

http://www.great-adventures.com/dest...rk/mohonk.html

TTT
will three days get too long to be spent in Lake placid?
any suggestions for places to stay?
Thanks a lot!

TTT
Is Niagara Falls a good idea? We know we cannot reach there driving from NYC
any ideas on how we should be planning our trip , places to stay etc.?

Thanks!!

3 days will not be too long to spend in Lake Placid. I highly recommend Mirror Lake Inn {I've stayed there a number of times and it is one of my all time favorite hotels and areas}.
Hope this helps...
Debi