Weekend Trips

Alison Lowenstein is a local mom and author of the popular book City Baby Brooklyn. Her latest is City Weekends, a wonderful resource full of ideas for things to do in and around New York City. City Weekends isn't specifically focused on family weekend trips, but one of the things I love about it is that it's full of great weekend trip ideas that can still be kid-friendly without being so kid-centric.

Read on to learn about one of her weekend trip suggestions for a fun family trip to the country in the Hudson Valley's Rhinebeck:

Often thought of as the real “Little Italy” of NYC, Arthur Avenue is a wildly popular destination for foodies from all over.  There are countless Italian restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and bars along Arthur Avenue, as well as its lesser known counterpart, 187th Street.  Arthur Avenue is quite a popular day trip for families with small children because it is just a few blocks away from the world-famous Bronx Zoo. 

So, your kids are longing for swimsuits, sprinklers and slides. Well, now you can make their dreams come true, whether the weather is cooperating or not. Load up the iPod, the towels and the kids and take a short road trip to newly opened Sahara Sam’s Oasis in West Berlin, New Jersey. This indoor water park is less than two hrs from NYC and the 286,000 gallons of water keep 11 rides and tons of kids wet and wildly entertained, rain or shine!

We traveled with four parents; and three boys and three girls aging from 2-8 yrs old, so believe me, the place was well-tested. The kids were awed into silence (SILENCE, I SAY ) as we stepped through the door. But after those two seconds, they immediately got busy. Favorites?

You don't have to go far to have an amazing kid friendly farm experience.  In nearby New Jersey your children can crack corn, collect eggs, see baby pigs, goats and sheep, and even see how cheese and bread are made.  The foodie in you will rejoice in the cheese tasting while your children delight in the baby lambs. 

Where to see farm animals in New Jersey:

Get out of the city this summer for a bit of festival fun in New Jersey.  We've got the low down for you on the best, super funnest places to be in June and July.  From jousting to racing pigs, strawberry shortcake to hot air balloon rides, there's a world of fun just outside the city. All you have to do is get the kids in the car and drive.

Lake house near Jefferson Valley in Northern Westchester

For parents, summer planning can get tricky, especially when you find yourself trying to negotiate the different needs of children and spouses. One spouse may have more flexibility in the summer and the other may not. Or maybe you have one child who is ready for camp, but another who is not. One secret solution is to vacation in a nearby suburb. "Ah, vacationing in the suburbs" you say, "how divine...I mean pathetic." If you are imagining postage stamp lawns and ranch houses, then you are missing out. You can find everything you expect from a vacation in the country, plus the convenience of being closer to the city in Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Here are 5 reasons you should consider taking your summer vacation in the suburbs:

This weekend (and next) is Maple Weekend in New York State. The weather looks like it's going to be beautiful this weekend, so if you are sick of being cooped up all winter and looking for a little trip out of the city to enjoy the early Spring there are some fun events to try.

Learning about Maple Sugaring is a fun and worthwhile activity. Kids will discover about how the yummy, sweet stuff they love on their pancakes gets to the table. Maple syrup is also a local food product (yeah, eating local) and did you know that the Native Americans taught the Europeans how to make it? Kids can learn all this, plus how to identify the right kinds of maple trees, how to tap the trees and make syrup.

Maple Sugar Weekend, March 21-21 and 28-29, 2009, is like a giant open house for all the local maple syrup producers in New York State. Visit Maple syrup farms as close as Westchester County to see how Maple Syrup is made, sample syrup and other treats (even maple syrup cotton candy), and other fun activities. Better yet, Maple Weekend activities are free.

Think about doing one of these maple sugaring events as a day or weekend trip this month:

If you've been reading this blog for a long time, you know about my love of ZipCar, the car sharing service that lets you rent a car in New York City by the hour. While ZipCar has been adding more cars and locations, there's a new competitor on the road, Mint.

Just like ZipCar, Mint offers car rental on demand and by the hour. Gas and EZ Pass are included. Even the rates are identical, except for an introductory promotional offer that allows you to rent a Mint car for just $2 an hour Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 5pm.

This summer we wrote about some great day and weekend trips near New York City. From the farms of Westchester to the parks of Long Island and even places you can visit without a car. You can find more family friendly day and weekend trip ideas in our archives under the weekend trips category.

Here are our top 5 day and weekend trips posts from 2009:

One of the things that makes NYC the ultimate place to live with kids is you don't have to travel far for great family recreational activities. And, since we finally got some snow, skiing with the kids sounds pretty good right about now. But, where are the best places to go skiing with kids near NYC? Well, that all depends on what kind of skier you are and whether you want to ski with your kids, drop them off at ski school and hit the slopes yourself, or you want to do something else altogether. Here's a rundown of the best family ski centers near New York.