NYC Weekend Getaway - Consideration for mobility impared husband!
March 29, 2014 9:11 PM Subscribe
My husband and I have a rare free weekend coming up. We'd love to go away for that weekend. The problem we are finding is that the conventional recommendations don't work for us! Hoping someone can help us find a stress-free getaway.
My husband has MS and walks with loftstrand crutches. He can walk solidly for about 15 min before he needs a long break. A lot of the 'weekend getaway' recs center around hopping on Metro North or LIRR and doing a lot of things on foot. They also center on activities that tend to be more outdoors/sporty. We are looking for something a little more relaxing.
What we are looking for:
- Amtrak or train accessible destination with good taxi transportation withing the town
- Small/medium town where there is a central/thriving downtown - think central lodging, food and entertainment or arts withing a few blocks.
- in lieu of a central downtown area (or in addition to!) a spa or resort type of lodging would be great - we are flexible on budget.
Any help or suggestions are appreciated. I've been looking quite a bit but without having been to these destinations I am wary of picking a place and having it be stressful.
I should note we are in our mid-30's and enjoy good food and wine, so extra points for a thriving restaurant and bar scene.
My husband has MS and walks with loftstrand crutches. He can walk solidly for about 15 min before he needs a long break. A lot of the 'weekend getaway' recs center around hopping on Metro North or LIRR and doing a lot of things on foot. They also center on activities that tend to be more outdoors/sporty. We are looking for something a little more relaxing.
What we are looking for:
- Amtrak or train accessible destination with good taxi transportation withing the town
- Small/medium town where there is a central/thriving downtown - think central lodging, food and entertainment or arts withing a few blocks.
- in lieu of a central downtown area (or in addition to!) a spa or resort type of lodging would be great - we are flexible on budget.
Any help or suggestions are appreciated. I've been looking quite a bit but without having been to these destinations I am wary of picking a place and having it be stressful.
I should note we are in our mid-30's and enjoy good food and wine, so extra points for a thriving restaurant and bar scene.
Best answer: I'd recommend Hudson, NY, two hours away from the city on Amtrak.
posted by essexjan at 10:00 PM on March 29, 2014
posted by essexjan at 10:00 PM on March 29, 2014
Definitely check out Omega (modest resort with optional spa services) to see whether you're interested in one of their R&R weekends or workshops. Highly recommended as an "everything taken care of" escape. Direct shuttle from the Amtrak station to campus, and many lodging options (the least expensive options are less than a 15-min slow walk from the center of the campus, although uphill; the more expensive are almost next to the center and closer to flat -- if you have questions, the phone operators are extremely helpful if you call).
posted by kalapierson at 11:10 PM on March 29, 2014
posted by kalapierson at 11:10 PM on March 29, 2014
Best answer: I was going to recommend Hershey, but someone already beat me to it. Here's the thing though: you'd basically be going to the Hotel Hershey, hitting the spa, and not leaving. The only thing within walking distance is the Hershey Gardens, which doesn't even open until April 5, and won't really be all that exciting until May or so. You can technically get a cab from the Hotel to points in downtown Hershey, but (1) there isn't all that much in the way of restaurants, and (2) cab service is spectacularly unreliable.
Alternate suggestion: Lancaster, PA. I think that might be more the thing. There's an Amtrak station right at the north end of town, and you can take the trolley from the station to the Mariott right downtown.* Cab service isn't anything like it is in NYC--you can't just randomly hail a cab--but there are usually at least one or two at the train station, and the front desk can get you one at the hotel. There's a spa too.
Once you're there, you've got some options. Central Market is just across the square. It's been in continual operation longer than any farmers' market in the country. Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, though on the latter it closes at 2:00. The city doesn't exactly have what I'd call a thriving downtown, but there are more than enough nice restaurants within three or four blocks to get you through two if not three weekends without a repeat. More if you take a cab. Just up a few blocks is the PA College of Art and Design, and there are a bunch of galleries south a block on Prince St. There's also an art museum, though I've not been.
Not much in the way of entertainment though. There is a local orchestra, so you could time your trip around that. But that's all I can think of off the top of my head. It's a pretty family-oriented town. Other than restaurants and bars, there's not a lot going on downtown much past 9:00 or so.
*Trolley runs from about 5:00AM to 9:00AM and then from about 2:00PM to 6:00PM, so plan accordingly.
posted by valkyryn at 3:43 AM on March 30, 2014
Alternate suggestion: Lancaster, PA. I think that might be more the thing. There's an Amtrak station right at the north end of town, and you can take the trolley from the station to the Mariott right downtown.* Cab service isn't anything like it is in NYC--you can't just randomly hail a cab--but there are usually at least one or two at the train station, and the front desk can get you one at the hotel. There's a spa too.
Once you're there, you've got some options. Central Market is just across the square. It's been in continual operation longer than any farmers' market in the country. Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, though on the latter it closes at 2:00. The city doesn't exactly have what I'd call a thriving downtown, but there are more than enough nice restaurants within three or four blocks to get you through two if not three weekends without a repeat. More if you take a cab. Just up a few blocks is the PA College of Art and Design, and there are a bunch of galleries south a block on Prince St. There's also an art museum, though I've not been.
Not much in the way of entertainment though. There is a local orchestra, so you could time your trip around that. But that's all I can think of off the top of my head. It's a pretty family-oriented town. Other than restaurants and bars, there's not a lot going on downtown much past 9:00 or so.
*Trolley runs from about 5:00AM to 9:00AM and then from about 2:00PM to 6:00PM, so plan accordingly.
posted by valkyryn at 3:43 AM on March 30, 2014
It's a bit longer trip, but consider (either now or later) Fredericksburg, VA.
You might also consider Mohonk, which as I remember would be accessible, particularly for just a weekend, has carriage rides for some of the trails, and a spa including an outdoor heated mineral pool.
posted by gudrun at 12:42 PM on March 30, 2014
You might also consider Mohonk, which as I remember would be accessible, particularly for just a weekend, has carriage rides for some of the trails, and a spa including an outdoor heated mineral pool.
posted by gudrun at 12:42 PM on March 30, 2014
Provincetown MA is good for this when the season starts. Sure, there's a healthy lgbt scene but there are plenty of families and straight couples too. You can take Amtrak to the ferry which takes you right downtown. Most everything is in walking distance - 15 min will get you pretty far. But there are also cabs. There's a small set of restaurants and shops open now during the off season but things get going in May.
posted by rdnnyc at 3:14 PM on March 30, 2014
posted by rdnnyc at 3:14 PM on March 30, 2014
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posted by Mchelly at 9:42 PM on March 29, 2014