The wild mountains rising from the Hudson River's west bank are where Bear Mountain State Park is located. The park has a sizable play area, shady picnic areas, access to lakes and rivers for fishing, a pool, Trailside Museums and Zoo, and hiking, biking, and cross-country ski paths. Ice skaters can use an outdoor rink from the end of October to the middle of March. Atop Bear Mountain, the Perkins Memorial Tower offers breathtaking views of the park, the Hudson Highlands, and Harriman State Park. Weather permitting, Perkins Memorial Drive and Tower are open from April through late November.

The Merry-Go-Round at Bear Mountain State Park has 42 hand-carved seats of natural animals, including a black bear, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, skunk, Canada goose, fox, swan, bobcat, rabbit, and more. The hand-painted scenes of the park are also featured on the ride.

Adventurers can reach Bear Mountain for a quick getaway from the chaos of the city in less time than it would take to cross town during rush hour.

• Try this: The state park offers a variety of hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, access to lakes and rivers for fishing, a swimming pool, and a zoo. It is located in the highlands rising from the west bank of the Hudson River.

• Keep going: The 1915-built Bear Mountain Inn, which once welcomed Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower, has undergone substantial renovations to feature 15 opulent guest rooms, a spa, a restaurant, and other amenities.

Asbury Park is both an exciting current beach resort and a convenient getaway into New Jersey's colorful history. It is perhaps best known as the place where Bruce Springsteen made his debut. Along with striking new development, exclusive retail, and a lively nightlife, expect to see lots of impressive Victorian and early 20th-century architecture standing proudly.

You can reach Asbury Park from New York in 90 minutes by taking I-278 west through Brooklyn and onto the Garden State Parkway. You may get there by taking NJ-35 south to Exit 102. You can also take the NJ Transit rail, which leaves numerous times daily. The trip to Asbury Park Station from Penn Station takes around two hours, and getting to the boardwalk is a breeze. Along Cookman and Ocean Avenues, the town's activities are largely concentrated.

In this seaside town, there has been a summer gay community since the 1950s, and in recent years, things have gotten pretty hot.

• Eat here: Visitors and locals alike adore MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos.

• Stay Here: the Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, which Whitney Warren, a renowned Beaux Arts architect, originally constructed.

Look no further if you're planning your next weekend getaway from NYC or if you're visiting NYC and looking for trips you can go on to diversify a vacation to New York. Beacon is a city rich in history (Beacon Mountain, the highest point in the Hudson Highlands, was a key location in the American Revolution), but it's also a hub of contemporary culture. The city's artistic, independent character draws other artistic, independent people.

Beacon, a village upstate in the Hudson Valley region, has experienced an explosion in popularity in recent years, going from a town upstate that few people had heard of to a hub of the arts, culture, gastronomy, and environment. This quaint town in the Hudson Valley packs a punch with its eating, nightlife, picturesque views, and nature trails. There are so many spectacular and can't-miss things to do here.

• Try this: On the banks of the Hudson, Dia:Beacon, a former Nabisco box-printing facility, houses collections from the 1960s to the present. Long-term works by artists like Walter De Maria and Dan Flavin blend with exhibitions.

• Stay here: The Swann Inn of Beacon is a beautiful bed & breakfast located at the foot of Mount Beacon, 1.5 miles from the town's core. It is housed in an 1866 Gothic building and has five individually designed rooms (including the Red Parlor Suite, a romantic retreat with a frickin' front porch), all of which exude retro-cool vibes that would make Wes Anderson blush.

Bucks County's crown jewel, New Hope is calm and unpretentious, with a ton of forget-all-your-problems B&Bs, independent shops, and restaurants that focus on the current season. Be sure to return to nature in between visiting various attractive places. We advise pedaling down the Delaware Canal towpath on a rental bike.

Bucks County is an area renowned for its exquisite fusion of quaint small-town charm and big city culture. It is located in the tranquil Pennsylvania countryside and is about one hour north of Philadelphia. New Hope is one of those small towns, with a lively and colorful main street brimming with unique small businesses, fantastic cuisine, and a few remarkable boutique hotels. Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is the ideal weekend getaway location for city residents wishing to escape to the countryside. It is conveniently located between Philadelphia and New York (and is only a 3-hour drive from Washington, DC).

• Try this: The 134-acre Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve offers guided hikes in addition to presentations and workshops ("Focus on Ferns," anyone?) and is home to hundreds of native plant species, including more than 80 that are uncommon or endangered.

• Stay here: The Inn at Bowman's Hill is seriously swoon-worthy and has won the AAA Four Diamond award for eight years running. If hot baths for two are your thing, check out rooms like Fountain View and Orchard Retreat. The Penthouse Suite, with its private deck and expansive views of the property, is ideal for platonic friends.

New Paltz is the most historic town on this list, with intact houses that were around 100 years before this country even became the United States of America, in addition to all the scenic riverbank cliffs and lush woods that make the trip worthwhile.

Specifically, French Huguenots established the town of New Paltz in 1678 through a combination of a governor's patent and a purchase from the indigenous Lenape Esopus tribe. The Huguenots were French religious refugees who came to Germany via Mannheim in the German Palatinate and established there after fleeing religious persecution in France. They founded their own municipal government and moved within what is now the Huguenot Street Historic District in the present-day village of New Paltz.

• Try this: As actors dressed in historical attire lead you through 30 structures on 10 acres, including seven historic homes and a rebuilt 1717 church, you will learn about the lives of the Huguenot settlers in the 17th century. (Want to experience the National Historic Landmark District with a back-to-basics mindset? Don't use the selfie stick.)

• Stay here: Set in the Shawangunk Ridge on Lake Mohonk, Mohonk Mountain House is affluent and sporty, like The Shining settings on the East Coast (without all the killing and stuff). Your nightly charge includes access to a variety of recreational activities including boating and swimming, as well as meals in its dining room, whether you select one of the traditional, wood-paneled rooms and suites or one of its private cottages two miles away.

This ideal Adirondacks location offers art, shopping, hiking, swimming, and one ferocious mountain in addition to the well-known lake. Lake Placid, NY, one of the Best Weekend Getaways From NYC, is definitely worth mentioning.

Imagine the ideal summer vacation: a town in the middle of everything, surrounded by glistening water, faraway peaks, and rolling hills. Lake Placid is that. This is the place to create your own ideal day, whether you're climbing through the mountains or simply strolling around the city. Enjoy the pristine alpine air and magnificent vistas at Lake Placid. The mountains are bathed in sunlight, which promotes a variety of outdoor activities. Take a stroll down beautiful Main Street or go to a special event for that ideal mountain town evening!

• Do this: The Wild Center is a must-visit if you want to experience truly surreal nature views if you're already planning to go out and enjoy all the greenery upstate New York has to offer. As long as you don't have a fear of heights, that is. Why? Oh, you'll be traversing the Adirondack treetops on an elevated trail when you go. A non-issue!
  
  
• Stay here: It's impossible to beat the 131-unit, seven-acre Mirror Lake Inn. Every accommodation has a view of the lake, and the warm rooms with fireplaces (as well as the two restaurants and spa) will have you in your pajamas well into the evening.

Hudson, NY is one of the Best Weekend Getaways From NYC. The reason Hudson is so well-known is because of its food and antiques. The location excels at both—a it's top choice for rustic fine dining (Ca'Mea) and unique vintage treasures (just about any storefront on Warren Street). But the town's location along the Hudson River, filled with charming historic homes, is another important factor drawing large numbers of New Yorkers and, appropriately, DIY enterprises and developments to the area.

• Eat here: Using local products whenever feasible, the communal, high-end restaurant Wm. Farmer and Sons serves bar appetizers, small plates, and large platters with a homely yet urban spirit.

• Stay here: The Hudson Whaler expertly combines vintage appeal with modern conveniences. 16 tastefully decorated guest rooms with sleek, sculptural furnishings that complement the Art Deco style are available at the hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco building. The rooms also include free Wi-Fi, an iPad lending library, Keurig coffeemakers, pillow-top mattresses, and Lather Aromatherapy bath products.

In Ulster County, New York, in the United States, Phoenicia is a hamlet (and a census-designated place) of Shandaken. The highest populous area in the municipality, it had 309 residents according to the 2010 census. The town center is tucked in the base of three peaks, Mount Tremper, Romer Mountain, and Sheridan Mountain, and is situated just off Route 28 at its intersection with Route 214. The neighborhood is located where Esopus Creek and Stony Clove Creek converge. The hamlet has frequently appeared in travel publications as one of the top vacation villages in the greater New York City area and is a well-liked weekend escape for New Yorkers.

This Ulster County village in the Catskills is a true melting pot where you can expect to find a Brooklyn lumbersexual and a traditional old timer sipping Buds along the bar in perfect accord. There is a trendy newcomer for every straightforward institution (Phoenicia Diner) (the Graham & Co.). Anyone may unwind here thanks to the hippie-dippie local culture's laid-back, no-frills attitude.

• Do this: Explore downtown Phoenicia, go whitewater tubing on Esopus Creek, or explore Kaaterskill Falls. Phoenicia has plenty of adventures, from mild to wild.
  
  
• Stay here: Located directly on Esopus Creek in the heart of the Catskills, Phoenicia Black Bear Campground is rustic without being primitive. Choose your own adventure: There’s swimming, biking, horseback riding and more nearby.

With historic plantations, unassuming cafés, kayaking, and, of course, those views that will make your friends mad they didn't join you, Shelter Island is all about relaxing. It's a mid-sized island that's only a seven-minute ferry ride from Greenport, New York, and is surrounded by Shelter Island Sound and Gardiner's Bay.

Discover the hidden treasures of our remote island, such as a top-notch concert under the stars, an urban beach, and a boat lunch that allows you to instantly transform into a fishing expedition. Shelter Island is the place to begin whether you want to unwind in front of the fire pit or venture out into the deep sea.

• Do this: The Mashomack Preserve of the Nature Conservancy is one of the richest environments in the Northeast with more than 2,000 acres of tidal streams, mature oak forests, farms, and freshwater marshes. Mashomack, which is bordered in white by 12 miles of coastline, draws birders and botanists in search of ospreys and other rare flora, as well as average individuals like us who simply want our Facebook feed to appear amazing.

• Stay here: In addition to having a ton of Kiehl's items in the bathrooms, each suite at the ever-popular Sunset Beach Hotel includes a private sundeck with views of the water. The landscape around Sunset Beach is remarkably reminiscent to the French Riviera, with its sweeping coastline and magnificent light.

Imagine the Berkshires as the Hamptons with all the art, theater, dancing, music, and small-town charm you could ask for, but without the nightlife. Yes, there is luxury in the western Massachusetts mountain region, but it is provided in a relaxed atmosphere. There is also no shortage of outdoor activities considering the breathtaking bucolic setting.

• Do this: The massive, immersive installations that more traditional museums simply can't manage are the subject of MASS MoCA, one of the nation's greatest hubs for modern art, which is housed in a former factory. Here, the emphasis on performing arts is equal to that on visual arts; each year, more than 75 performances of music, dance, theater, cinema, and other performing arts are shown. Shakespeare & Company in adjacent Lenox is another safe bet for the performing arts. The thriving regional theater company performs on numerous indoor and outdoor venues with a mix of traditional Shakespearean plays and modern works. Do we also need to point out that marijuana is lawful here? Try stopping by the stylish and welcoming Rebelle in Great Barrington, which is the closest cannabis dispensary to the New York state line.

• Stay here: Canyon Ranch, which is centered around the century-old, lovingly restored Bellefontaine Mansion, and is oriented toward health, wellness, and pampering, has a lot to offer, including tennis, aerobics, guided hikes and bike rides, canoeing, croquet, and more than 40 seminars and classes per day, including "Finding Forgiveness." After all that studying and fresh air, unwind in the spa with a candlelit Euphoria body treatment or the famous Canyon Stone Massage.