Talbot County, Maryland

Last fall we took a weekend trip to Talbot County, which is on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It's a fantastic, easy, long weekend getaway from NYC since it's just a four hour drive (provided you time it correctly and don't hit traffic on I-95). We spent the most time in the towns of Oxford, Easton, and St. Michaels (all in close proximity to each other). Here are our discoveries, and let me add, Clara says she can't wait to go back, a huge endorsement, considering the hotel didn't have a pool, and there was no amusement park.

Inn at Perry Cabin: It’s a hotel you’d want to go to, even if it was in the middle of nowhere—great restaurant, inspired gardens, and lovely water views. And the décor is great—cozy, comfy, elegant. Fresh flowers everywhere (cut from their gardens)—in the rooms, public spaces…cozy public spaces with lovely furniture. Kayaks available for checking out the river out front, and bikes to go into town. Cookies made and put in the room every night, cooked by Mrs. Gussy, who has been making them for 24 years. Even if you don't stay here (it gets pricey) it's worth coming to just to check out their garden "rooms", (gardens that were designed to feel like rooms), and the secret passageway door in one of their public living room spaces. Dinner at the Sherwood Landing restaurant is fancy, and perhaps not worth going unless you have a sitter, not that they wouldn't be welcoming of families--it's just that it's expensive, and there are other people there for special occasions (so maybe going early would be an option)...They have a menu that lists each purveyor (mostly local) and a great wine list. We loved the crab cakes, and the Smith Island cake.

The Crab Claw is a family-run local favorite in St. Michaels, where you have to order the blue crab extravaganza. They bring them out, dump them on the table, and you get messy for an hour. They leave a brown bag for you to fill up. We loved it. Order the appetizer of pickles and cheese...sounds weird, but it is great. While you're waiting, you can walk around outside buy some duck treats from a candy machine to feed the ducks.

NYC Ski Daytrip: Mt. Peter

If you're just trying to expose your kids to skiing, there are several easy ski spots not so far outside of NYC, which make for an easy half day trip. We went to Mt. Peter, which was about 1.5 hours from Brooklyn, which means it's completely feasible to leave by 8, and even make it back for a late lunch. (That is, if you don't make stops along the way, like we always do.) And if you do stay there through lunch, they do serve hot dogs and hamburgers--get them from the outside grill...and there is a full bar inside.

Here are a couple of other places--all of them great for beginners.
Campgaw Mountain--this is just 20 miles from the GW Bridge, making it the closest skiing to NYC.
Mountain Creek in NJ
Tuxedo Ridge, NY

NYC Daytrip Options: Westpoint, Mt. Peter, and More

A couple of weeks ago we went skiing at Mt. Peter, which is a great option for day trip skiing from NYC. There are free beginner classes, private lessons on the hour (but book ahead if you’re going on a weekend—the 11am is super popular!), just plain old skiing if your kids are ready to be on their own, and there’s a nice bar for the parents to hang out in. Since it’s just a day trip, and the lift tickets and equipment can get expensive, and the slopes aren’t that great for a serious skier, it almost doesn’t make sense for the parents to ski. There’s also a nice outdoor burger and hot dog stand where they do them on the grill…But I digress…so many of our friends don’t know what to do just outside of the city…and I think none of them know about the Westpoint Museum. This is an easy drive and almost on the way home from Mt. Peters. If there’s any interest in military history in your family, this is such a great museum. It really covers all of the wars that Americans have been involved in, and it does it well. And after looking at their site, I've learned they have "what is considered to be the oldest and largest diversified public collection of miltaria in the Western Hemisphere." It's also a lot closer than Gettysburg (not that I'm naysaying Gettysburg--it's just not an hour away from NYC).

 

Other points of interest in this area:

Blooming Hill Farm, Woodbury Commons, Storm King (opens April 4), Woody’s Burgers, Bear Mountain for hiking, lake swimming, if you’re there in the summer, and Mitsuwa, which is in the post just before this one.

Japan in New Jersey

I know Mitsuwa, the largest Japanese supermarket in the USA, is not a secret. But lots of people I know who live in the New York area have no idea about it, so I have to share it here. We stopped there last night on our way back from a morning of skiing at Mt. Peter, which I will also have to write about later this week. Mitsuwa is right in between the GW Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel, and it is on River Road, which means it's right on the Hudson, and looks straight over to the city. Also on that road are Trader Joes and Whole Foods, so it is almost worth a car rental if you don't have a car, and to spend a whole day loading up  on everything. What's so fun about Mitsuwa is not just the shopping, it's the food court. You can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner there--there are lots of restaurants, and all of the food looked amazing. Seriously, you'll leave there after even just an hour and you'll think you went to Japan, and had access to the non-touristy side of it.


What we loaded up on:
They have a whole aisle just for dried udon and soba and other noodles. There's also frozen versions, and fresh versions, and those have their own aisle too.

The miso paste. An entire 6 foot by 5 foot refrigerated section just filled with miso paste.

The Echigo gluten-free beer! And while we didn't buy the single serving sake, I love the way it looks. Would be a nice stocking stuffer. Of course there are tons of sake options.

The sushi-grade fish, which we ate today for lunch.

The rice, the mochi balls....I could go on, and on.

Make sure before you leave that you buy the Japanese cream puffs, which are $1.50 each, and are seriously out of this world.

Easy Weekend Getaway

Last winter I drove to Vermont, and passed by this cute property, the Sylvanus Lodge . It's in Hillsdale, NY, but it's pretty much in the Berkshires area. I didn't go inside, but from looking at the pictures, and seeing how reasonable it is ($80-$125 in peak season), I think it's worth giving it a try. The studio apartment is really the only option for families, and it can sleep up to five.

Rentals Near NYC: Pennsylvania Farmhouse

This house looks really well appointed, has three ponds, and 50 acres...plus...it's right near Scranton, home of my favorite show The Office. The owner's website doesn't have pictures that are as well-lit as are on the HomeAway site, but they have a nice listing of activities in the area. 

Rentals Near NYC: Bucks County

I love Bucks County--I was there for a story for Cookie around four years ago--and stumbled upon so many great things to do with kids (that will be another post, next week). This house looks so good, and seems perfect for a family of three or four. I love that its on the canal, and I love the kids room with its trundle bed.