Can anyone suggest a destination/drive not too far from New York City, suitable for a 3 day trip? Perhaps in New York state or an adjacent? We could fly if it helps!

Philadelphia would be a place to consider checking out. (www.gophila.com)

You could go virtually anywhere in mainland US for a "3 day trip.. we could fly if it helps"
Here's a suggestion for making the best use of this great forum:
Tell us a little bit about yourself (doesn't need to be overly detailed, but some idea of age range, travelling w/ or without kids , where you're coming from (UK?), what you have or haven't seen in the US, vague budget ( $39 /night motels or $300 luxury hotel rooms?) and most importantly--your interests. Do you want to see museums and monuments in cities? An active sports vacation? Mountains/Ocean (mention time of the year too!).
With that kind of info, you will get more wonderful and detailed suggestions that you can imagine!
( I assume that you posted the similar question mentioning Vermont--these suggestions obviously apply to that post too)
I hope this helps you make the best of Fodor's .
Regards. Cindy

Would you like to...
hike?
shop?
see pretty scenery?
visit historic sites?

Are you bringing parents?
kids?

Please be specific as to what you like to do...then hopefully we can help.

Ok getting a sense of how this works now...

Coming from the UK - have seen major cities like Boston and Philadelphia but would love to view some really pretty areas with lots of character perhaps by taking a drive. Coming with a partner - no kids or parents this time. Our budget is mid-range - not looking for a really cheap break but if we can stay in inns rather than 5* hotels it would allow us to afford some shopping in NYC!

Thought about driving up to Niagra - perhaps visting both sides of the border - but I have no idea how long this would take. Any ideas?

Alternatively, I have heard that you can find some lovely towns around New England....

Interests: jazz, sight-seeing, art. Partner loves sailing and golf too. Mostly we just want to unwind and spend some time on our own together. If we could be somewhere romantic, then so much the better.

Again, all suggestions would be appreciated.

If you decide on Niagara Falls the trip, by auto, would take close to 8 hours. Flying would take about one hour. I dfon't know that a visit there meets your criteria.

You might be interested in the Saratoga NY area. It's about 4 hours north of NYC. It's quaint with lots of character. Depending on when you come, the Newport Jazz festival is there (beginning of July maybe?) In August the horse track is in full swing (hotel and inn prices higher to match) There's golf, a lake and Lake George is only another half hour north.

check saratoga-ny.com

Newport is great...about a 3 hour drive depending on traffic. Great scenery, historic houses, good food, right on the water

I don't recommend Niagara Falls!! Way past its prime

Funny you should ask, since this week's New York magazine was all about weekend trips from NYC.
On their list(and mine) is a trip to the Catskills, upstate NY. The Woodstock are is supposed to be pretty cool and there are great picknicking and hiking opportunities up there.
They also suggest Nantuket Island; country inns-- Pine hill Farm Brandywine Valley, PA, Westerly, RI Sheltor Harbor Inn, Homestead Inn in Greenwich, CT; Cold Spring, NY if you want some physical activity; Chester, CT; Red Hook, NY for great food; flea markets in Lambertville, NJ; Porches Inn in the Berkshires; and Newport, RI.
They list all the suggested accommodations and a few activites for the destinations. If anyone sounds really interesting to you, I'd be happy to give you that information too.

Our favorite short trips (2-3 days)
Anywhere along the Upper Hudson Valley,Rhinebeck,Woodstock,Millbrook NY
Conn-Fairfield,antiques galore!
Pennsylvania-New Hope/Lambertville
Pa Dutch/Amish area
Philadelphia
Boston
Spring Lake/Cape May NJ
Montauk/Hamptons-off season, great antiquing,wineries,good restaurants,nothing like walking on an Empty beach!
The Berkshires,Mass. Stockbridge

Finger Lakes region might be nice. I would also suggest a trip to Greenport, NY on the North Fork of LI (driving time approx. 2 hours). Lots of quaint B&B's and Inns, plus wineries (many of which have free or low cost entertainment like jazz and string ensembles), plenty of golf and sailing as well as other water sports, and lots of good restaurants. The downtown has been completely revitalized with a new waterfront park, art galleries, and lots of shops. Orient Point State Park is a short drive away and you could also take the ferry from Orient up to CT and explore or from Greenport over to Shelter Island for beautiful hiking and some nice restaurants (and also continue on the ferry that goes over to the South Fork). The prices are very mid-level - cheaper than Newport (although I would also recommned Newport). This whole area has a very New Englandy feel. Check out www.suffolktimes.com for a community events calendar.

The Brandywine Valley area of Pennsylvania and Delaware would be a good choice. It's midway between New York and Washington. Lots of lovely museums (Winterthur, Nemours, the Wyeth collection at Brandywine River Museum), great gardens, a real escape from the city, but within 15 minutes of I-95.

Hi!

If you're looking for a weekend escape from NYC, you really don't have to go too far. There is paddling very close by if you're looking for an outdoor adventure, Atlantic City is just a drive away and even heading out to Montauk on Long Island can be a wonderful escape (especially early in the season when it's less crowded.)

Check out some other ideas here:
http://gonyc.about.com/cs/daytrips/index.htm

Best,
Heather

Art tour of western Mass:

-- In summertime, see the Boston
Symphony at Tanglewood. They have
jazz and other concerts on the big
green lawn, or get a ticket for under
the shell.
-- Norman Rockwell's new museum
-- MASS MOCA, a totally amazing museum
of BIG ART in North Adams.
-- The Sterling Institute and the Williams Art center in Williamstown...

AC is fine if you are into the gambling/casino thing, but if it is fresh air,and pretty surroundings, I would avoid it.

New Hope, PA is nice but seems a bit too mellow and small, maybe not too filled with activities. Woodstock, NY is supposed to be nice. I lived in Newport, RI for many years and personally think it's a great place for a weekend getaway, although it could take up to 4 1/2 hours to get up there. You could do the beaches, mansions, shopping, sailing, go to good restaurants and even explore other parts of the state, as it is quite small. Jazz is quite popular there as well, many music festivals in summer.

Not sure what you are looking for Sammy but I just had a great weekend in D.C. Wide open skys with low buildings, free museums, historical sites. Go to smarter living.com and see if you can get a break on shuttle fares. I just grabbed a fare on U.S airways for $117 round trip. So much greener in D.C than NY and seafood restaurants abound.

Try to avoid New Hope on any holiday weekends, the place was mobbed last time we were there.Very touristy and annoying,the antique shops were full of some nice mostly not so nice junk that they were charging a fortune for.
Better off in Lambertsville across the river.

I would recommend Lake Placid ... plenty to do and see anytime of the year. I highly recommend the Mirror Lake Inn for accomodations ... very nice indoor pool and spa for pampering (there is also an outdoor pool). The village of Lake Placid has shops and restaurants and you can also tour the Olympic facilities. You can also spend a day driving around the "high peaks" area right near Lake Placid and up to the Vermont border and Lake Champlain, take in the scenery, and stop in some of the smaller towns (i.e., Jay, Keene, etc) There is a road that goes up to the top of Whiteface Mountain for some great views of the area. I would also recommend bringing some hiking boots ... there are countless hiking trails (of all skill levels) in the high peaks area. The staff at the Mirror Lake in would be able to provide you with specific trail information, i.e., how easy/difficult, time needed, etc. A relatively easy/moderate trail to get the top of one of the peaks is the Cascade Mountain trail ... you'll need to plan for the better part of the day for this (but there are other shorter trails). Be sure to bring a small pack to carry lunch/snacks and water.

The Berkshires in Western Massachusetts and Northampton/ amherst would be a very good fit, especially in the summer.