Hello! My husband and I have belatedly decided we'll need a getaway over Labor Day weekend, and are hoping for some suggestions. I realize many places will be booked, so we're keeping our eyes out for last-minute deals and are not too picky. We're also hoping to keep this relatively affordable- under $150 a night.

We've been wanting to visit Newport and Mystic, so ideas of places to check there would be great. In general though, we're just looking for a relaxing area, a change of pace (we live in NYC), and ideally a coast/harbor/lake area. We have a car, and we'd like to stay within a 3-4 hour drive.

Believe me, I know this is a long shot, but perhaps some of you have had luck in the past and can share some tips!

Tarheels.... you're going to have to up your budget substantially. A crappy motel outside of Newport will run you well over $200 during normal summer weekends -- so tack on a substantial premium for that weekend. How about somewhere in the Catskills or Adirondacks? Note that you'll still need to up the budget.

We're heading down to Baltimore for that weekend. Reserved the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront thru priceline for $105 per night for Sat & Sun nights. With taxes & fees, comes to about $120.

Baltimore is a great town for a weekend with all the water taxi's, aquarium, restaurants, etc.

Michelle, thanks for the advice- I was afraid of that! We may just be out of luck with beach/coast areas this time.

I have seen some Best Value inns in the Berkshires that are within our budget. Because we've been there before, we're keeping that as a backup for now.

Budman, thanks for the Baltimore tip! We haven't spent much time there (only driving through) so we'll definitely put it on the list.

We just booked the Grand Hyatt in DC for $99 a night for Labor Day weekend.

Would you consider PA? Jim Thorpe is a great little town. Lots to do, great little shops, beautiful scenery and MUCH cooler.

www.jimthorpe.org

Dohlice, that actually has crossed my mind- my parents have a little cabin in that area, so I'm very familiar. But, we're hoping for something a little different this time. Of course, beggers can't be choosers, so we'll see

With your limited budget, How about a couple of day-trips? You could go out to Long Beach (Long Island) via the LIRR for a day.

Or Orchard Beach in the Bronx. Or Coney Island.

You could go up the Hudson to Cold Spring for a day of hiking etc.

Isn’t it a nice place? I don’t throw the word “lovely” around, but that town deserves it. Have you ever been to Beltzville lake, not too far from there? My husband and I used to stay here www.lakeviewbb.com before we bought a place near Jim Thorpe. It is ultra-romantic with balconies and fireplaces in each room and very private. They may be booked up but if you exhaust other ideas you might want to try there for something a little different.

Thanks so much! Those all sound like great ideas, and I look forward to researching them.

Orchard Beach?? Coney Island?? Wow, unless these have changed in the 5 years I've been out of NY...I wouldn't consider them to be vacation spots for a getway weekend.

How about the Catskills? Catskill Forest Perserve should give the boys lots of outdoor hiking. You could stay in Saugerties or somewhere near Hunter Mtn.

Or how about the CT shore area? Madison is nice and the beach is really nice.

Or how about western MA
http://www.justtheberkshires.com/

or western CT? http://ctbound.org/getaways/getaways.asp
Any of these sound interesting?

Hope this helps...
Debi

Thanks! I actually was at Coney Island last week...a friend in town wanted to go. It's certainly something!

But seriously, thanks for all the suggestions. We frequently do daytrips on weekends when we need to get away, and it can be so refreshing to just spend a few hours in nature!

I think we're leaning heavily towards the Berkshires at this point, though I'll remember all of these ideas for future weekends away. I spent a summer in Williamstown, so we'll probably concentrate more on the Lenox/Lee area. The Tanglewood Jazz Festival will be happening then, which should be great.

My husband and I took a weekend trip up to New Paltz and had a wonderful time. Stayed at the Minnewaska Lodge and had a great view of the "ridge". Took a hike, went wine tasting, visited the quaint town. We didn't get to see Lake Minnewaska, but it was just 5 miles down the road. I would definitely go back.

You could also consider Annapolis for a nice getaway weekend.