Five Day Trips from New
York City, by Lynne
R. Christen
No matter how many times I visit the New York
City metro area, I am amazed at the sheer number of must-see
and must-do adventures around every corner. But sometimes
I want a break from all that hustle and bustle. Here are five
of my favorite day trips, each within a few hours of the city.
Saluting West Point
Travel time from Manhattan: 90 mins.
A day trip to West Point is a highlight for history
and military enthusiasts. Established in 1802 by Thomas Jefferson,
it is the oldest military academy in the United States. A
visit to the academy is a walk in the paths of such American
heroes as Generals Grant, Lee, Pershing, MacArthur, Eisenhower,
Patton, Westmoreland and Schwarzkopf, as well as equally iconic
leaders of politics, law, medicine, education and business.
Today, 4,000 cadets representing every state in the U.S. and
several foreign countries attend West Point to earn their
place in the revered "Long Gray Line."
Located about 50 miles north of New York City,
the campus and central post are situated on 16,000 scenic
acres on the west bank of the Hudson River. The views alone
are worth the journey.
An early start will put you ahead of the tour
buses. Make your first stop the visitors center, where you
can see a video about cadet life and arrange for a tour of
the academy grounds (heightened security since 9/11 precludes
wandering around on your own). The one-hour tour visits the
main Cadet Chapel, Trophy Point, Battle Monument and the Plain.
Time it right and you can catch a parade or review in progress;
schedules for parades, reviews and concerts can be found on
the United
States Military Academy Web site. Avoid visiting on football
Saturdays and around graduation when the crowds are horrendous;
there are no tours offered on football days, nor on Thanksgiving,
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year's Day.
Toasting the Long Island Wine Country
Travel time: 2 hours
I love a day trip centered on wine. (Please think
of me as an oenophile rather than a wino!) Seventy miles from
Manhattan, Long Island Wine Country has 35 wineries open to
the public; altogether, there are more than 60 wineries and
vineyards spread across 4,000 acres. A moderate marine climate
and almost ideal soil conditions contribute to the region's
20 award-winning varietals, including cabernet sauvignon,
chardonnay, chenin blanc, sangiovese, syrah and merlot.
So many wines, so little time.
It pays to designate a driver and plan your stops
in advance. Visit the Long
Island Wine Council for a map of the wineries and information
about tours and tastings. A natural first stop is Loughlin
Vineyards, in Sayville, where vintner and proprietor Barney
Loughlin shares his wealth of knowledge about the historic
grounds during tastings. From there, head out to the North
Fork of the island, touring and tasting as time and tolerance
permit. To "switch forks," hop the ferry that links
Greenport, Shelter Island and Sag Harbor, or drive State Route
114 over to the South Fork and resume sniffing, swirling,
sipping and savoring. Some of my favorite wineries are Palmer
Vineyards, Macari Vineyards, Lenz Winery, Pindar Vineyards
and Duck Walk Vineyards; all five are open year-round.
Not into wine? Not to worry, there are plenty
of other choices on Long Island for art lovers, beachgoers,
golfers, history nuts and nature lovers. But beware: A visit
to Long Island may be habit-forming.
Heading South along the Jersey Shore
Travel time: 2.5 hours
Not to be confused with Long Island, N.Y., Long
Beach Island is an island off the coast of New Jersey,
about 65 miles south of New York City. Don't expect the glitz
and glamour of the New York Hamptons; this is a low-key, lazy-day
kind of destination. The 18-mile-long barrier island is accessible
by only one causeway, so avoid busy summer weekends when traffic
jams up with city-dwellers making their escape to the shore.
On the island, go north to the Barnegat Lighthouse, known
as "Old Barney." It is one of the tallest lighthouses
in the U.S., and the view from the top is worth the climb
up 217 steps. After the climb, grab a picnic lunch from a
local seafood dive and then relax under a beach umbrella,
lulled by the sound of the surf and the laughing gulls.
If a lazy beach day is not your style, bypass
Long Beach Island and continue south for a little over two
hours to give Lady Luck a whirl at the casinos in Atlantic
City, N.J. Save time for some funky fun with a one-of-a-kind
visit to Lucy the Elephant in nearby Margate . Standing six
stories high, Lucy was built by a real estate speculator in
1881 to attract buyers to the area. Over the years Lucy became
a star. Presidents and royalty came to climb the stairs to
her howdah and visit her museum. Now a National Historic Landmark,
Lucy boasts being the oldest example of zoomorphic architecture
in the United States and the largest "elephant"
in the world.
Calling all Foodies
Travel time: 45 mins.
At Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture,
in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., it is difficult to believe that
New York City is less than one hour away. For avid foodies
and ecology-conscious families, Stone Barns is nirvana in
a pastoral setting.
Stone
Barns is a $30 million nonprofit agricultural center that
demonstrates the benefits of sustainable agriculture with
four-season farming and a pastured livestock program. An extensive
education center offers a rich mix of cooking classes and
tastings. How-to workshops include favorites like cheese-making,
cultivating and cooking with fresh herbs. Family programs
get parents and kids up-close-and-personal to farm life with
interactive farmer-in-training activities like planting, harvesting,
feeding the livestock and gathering eggs. Not to miss: dining
at the center's Blue Hill Restaurant, sister to the original
award-winning Blue Hill Restaurant in Greenwich Village. Plan
ahead; due to the popularity of Blue Hill, reservations are
a must.
If you are ready for a break from driving, you
can reach Stone Barns by train. Take the Metro North commuter
train from Grand Central Station to Tarrytown on the Hudson
Line. Trains run frequently and the scenic ride is only 35
minutes. For convenience and significant discounts, buy
tickets online in advance. On arrival, grab a taxi to
Stone Barns or rent a snazzy Zipcar by the hour at the Tarrytown
station.
Experience the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Travel time: 45 mins.
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are rural villages
on the east bank of the Hudson River in the high hills northwest
of New York City. According "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,"
a chilling ghost story by Washington Irving, a man was decapitated
there during the American Revolutionary War. Rising from his
grave, he rides the valley nightly in search of his lost head.
One night, the story goes, schoolmaster Ichabod Crane was
accosted by the jealous Headless Horseman while returning
home from a party. Crane's horse was found wandering the next
day, but Crane was never seen again.
For an entertaining tutorial, watch the DVD Hallmark
Entertainment classic "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"
before you visit. Once you get there, you can visit Irving's
resting place in Sleepy Hollow, his home in Tarrytown, and
the churchyard he made famous (Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler,
William Rockefeller and Elizabeth Arden are also buried there).
Follow Crane's route from the center of Tarrytown north into
Sleepy Hollow; listen to a spooky reading of the legend at
the Old Dutch Church; tour the Burying Ground where Crane
sought sanctuary from the Headless Horseman. If you dare,
stay after dark for a haunted hayride. Or if you've had enough
spooky stuff, tour nearby Philipsburg Manor, a 1750s-style
farming, milling and trading center, and Kykuit, the home
of four generations of Rockefellers.
Note: This day trip could be combined with a
short visit to Stone Barns; however the number of enjoyable
activities in the area, the time required for workshops at
Stone Barns, and the easy proximity to New York City make
two separate day trips the better choice.
Saying Goodbye to the City
When it's time to leave the city, a walk across
the Brooklyn Bridge makes a fitting goodbye. Don comfortable
walking shoes, grab a camera and stroll across history with
wonderful panoramic views of Manhattan as your backdrop. The
pedestrian walkway is above the vehicle traffic lanes. You
can easily walk the entire span and back in about an hour,
but slow down and savor the views. The Statue of Liberty and
Ellis Island are on your right headed toward Brooklyn. Plaques
document their history, identify the buildings as you look
toward Manhattan, and trace the history of the bridge. Take
your walk at sunset and watch the sun paint a masterpiece
as it drops below the horizon, then linger a bit as the city
lights up by night.
One trip to New York City whets the appetite
for more. I predict you will return to discover new day trips
and fresh surprises time and time again.
Lynne
R. Christen
8/15/08
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