Hidden gems in CT, NJ, NY?

[jgenie]

Anyone have recommendations for hidden gems in NY, NJ or CT? Looking for a place to go for a few days in March. Looking for outdoor activities where we can socially distance. Bonus points if you have a fave house or cabin to rent. TIA

[lisa928]

Duke Farms (https://www.dukefarms.org/) in Hillsborough, NJ

Free, but unfortunately only open on weekdays since COVID. Great walking trails as well as bike trails. Checkout all of the reviews and pictures on Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Duke+Farms/@40.5443318,-74.6239317,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xf44aeffd29713ec8!8m2!3d40.54 43318!4d-74.6239317).

[jgenie]

Duke Farms (https://www.dukefarms.org/) in Hillsborough, NJ

Free, but unfortunately only open on weekdays since COVID. Great walking trails as well as bike trails. Checkout all of the reviews and pictures on Google Maps (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Duke+Farms/@40.5443318,-74.6239317,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xf44aeffd29713ec8!8m2!3d40.54 43318!4d-74.6239317).

Thank you! Any favorite places to grab takeout nearby? Are guests allowed to bring bicycles? The bike rental program is suspended due to Covid.

[lisa928]

Yes, bring your own bikes, as that is what we had always done even pre-COVID. Sorry no idea for a takeout place as we had always packed a picnic lunch in a backpack and found a picnic table or big rock within the estate to eat.

[lizzywednesday]

High Point State Park in Sussex County has trails that will take you to the highest point in NJ; from there, you can see 3 states - NY, PA, and NJ. I haven't been, but my friends Alice & Ed have posted many photos on their site You Don't Know Jersey (https://www.youdontknowjersey.com). They'd also be a great resource for restaurants/takeout places, although their most recent ones are in the Montclair area due to COVID.

I also recommend (always!) Ringwood State Park, which is comprised of 3 sites - Ringwood Manor, Skylands Manor/NJ Botanical Gardens (https://www.njbg.org), and Shepherd's Lake. I am especially fond of Ringwood Manor (http://www.ringwoodmanor.org) all year long, but I used to go frequently when I was a kid.

Also in Ringwood, there's Norvin Green State Forest which has lovely hiking trails, and the New Weis Center (http://www.highlandsnaturefriends.org) for hiking, picnicking, and public programs (must reserve in advance if anything is running during your visit) - to access the Norvin Green trails, you must park in the lot at New Weis, so I've only linked their site, but you can get more info and trail maps on the NJ Department of Forestry site (https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/norvin.html). Cell service can be funky in that part of town, so use the printed directions in the left-hand text inset as a backup.

[DualvansMommy]

Thank you! Any favorite places to grab takeout nearby? Are guests allowed to bring bicycles? The bike rental program is suspended due to Covid.

Duke farms isn’t far from Somerville which is a downtown street area. Lots of funky boutique stores, independent restaurants open for takeouts or eat outside on their side streets, and few awesome desserts places you can ask for a box.

I frequent Duke farms and we always brought our bikes. So I would suggest going that.


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[wendibird22]

Letchworth State Park. It’s the #1 rated state park in NY. Beautiful scenery, waterfalls, hiking trails. You could probably rent a house on nearby Silver Lake. That town (Silver Lake) has a cute drive in movie with restaurant and mini golf. You’d be about 45 mins from downtown Rochester and an hour from Buffalo. You could even take a drive from there to Niagara Falls about 1.5hr away.

We went to Letchworth today. Sunny and 45 degrees. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210227/67f6ed2a0faccac16be63f51149f514f.jpg


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[candaceb]

I used to live near Mystic, CT. You could rent a house somewhere between Mystic and New Haven and have lots of things to do. Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport, Hammonnassett state park, Harkness state park, Gillette Castle state park, and the casinos have places like Sugar Factory that are a draw for kids. There's lots of good pizza and other ethnic food in the New Haven area.

[SASM]

Thousand Islands (if you stay near Alex Bay, Boldt Castle is always neat...snd there is a little riverside beach/playground in A-Bay) or the Finger Lakes regions (Naples, Skaneateles, Canandaigua) of NY. We also really like the Adirondacks - Old Forge, Nicks Lake, KOA, and some smaller “camps” near Big Moose.