Best 3-day roadtrips from NYC?

[1985mb]

Contemplating skipping the usual family get-together this thanksgiving, but looking ahead this could be a year-round topic....

...so fellas what are the best 3- or 4-day roadtrips from NYC?

[captainaudio]

Contemplating skipping the usual family get-together this thanksgiving, but looking ahead this could be a year-round topic....

...so fellas what are the best 3- or 4-day roadtrips from NYC?


Here are a few suggestions.

1. Heading North.

The Equinox in Manchester Center Vermont.

http://www.booking.com/images/hotel/org/868/868285.jpg

Follow Route 7 north all the way to the Massachusetts border. Stay on Route 7 to Bennington Vt. then follow Route 7A (Historic Route 7) to Manchester Center Vermont. Route 7 is a very scenic road as if goes up the west side of Connecticut and then through the Massacusetts Berkshires (Stockbridge, Lenox, Williamstown). While in Stockbridge check out the Red Lion Inn and the Norman Rockwell Museum.



http://www.equinoxresort.com/?PS=PS_aa_NewEngland_Google_equinox_manchester_071 008_NAD_FM

http://www.berkshireweb.com/features/winter97/images/lgstrt.jpg

This is Norman Rockwell's painting of Main Street in Stockbdidge.
It looks exactly the same today.

http://www.redlioninn.com/

http://www.nrm.org/?gclid=CIWG2u3X_5YCFQETGgodyzCMXg



2. Heading South.

Dupont Family Weekend

Hotel Dupont in Wilmington Delaware

http://dupont1-px.rtrk.com/weddings.htm

Side trips to Longwood Gardens - acres of indoor and outdoor gardens on the estate of Pierre Dupont

http://blog.nj.com/southjerseylife/2007/11/Longwoodconservatory.jpg


http://www.longwoodgardens.org/

and Winterthur - the estate of Henry Francis Dupont

http://www.metrokids.com/december06/holidaylights/holidayresidencede.jpg


http://www.winterthur.org/

Both museums have fantastic holiday displays and the Hotel Dupont is very elegant and usually rather quiet on weekends and holidays.

CA

[EdCT]

Chuck,

Out of NYC, I'd be inclined to take route NY22 all the way up to the VT border and cut over (east) on 9.

Heck, that's how the wife and I do it - it takes us only 3 and a half hours to hit manchester.

Route 7 all the way north through CT can be tedious - pretty, but slow.

Ed

[captainaudio]

Chuck,

Out of NYC, I'd be inclined to take route NY22 all the way up to the VT border and cut over (east) on 9.

Heck, that's how the wife and I do it - it takes us only 3 and a half hours to hit manchester.

Route 7 all the way north through CT can be tedious - pretty, but slow.

Ed

I was figuring on the drive as being part of the experience. I lived in Stockbridge when I worked at Shaggy Dog Studios. The fastest route was the Taconic Parkway.

To get to Lime Rock from NYC I take the Sawmill river Parkway to route 686 tio Route 22. At Pawling I cut accross the Connecticut border and pick up Route 7 at Gaylordsville. Ms. Audio and I are heading up there Saturday for the Lime Rock Club Holiday Party.

CA

[EdCT]

I was figuring on the drive as being part of the experience. I lived in Stockbridge when I worked at Shaggy Dog Studios. The fastest route was the Taconic Parkway.

To get to Lime Rock from NYC I take the Sawmill river Parkway to route 686 tio Route 22. At Pawling I cut accross the Connecticutt border and paick up Route 7 at Gaylordsville. Ms. Audio amd I are heading up there Saturday for the Lime Rock Club Holiday Party.

CA

Route 22 north of Pawling is simply awesome though - it's quite beautiful - the road's a great driving road too and no one's ever on it (something I can never figure out).

We usually pick up 22 in Amenia, have lunch at that huge farmstand McCenroe's (sp?) then drive the 2 hours or so from there through the berkshires on the perfectly windy and desolate route.

Sometimes, we continue on the Cambridge NY to the Nuns Of Newskeet for the best cheescake in the world :rofl:

From there, you cut into VT at 313 where it meets route 7 at Arlington, make a left turn (north on 7) and the next thing you know, you're in Manchester.

Here's a pic I shot on 22 in the Cambridge NY area last month.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3170/2980343198_48b873df43_b.jpg

[ronkh]

Incredible pic

[captainaudio]

Ed is the Master of Digital Photography.

[EdCT]

Ed is the Master of Digital Photography.

Not really, but thanks anyway :rofl:

I just have fun with it.

Ed

[1985mb]

2. Heading South.

Dupont Family Weekend

Hotel Dupont in Wilmington Delaware

http://dupont1-px.rtrk.com/weddings.htm

Side trips to Longwood Gardens - acres of indoor and outdoor gardens on the estate of Pierre Dupont

http://blog.nj.com/southjerseylife/2007/11/Longwoodconservatory.jpg


Is it too early in the year for this?

[captainaudio]

Is it too early in the year for this?

You can check the Longwood Gardens Web Site at;
http://www.longwoodgardens.org/

Longwood Gardens is open year round. There is probably not much going on in the outdoor gardens and I am sure the fountains are shut down but there are extensive indoir gardens.

Orchid Extravaganza

http://www.longwoodgardens.org/img/tropterrorchid_375.jpg
January 24 to March 31, 2009

Enter a dazzling world of orchids as Longwood transforms its Conservatory into an orchid oasis during Orchid Extravaganza. Orchid blooms cascade down walls, spill from containers and adorn planting beds throughout 4-acres of indoor gardens. See thousands of orchids from around the world, including a living orchid curtain and a modern art orchid mobile, among many other innovative displays.
In March, early bulbs begin to bloom outside in the Oak Knoll area and millions of bulbs, including winter aconites, glory-of-the-snow, and Siberian squills bloom throughout the Gardens.
And, don't forget that Longwood offers concerts, tours, lectures and other special events year-round, throughout the Gardens! Orchid Extravaganza features special Valentine's Dinner, the Jazz Club at Longwood concert series, the annual International Orchid Show and Sale and much more! Visit our events page (http://www.longwoodgardens.org/GenPage.aspx?en=Events_1_3_3) to view our current and upcoming educational and performing arts events.
Please note that actual bloom times may vary depending on weather. The list of flowering highlights is subject to change.




CA

[foamerdave]

Longwood Gardens Would make a great road trip for around Mothers Day. Also can be done as a day trip from NYC.
Bucks County PA. is a great trip to go on (yes I am a bit predigest to this as I have lived here my whole life) But It is very scenic if you keep to the upper and central parts ( lowwer Bucks just as well be called Philly east.) You have great shops B&B's and some wounderful roads to drive. RT 611 out of Easton to RT 32 down to New Hope will keep any wife happy with the landscapes and any driver happy with the roads.

[1985mb]

CA, we ended up going north as it turned out that, as an added incentive, there would be a friend's birthday party on Sunday night in Boston. Sawmill out of NYC, then Rt 7 thru Kent, Canaan and western CT. Continuing on Rt 7 thru the Berkshires in Mass and into southern VT, included a covered bridge detour and a stop in Stockbridge and the Normal Rockwell museum (never knew his art had such a sense of humor and mischief to it. Loved it!)

Stayed the night in Bennington VT and then the next morn took ol' 7A towards Manchester, with the obligatory stop at the designer outlets. Then it was back to more back roads, heading roughly southeast towards Mass - VT Rt 11, then 30, then 5. I-91S briefly but it hardly feels like an interstate as it's up in the mountains, sometimes twisty, hardly any traffic and often don't even see the northbound lanes below you. Then back roads again heading towards Cambridge, on Rt 2 I think.

Think we covered 400+ miles with barely more than 10 minutes on any one interstate (before the inevitable return via the Masspike, 84 and 91 etc)

[1985mb]

...and some wounderful roads to drive. RT 611 out of Easton to RT 32 down to New Hope will keep any wife happy with the landscapes and any driver happy with the roads.

Sounds great!

[captainaudio]

CA, we ended up going north as it turned out that, as an added incentive, there would be a friend's birthday party on Sunday night in Boston. Sawmill out of NYC, then Rt 7 thru Kent, Canaan and western CT. Continuing on Rt 7 thru the Berkshires in Mass and into southern VT, included a covered bridge detour and a stop in Stockbridge and the Normal Rockwell museum (never knew his art had such a sense of humor and mischief to it. Loved it!)

Stayed the night in Bennington VT and then the next morn took ol' 7A towards Manchester, with the obligatory stop at the designer outlets. Then it was back to more back roads, heading roughly southeast towards Mass - VT Rt 11, then 30, then 5. I-91S briefly but it hardly feels like an interstate as it's up in the mountains, sometimes twisty, hardly any traffic and often don't even see the northbound lanes below you. Then back roads again heading towards Cambridge, on Rt 2 I think.

Think we covered 400+ miles with barely more than 10 minutes on any one interstate (before the inevitable return via the Masspike, 84 and 91 etc)

Sounds like a great trip.

That's my old stomping grounds. I lived in Stockbridge a number of years ago and until recenctly we had a place in West Dover Vt. (Mount Snow). As often as I have driven Route 7 I never tire of it although lately I don't get much past Lime Rock - I'll be heading there on Saturday.

I also lived in Colrain Mass. which is on the Vt. Border. I miss living in New England (but not at this time of year - those Berkshire winters can be brutal).

I know of at least three covered bridges along Route 7. Two in Ct. and one on Vt.


I don't know if you saw it or not but there is another Norman Rockwell museum in Arlington Vt. (on 7A just south of Manchester).

When I lived in Stockbridge Rockwell was still alive and I would see him riding his bicycle through town from time to time.

I have a print of this famous Rockwell picture hanging in my office.

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/8761/runaway.jpg


http://www.failuremag.com/images/joes_diner_last_night_snow.jpg

It was painted at Joe's Diner in Lee. Mass which is a Berkshire Institution.. I used to eat there regularly when I lived in the area. It still looks exactly the same as it does in the painting.

Joe Sorrentino, the former owner, was a great guy and one of the last of a dying breed. Whenever we are in the area Ms. Audio and I make a point of having a meal at Joe's. The last time I ws there was last April and it still had the same vibe it did when Joe was there.


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.failuremag.com/images/joes_diner_joe1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.failuremag.com/arch_business_joes_diner.html&usg=__NpQi6hEla-zbWYS9YWzd9z7MIzw=&h=348&w=287&sz=45&hl=en&start=5&sig2=TOjPledpelsb0d_P1iryqA&tbnid=-bEN3LhXNbt4gM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=99&ei=e3ybSamOJ-GBtgfjvLSJBg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djoe%2527s%2Bdiner%2Blee%26gbv%3D2%26h l%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

http://www.failuremag.com/images/joes_diner_joe1.jpg

[1985mb]

Yeah Rt 7 is great. I need to go back in the spring and definitely the fall... there are few things like driving along an empty country road, with some passing power for the occassional straggler

[captainaudio]

Yeah Rt 7 is great. I need to go back in the spring and definitely the fall... there are few things like driving along an empty country road, with some passing power for the occassional straggler

Here's a shot of the West Cornwall covered bridge which is right off Route 7.


http://www.roadfood.com/insider/photos/4061.jpg

[1985mb]

White Mountains region in NH via eastern CT :thumbup:


The roads, even the interstates like 93 and 395, are not congested and - best of all - people generally keep to the right except to pass :drive: :drive:

[captainaudio]

White Mountains region in NH via eastern CT :thumbup:


The roads, even the interstates like 93 and 395, are not congested and - best of all - people generally keep to the right except to pass :drive: :drive:

A group from the E90 forum organized a trip to the top of Mt. Washington last month. They posted a bunch of pics.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=375910&highlight=climb+to+the+clouds

Unfotunately I was not able to participate.

CA






I was not able top attend.

[1985mb]

2010 bump!

[captainaudio]

We found a number of great places to go in a book called "Away For The Weekend - New York"

http://www.amazon.com/Away-Weekend-York-Revised-Updated/dp/0609805967/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266784552&sr=1-3

CA