Flee New York: Weekend Getaways, Day Trips, Vacations and More (Beta)

New York City Beach Getaway Options: Beaches Close to NYC

As the thermometer just keep rising, how can anyone be expected to get through the summer months without a trip to the beach?  Well, they can't, which is why Flee New York is putting together an ongoing list of convenient beach getaway options within close range of Manhattan Island.  Check back for more beach suggestions...

We defy you to read this New York Times article on Sandy Hook Beach and not want to immediately take the half hour ferry ride from Manhattan.  [Sandy Hook Beach: New York Times]

Check out this video: It's a great introduction to beaches close to NYC that are accessible by public transportation: These include Rockaway Beach (A Train), Coney Island (F Train), and Jones Beach (L.I.R.R.)

For that matter, remember that Long Beach and several other Long Island destinations are available via the Long Island Railroad. [L.I.R.R. Long Beach Timetable]

Here's a fairly informative discussion board with the subject "Beaches Close to NYC." [Ask a New Yorker]

And for you East Coast surfers, be sure to check out the New York Surfrider website for inside info on the best breaks and beaches for surfers. [Surfrider NYC]

4th of July Getaways From New York City: Flee NYC on Independence Day Weekend 2009

Still haven't made your plans to get out of town on the weekend of July Fourth?  Relax -- you're not alone and the areas surrounding New York offer plenty of options.  There's still time to line up a trip to places like the Hudson Valley, the Delaware Watergap, the Jersey Shore, or even, God forbid, the Hamptons. 

Cabin?  Looking for a cabin or house rental in a quaint town far from Manhattan's maelstrom?  Check out VRBO's New York page.  You can search for still-available rental properties and they're usually pretty good about letting you know if a cabin or guest house remains up for grabs for the current weekend. 

Different Big City? Try Travelocity's last-minute weekend page. You should be able to find flight/hotel deals for about $250 or so to a several decent spots.  If you want to watch fireworks over a different skyline this is a reasonable way to make it happen.  Just keep in mind the deals will be better to places like Pittsburgh or Milwaukee, than they will to more desirable getaways like Denver or Portland, Maine etc...

Hunker Down?  Or you might just choose to ride it out here in the city.  In that case, you'll find New York Magazine's guide to July 4th events in NYC indispensable.

Old standby? Pick someplace you've been and enjoyed before and get in touch with the proprietor of the bed and breakfast or hotel you stayed in.  If they don't have vacancy, chances are they'll be able to refer you to one of their colleagues.  We once had good luck with this when planning a last-minute trip to the Jersey Shore's Long Beach Island -- incidentally a great place to spend Independence Day Weekend!

Summer Getaways From NYC: Escaping the New York Heat

The humidity (really, we can't stand it) is spiking, the days have grown long, and the L.I.E. between New York and the Hamptons is a freaking zoo from Thursday to Monday.  You've got to get away, and where else but the Internet can you turn for leads and suggestions on how best to escape your own personal music video hell of "Hot Town: Summer in the City."  Flee New York is here for you: Check back all summer long for a regularly updated list of where to find the best summer getaways and escapes from NYC. 

LISTS

The L Magazine's list includes six great suggestions ranging from Hudson River Tubing to Kate's Lazy Meadow Motel in the Catskills. 
[Summer Weekend Getaways: Escape NYC]

New York Magazine's 52 Weekends page is an absolute gold mine.
[52 Weekends out of NYC]

All Getaways has a list of 77 straightforward suggestions...
[New York Weekend Getaways]

Gridskipper has lots of slightly off-center Hamptons coverage and tips.
[Gridskipper Hamptons page]

NYC Pulse has a list of 10 top beaches in the NYC area.
[NYC Summer Beaches]

UTILITY

Airfare Watchdog keeps a close eye on flights out of town.  Some of their discounts are astonishing.
[Airfare Watchdog NYC list]

Travelocity's last-minute packages can sometimes be a good option for getting you up to Maine or Canada.
[Last Minute Packages]

VRBO is a great place to start looking for house and cabin rentals upstate and everywhere else.
[Vacation Rentals By Owner Online]

Vacationing Along The Canals of New York State

Though it may seem like an ancient relic of elementary school songs and a bygone era of manufacturing, the Erie Canal and many waterways like it still exist and even thrive.  And, lately, the canals of New York State have been attempting to reinvent themselves as vacation destinations.

We just discovered a very interesting travel website - NyCanals.com.  It's dedicated to promoting vacations, daytrips, and recreation along the Erie Canal and several other New York State canals. 

According to the site:

Canal cruising, a European-style holiday, is truly a vacation filled with adventure. ... From new canal harbors and waterfronts, to more than 220 miles of Canalway Trails along its waterline, no matter how you float it, boaters enjoy 524 miles of surprise after surprise.



“Most people still do not realize that the New York Canal System offers boaters an alternative to cruising the ocean or lakes,” said Matthew Behrmann, Director of the New York Canal Corporation. “Traveling along one of the Canals is a wonderful boating trip because each mile is filled with new adventures.”

Owned and operated by the New York State Canal Corporation, the 524-mile New York State Canal System is a network of navigable, inland waterways that take travelers to nearly every major city in New York State – a necklace of more than 40 communities.

The site has a ton of history relating to the canals, as well as tips on plum sections of the system that have been converted to recreational or entertainment use.  You'll also find tips for chartering a canal cruise or renting your own houseboat and seeing the state under your own power.

If we had a week to spare this summer, this might be something we'd look into!

LINK: [Vacationing on The Canals of New York State] 

Last Minute Memorial Day Weekend Getaways For New Yorkers

If a three-day weekend of sin sounds like your idea of a relaxing Memorial Day holiday, then Atlantic City, or even Las Vegas are still both very much on the table.  The two entertainment capitals have never been more affordable.  In fact, New York Magazine's just completed a comprehensive feature about where to find the best deals.  [Las Vegas - Sinning on the Cheap]

For last minute deals to Atlantic City, Vegas, or elsewhere, you'll want to check our Travelocity's "Last Minute" packages.  It's also worth trying sidestep.com and kayak.com to search for discounted airfare and hotel packages. 

Looking to rent a cabin, house, or secure a room in a bed and breakfast?  You can search Vacation Rentals by Owner and find out what's still available for the weekend.  (Probably not much - but it's worth a try!) [VRBO]

Looking to plan a last-minute Memorial Day trip around a random, special event in New York State?  The State Tourism board's blog has a roundup of Memorial Day Events eing held around the state, including fun at Bellaeyre Mountain, special lectures at The Franklin Roosevelt Presidential Library, and a quilting convention in Sackett Harbor, NY.  [Memorial Day Weekend Events in New York State]

Of course, you have the option of planning a "Stay-cation" and making the best out of exploring what the city has to offer.  For suggestions on this strategy, check out our "Flee New York in New York" section.  And if you've never checked it out, the local "New Yorkology" blog has some decent suggestions for NYC stay-cation options.

Fleeing New York For The Weekend or Longer? Here's The Latest on Interesting Options.

The New York Post's travel section is running a great series this year on getaways to all 50 states. [50 States, 50 Stories - NYP]

New York Magazine has some tips on the plummeting cost of a luxurious weekend in Miami. [5-Point Weekend Escape Plan: Upscale Miami]

Want to Flee New York in New York?  Why not make plans to do something no one's done in eight years?  The Statue of Liberty's Crown is will again on July 4. [New Yorkology: Statue of Liberty Crown Reopening]

Curious about our ugly step-sister to the South?  The New York Times spent a weekend exploring the latest interesting stuff in Philadelphia.  Their assessment?  "Philadelphia's evolution from day trip to destination city is such that you can spend a long weekend there without visiting any 18th-century sites, and not even miss them."  [36 Hours in Philadelphia - NYT]

And this is probably the most useful link of all.  Check out this comprehensive list of websites that the NYT's "frugal traveler," Matt Gross, uses to do his travel research.  There were a couple interesting sites on the list we hadn't seen before, such as Oanda.com -- a one-stop shopping spot to compare the latest foreign exchange rates. [Research: The Traveler's Best Friend - NYT]

New York Travel and Getaway Blog Roundup

1. This is a pretty good find.  Four different bed and breakfasts in Ithaca are offering a free night's stay this Spring to hybrid drivers.  Why not rent a Prius and enjoy a cost-effective weekend upstate? [I Love NY Blog]


2. Check out 111 New Yorkers talking about where they'd like to escape to ... and why. [NY MAG]


3. Is Buffalo a realistic Spring getaway destination?  The New York Post thinks so! [NY Post]


4. With the recession on, Atlantic City is offering deeper discounts than ever before.  [NY Daily News]


5. Find out how Twitter is helping travelers the World over -- with timely advice from strangers. [NYT Frugal Traveler]

Spring Showers Power Nigara Falls

With the onset of a very rainy Spring season, it's important to remember that this precipitation brings not only May flowers, but water for our rivers, streams and reservoirs, and of course our state's colossally popular tourist attraction.  The rain got you down?  Enjoy this video of the Niagara Falls in action. 

If you're looking to get away to Niagara for the weekend, you can find some really good deals at hotels.com if you book a little in advance.

Spring Will Spring Soon! Plan Your Getaway From NYC Now

Spring is just two days away.  Watch this space for getaway and daytrip tips from the New York City area. We'll have the lowdown on bed and breakfast deals, adventure sports discounts, golf packages, and more.  Whether you want to bike on Long Island, hike in New Jersey, antique shop in Pennsylvania, or go mountain climbing in upstate New York, we'll have something for everyone. 

NYC Getaway and Weekend Trip List

Here at Flee New York, our plan is to become increasingly utilitarian.  Never mind the editorializing, we mean to put useful information straight in front of you.  (Then you can take it or leave it!)  Here is our ongoing list of great web resources to plan getaways and weekend trips out of New York City.  If we're missing a great resource, please leave a comment!

NY Mag: A weekend trip for every week in the year... [52 Weekends]
Trip Advisor: Page devoted to NYC Getaways [Weekend Getaways From New York]
L Magazine: Save gas, stay put in the city, enjoy... [Great Piece on Getting Away Locally]
NY Mag: Turn up the romance [Romantic Weekend Getaways]
Long Island.com: Official L.I. travel site. [Long Island Vacation Site]
Flee NY: Garden State getaway options... [New Jersey Getaways]

Saint Patrick's Day Weekend Getaways From NYC

Looking to celebrate Saint Patrick's day by avoiding the drunken hordes in Manhattan?  Why not consider a St. Patrick's Day- inspired getaway or day trip?  The tri-state area offers tons of parades and pub crawls that, while smaller than the mayhem in Manhattan, offer convenience, fun and novelty. (And if you absolutely must stay in town, it never hurts to consider all your options anyway...)  

Want to celebrate anywhere but the city?  Here's a brand new list of every St. Patrick's day parade taking place in the state of New York. [Saintpatricksdayparade.com]

Beer lover?  Us too.  Why not plan a trip around discovering one or two of New York State's many fine independent breweries?  This list will get you started. [Beer Me]

New Haven has a good parade, or so we've heard. [New Haven CT Saint Patrick's Parade]

Here's a national roundup of inns and B&Bs with St. Patrick's day special events and promotions. [BnB Finder]

Curious about just how St. Patrick's Day evolved from humble Irish beginnings into the pan-global drunken celebration it's become today. [History.com]

If you're planning on staying in town, you might has well know which drinking spots to hit up (or avoid depending on your attitude!) [NY MAG Pub Crawl Article]

Need more getaway ideas regardless of Saint Patrick's Day theme?  We've got you covered.  [Flee New York Weekend Getaways.]