We want to leave NYC and do just one Really Cool Thing (TM)... but what?

January 12, 2012 8:54 PM

We want to leave NYC and do just one Really Cool Experential Thing (TM)... but what?

My lady and I have spent all week trying to figure out something amazing to do to celebrate the three-day weekend. We can drive or bus, and would prefer to stay within 5 hours of NYC.

NYC is full of experiential opportunities like Trapeze School, but we want to go someplace else. Sky-diving is out because we've both done that before. We're saving skiing for a trip with friends. And it's probably to cold to swim with dolphins. In an earlier post I saw someone reference a high-speed road safety class in W. VA, but it's too far away.

The awesomest answers will include information on a specific venue/location.

posted by jander03 to travel & transportation around New York, NY (5 answers total)

Have you been to Philadelphia and/or central Pennsylvania? Exploring Philly is great fun, and you can visit the Liberty Bell, go to the Mutter Museum, visit South Street and all that.

Or you could go into central PA. (Or both, Philly's on the way...) My favorite road trip thus far was doing the whole Amish/country thing there. We did (listed here in no particular order): horseback riding at Allimax Farm, the free Herr's Snack Factory tour, Hershey's Chocolate World (there's also the Hershey Park), Amish farm/house tours and buggy rides, and touring battle sites at Gettysburg and going to the Gettysburg Museum of History. Also, along the way there are vineyards you could if inclined wine taste at and odd roadtrip stopoffs like Mister Ed's Elephant Museum. Subsidizing other people's really weird collections is always a good time. And we stayed at working farm B&B's so we got to bottle-feed calves and milk goats.
posted by vegartanipla at 9:33 PM on January 12, 2012

How about hang gliding lessons in the Hudson Valley?
posted by argonauta at 10:00 PM on January 12, 2012

Skip Barber Racing School
posted by Mchelly at 10:07 PM on January 12, 2012

Coincidentally, Google Offers has ice climbing lessons in the Delaware Water Gap as a featured item today.
posted by chengjih at 3:20 AM on January 13, 2012

I came to suggest the soaring center but it's closed for the winter. Still could be good for people looking at this in season.

My personal favorite is Adiondack Hot Air Balloon rides, but I'm not 100% sure they run in winter.

Less experiential, but hAve you done the Walkway Over the Hudson? I've gone via train from GCT but I assume a bus might run. Quite fun.
posted by TravellingCari at 8:07 AM on January 13, 2012