Help me plan an introvert's vacation.

March 4, 2015 12:17 PM

The gap between President's Day and Memorial day is months long and, in the lack of state holidays, I tend not to take any time off during that stretch. It seems to me that a four day weekend in April would be a good idea. I live in central New Jersey, and a four hour drive could take me to most of Pennsylvania, most of Long Island, the southern extension of New York, and even parts of Connecticut, Maryland or Delaware.

Four hours isn't a goal, just what seemed like a reasonable maximum drive for a long weekend. I want something that won't necessarily take me far, but will take me out of the house. I live with two other women, one of whom is retired, and the other works from home quite often, and while we get along just fine, we can be a bit on top of each other, and I'd like part of the vacation to be a bit more control of my personal space.

I was thinking that April is probably the off season for a lot of B&B type places, which is fine, because I'm not even sure I'd want to do much more than sleep a lot and decompress. An interesting downtown or scenery would be nice if it turns out I do have the energy to wander.

Where should I look for someplace quiet, not too expensive, and relaxing to just be for a few days?

posted by Karmakaze to Travel & Transportation (10 answers total)

Look up The Nest, in the Poconos. Nice rooms, great food, and a porch you could sit out on even in cool weather (and a hot tub for the really brave). Great livingroom too, for curling up with a good book. Highly recommend, and should be within your driving range in the off-season.
posted by acm at 12:36 PM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]

Lancaster County (Pennsylvania Dutch area) is about a 2-3 hour drive. The downtown is pleasant to stroll in and has a nice market, theater, and small museums. There are various small parks nearby if you wanted to get some nature. It's a pretty big tourist area, so there's plenty of lodging, from chains to country B&Bs to historic hotels in town. Simplest thing to do would be to call their tourist bureau (1-800-PA-DUTCH) and describe your dream lodging. They could also tell you when the quietest times to visit would be.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 12:59 PM on March 4, 2015

You could try searching AirBnB. It has lots of listings that are renting out the entire unit, whether that is a house, trailer or apartment. You'd probably need to meet the owner on check in and check out, but you'll have the place to yourself. You can set your nightly rate and the amenities that you require and then zoom out on the map. Most listings will have pictures, a description and some reviews, just like a hotel.
posted by soelo at 2:05 PM on March 4, 2015

The Mount Gretna Inn.
posted by gudrun at 2:35 PM on March 4, 2015

Between the Rivers, a standalone one-room b&b in Harpers Ferry, WV, right behind the owner's home, sounds like it might fight the bill. Lots of nice stuff to do in Harpers Ferry alone as well--it's on the Appalachian Trail and there's shopping and restaurants and historical stuff to check out in town.
posted by mchorn at 6:00 PM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: The trouble I'm seeing most is that almost everything is priced with double occupancy in mind. I suppose solo travelers are not so much of a thing.
posted by Karmakaze at 9:17 AM on March 5, 2015

priced with double occupancy in mind
I'm not sure what this means. Most private rooms are built to accommodate two adults so that either one or two people can use the room. What is your price range per night?
posted by soelo at 12:57 PM on March 5, 2015

Mt. Gretna Inn has 2 rooms that are $149 a night. This seems pretty reasonable to me, even for one person, given the amenities. It's in a really beautiful quiet area, and gives you access to the Pennsylvania Dutch country if you want it. I highly recommend Ephrata which is nearby. Random video to show what Mt. Gretna looks like. Mt. Gretna history.
posted by gudrun at 7:53 AM on March 8, 2015

Response by poster: So with a quick overview of the Lancaster B&B's I found a few options (OK, one's in the Jersey shore), now I just need to pick.

Adamstown Inn- Topaz Room
Amanda Gish House- French Room
Amanda Gish House- Rose Room
Carter Run Inn- Count Zinzendorf Suite
After Eight B&B- Porch Room
Hotel Tides- Full Room
Olde Creek Cottage- Cottage
Country Hearth B&B- Cherub Room
B.F. Hiestand House B&B- Blakemore Room
Pheasant Run Farm B&B- Violet's Room
Historic Smithton Inn- Bluebird Room
Hillside Farm- Davis Room
posted by Karmakaze at 5:50 AM on March 13, 2015

Response by poster: I wound up at the Adamstown Inn and had a lovely time. Very very relaxing.
posted by Karmakaze at 2:01 PM on May 14, 2015