The New York Times Weekends Guide - Softcover

The New York Times Weekends is a collection of escapes from Manhattan. New York Times writers feature "46 fabulous ways to slow down and get back in touch within easy reach of New York City." Each excursion starts with a short descriptive essay, followed by advice and practical information for getting there, where to stay, eat, shop, and explore. There's something for everyone: pooped parents looking for rainy day alternatives, harried executives looking for downtime, and city-tired lovers looking for romantic waterfalls and fireplaces (nine of them at one lodge!). The writers spin readable tales of their adventures, which include nearly getting sneezed on by a humpback whale off the coast of Long Island, taking kids back in time to Muscoot Farm where the folks show you how farm life was lived in the 1920s, learning the ins and outs of camping in a lean-to in Stokes State Forest, soaring high over the Connecticut River Valley in a beautiful balloon, gorging on blueberries in the Poconos, and experiencing "urbanity meeting nature" on a bicycle trip to Montauk. If you can't manage a real getaway, there are some interesting ideas for weekending in the city: a French country inn on City Island, visiting wildlife in winter at the Bronx Zoo, or walking Brooklyn's Flatbush Trail. This book is for most anyone who lives in, around, or frequently visits the Big Apple. --Kathryn True