Delaware Water Gap area. Town of Delaware Water Gap is nice. Good restaurants and shopping. I lived in the area so can't recommend a good motel. Stroudsburg motels not that great. We stay at the Quality Inn in East Stroudsburg when visiting family, it is adequate at best. There are some real dives in the area. A lot of people like the Stroudmor Inn. My favorite restaurant is the Willow Tree Inn in Stroudsburg but I haven't been in years so I don't know the latest on the quality of the food. It's on the Boardman River so that part is nice, outdoor dining overlooking the river. Lots of Thai restaurants in the area, you almost can't go wrong. Last time we were there we ate at Thai Thani, nice place with real tablecloths and linens and they have outdoor seating. Again, I have no idea with the pandemic but Thai takeout is great too. Like I said, for whatever reason the Stroudsburg area is blessed with fab. Thai food.

We LOVE the Deer Head Inn for live jazz. Don't know the current situation with that. I've hiked most of the trails on the Gap, and also canoed. The visitors center in the town of Delaware Water Gap can set you up with some good hiking trail maps. We like to hike up the mountain there for the view. A lot of people stay in Mount Pocono. There are some nice places to eat there but I can't remember the one I went to. It was good but this was ten years ago so all bets are off. My favorite state park in the area to hike is Hickory Run. Big Pocono I don't know, might be better in the summer. Best hiking is in the Water Gap, IMHO.

They have good live music occasionally at the Sherman Theater but that's probably closed right now.

Another option if you like birdwatching is to go to the Jersey shore to one of the wildlife refuges around Cape May.

Poconos can be hit or miss,

You might want to look at Fauchere in Milford, cute little town. Or the Lodge at Woodloch.

New Hope,PA? Lambertville, NJ? Sag Harbor, NY? Cold Spring, NY? Kent, CT? Essex or Haddam CT?

Hmmm, New Hope or Lambertville... I had thought of going there at one point and it slipped my mind. I will check them out, too. We have been to Cold Spring many times-- it's only around a 45 minute drive for us. Cute town. And I used to live in CT so I have done the entire CT circuit of weekend places to go. I was looking at Fauchere this morning. It looks very cute and I was wondering what there is to do around there.

IMHO, not a ton. : )

If hiking is your first priority, maybe look at All Trails and go from there.

Is 3:17min too far? I like Mass Moca and Porches and the Rails to Trails bike path; have not hiked there.

3hrs to Providence, RI. Don't know about hiking but I like the town.

We did Mass Moca right before Covid! And Providence a bunch when we lived in CT. I like the idea of going south rather than north in May, thinking that it could be a few degrees warmer. I think my first priority is just a nice getaway. We have done nothing and gone nowhere since this while thing began.

The Bedford Inn in Bedford PA is lovely. It's about a 4 hour drive from NYC. Lots of hiking and very close to Falling Water.

Bedford Inn

Saratoga Springs is a fabulous town, just exactly three hours from NYC, and there is lots of great hiking around it. You could drive and/or walk around the town, which is filled with some great history, architecture, and shops. Putnam Market is a fabulous sandwich shop/bakery/deli/grocery where you will find plenty of great provisions for a hike.

Hiking around Saratoga Springs

If you are adventurous and want to drive another half-hour, you can stop at my favorite soft-serve ice-cream place:

Martha's Dandee Creme

For a less than two hour drive, I recommend Saugerties NY. Saugerties Lighthouse has a scenic nature walk.

Opus 40, over 6 acres of earthwork sculpture

Ten miles is Woodstock, many fun shops, still has the hippy vibe.

Ten miles to historic Kingston.

Ten miles to the Bailiwick Ranch is you want to ride horses. It’s rather rustic though.

Many good restaurants.

Certainly hiking, spas etc.

You can tell I’m a fan of the area. We still have commercial property there, but also had a second home on the Esopus for years.

The Emerson, in that area is nice. (near the Esopus).

How about going South to Anapolis, MD? Or Wyeth country and Longwood Gardens?

I love Saratoga Springs. If you go there, I highly recommend doing a tour of the springs. It picks up in the national park at various times, I think you can call the Gideon Putnam hotel and arrange it. We stayed at Gideon Putnam and loved it. We also did a food tour there which was great! We went years and years ago for a Zac Brown concert and then took our in-laws for a trip there two summers ago because we really liked it.

In the Pocanos, we really like the Lodge at Woodlach https://www.thelodgeatwoodloch.com/ but that is a spa experience so maybe not what you are looking for. Pre-baby we went there a few times a year.

eld6161 -we visited Opus40 a few years ago, and I still find my mind wandering back there from time to time.

I just impulse-booked 3 nights in New Hope. It looks peaceful and a good way to ease back into trips. Thanks for all the good information!

I was once madly - and I mean madly - in love with a young man who promised me a weekend in the Poconos, in a hotel room with a heart-shaped jacuzzi. (It never happened.) I know that's ridiculously cheesy and contributes absolutely nothing to this thread, but my mind automatically goes back to dark-haired, blue-eyed Ty whenever I see or hear the word Poconos. ;-)

Sas, the drive along the river in May will be lovely. You can drive from New Hope to Frenchtown on one side of the river and back on the NJ side. Without any stops, it takes maybe an hour round trip. Going the opposite direction, you can go to Bowmans Hill Wildflower Preserve. Great time to be there.

Unfortunately, it would probably be more like a 4.5 hr drive for you, but do try to hike the trail at Watkins Glen State Park some time. It's absolutely gorgeous and a nice hike -- especially with the stairs at the top of the trail. :) For other things to do, there are the beautiful Finger Lakes and its wineries. lol!

Link to some googled images of Watkins Glen here

Ida Claire, my sister has a real taste for all things cheesy, and she was a regular visitor to the Poconos with various boyfriends during the heart-shaped tub days. That is what I have always associated with the Poconos, thanks to the numerous TV commercials that aired back in the day.

Oh yay! I grew up just outside of New Hope. For dining, try Blue Moose and Moo. Tho my abs fave in the area is small plates, Honey in Doylestown (a cutesy town in its own right).

You know what, I've not been down that way in a year, I think I'll plan a jaunt there too!

PartyMusic -- lovely, that is going on my list. Never heard of it. Brings to mind Ricketts Glenn, which is a nice hike, but, at least when we were there 10yrs ago, not many good dining or lodging choices nearby. Maybe you could go to Dunder Mifflin.

A lot of those old resorts have seen vastly better days. That's why I said there are a lot of old dumps in the Poconos area . . . faded glory. But the Water Gap is still very nice . . .

Jim Thorpe is nice. Again, I can't recommend places to stay, the one time we went we camped. Hiking at Glenn Onoko Falls is excellent albeit strenuous. Mauk Chunk Lake Park is where we camped. There's a nature center there. You can walk around the lake but would be better to bike the long distance. Lots of people go up there for mountain biking and paddling on the Lehigh River, although a lot of it is pretty challenging. Also white water rafting at that time of the year . . .

Two other nice places for nature and hiking at that time of year nearby are the Trexler State Game Area. A whole lot of marvelous hiking trails there. Also Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, which is a birdwatching Mecca . . .

Jim Thorpe has a lot of nice little touristy shops but I have never been in any of them. Also the area is pretty historical for a whole lot of reasons if you are into that aspect of tourism.

I've never been there but the story of Jim Thorpe, the person and town, is quite a tale! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe

As for where to stay/eat if you go to Watkins Glen, there is not much there in town-- but I always combined a trip to Watkins Glen with a stay in Ithaca, NY. Ithaca and New Hope, PA were my two "gotta get out of town and leave work behind" escapes. If i remember correctly, Ithaca is about 30-40 min from Watkins Glen.. and has plenty of hikes, waterfalls etc.. plus lake/water activities. Since it is a college town, there are may cultural activities, quirky shops, decent restaurants, etc. It has been about 8-10 yr since i have been there so i hesitate to make specific recommendations but you will not find it hard to plan a long weekend with plenty to do!

My big regret of DS transfering out of Ithaca College is that we never had time to explore that beautiful area. We did only one hike at a falls, omg sooo pretty. Really wanted to do more walks, and to go on a boat wine tour.

When I lived outside of the Poconos, Ithaca was our weekend getaway as my best friends live there. Not sure how far from NYC it is, my friend's parents lived in Long Island and that was a 5-6 hr. drive due to traffic. I guess it depends what part of NY. The motto of Ithaca is "Ithaca is Gorges." Which is a play on words. Great parks, great hiking, big lake Cayuga, wineries, world famous dining, museums . . . one of my favorite places. We have stayed at the Super 8 and it was adequate. We just needed room to sleep in, we were out and about all day and evening. Nice that it is across the street from a Wegman's to pick up a wide variety of carry out food. Also a Thai place on the other side of the street.

If you decide to do a field trip and head to Longwood Gardens, just let me know. I'll set you up with tickets.

Love Ricketts Glen! A favorite place to hike ... trail takes you right next to 22 waterfalls. Just gorgeous...though I swear it got steeper than it was when we'd hiked it 10 years earlier! :)

We stay in Eagles Mere at theInn...nice stroll around the lake too. Then there's World's End and other state forests in the area to drive and hike around. Very pretty area of PA.

I would love to see Longwood Gardens again. My first trip there was limited to 3 hours and it just wasn't enough for me. It was early June and their huge rhododendrons were gorgeous in bloom.

I've never heard of Ricketts Glen... I just searched and will put it on my list. :)

mtn, be sure to wear appropriate footwear when you attempt the hike at Watkins Glen. In normal times, they do light shows/fireworks each night, but I haven't seen them yet.

Getting back on topic -- there is one place in the Poconos I've wanted to go... The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort. I'm a golfer and a huge fan of Tillinghast -- he's designed courses like Bethpage. Tillinghast-designed golf courses aren't easy to access, so I figure it's my best chance to play one. lol!

I used to run a camp up by Ricketts Glen. Have hiked the trail dozens of times. It's one of my all time greatest hikes. It's rugged though . . . if you have two cars, you can park at the top and walk down . . . Glen Onoko by Jim Thorpe is somewhat similar. Ricketts Glen also has an AWESOME old growth forest at the bottom, replete with majestic hemlocks and yellow birches, etc. World's End state park also has some great trails. Just outside/west of Poconos. I was actually in charge of a program where we backpacked for 12 days between World's End and Ricketts Glen. Great times! I've only camped around there. Both parks have good camping but it fills up.

I forgot about Grey Towers. It's a bucket list pilgrimage for me, it was the home and property of Gifford Pinchot, founder of the US Forest Service and advocate for public lands and conservation.

Just a personal note: I was terribly disappointed the last time I went to New Hope. It used to be such a charming little town with antique stores and wonderful restaurants. I went about three to four years ago and it was full of junky souvenir stores and low-end clothing stores. There was an occasional antiques spot and we did find one nice restaurant, but I have stricken it from my list of fun places to spend an afternoon.

Never heard of Grey Towers...looks wonderful...added to my list!

This came up in my news feed this morning (of course!) I don't know where most of these places are, I barely know NY, but just duke more ideas..

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/road-trips/2021/03/safe-travels-16-sunday-drives-to-make-while-socially-distancing-in-upstate-ny.html

When I get to my tablet I'll post the link properly.

Day trips in New York