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I'm taking a long 4th of July weekend and am going back and fourth with where to go this year for day trips that are close to NYC metro area but far enough away to be detached and relaxed...Though, last summer I saw yellow cabs some 50 miles upstate filling up at gas stations along I-87 so I might need to venture across state lines this summer:
Long Island: I'm avoid the Hamptons due to the crowds
Sag Harbor
Greenport (not much to do here it seems)
Shelter Island
CT:
Old Greenwich, CT (my usual spot even though it's a suburb... not really a "getaway" though)
Norwalk (still in the NYC metro area but further out)
Litchfield County?
Hudson Valley, NY:
Cold Spring
Beacon
New Jersey:
Princeton or Cape May (which may still be recovering from Sandy)
Also considering Rhode Island but that would involve booking a hotel or B&B and by now they're all filled.
For 4th of July celebration if you never did West Point, it is a must. The band stand over looks the Hudson River.The Army band is out of this world along with the fireworks.
Then you can dine at the Thayer Hotel on West Point grounds...and might even get a room(although it is a bit late by now).....Monroe, NY close by has a nice B&B. Chester, NY next door has the Best Western Hotel.
I've been to the Jersey Shore since Sandy a ton of times. From Sandy Hook to at least Seaside, most everything is back up and running. If you have kids, Point Pleasant is probably best.
If you're going to do the jersey shore with kids... Ocean City NJ is great. It's a long boardwalk with rides, games, mini golf and a beach. And it's a DRY town, which means no alcohol is sold within the city limits. However, I have no idea how it's doing after Sandy. And if you go there, you need to visit 'Lucy the elephant' in Margate if she's still there after Sandy.
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