I stood in our Brooklyn apartment last June watching Max press his nose against the window for the third time that morning. My golden retriever had officially lost it. So had I, honestly. The kids — Lily’s 7, Noah’s 10 — were fighting over the remote again, and Jake looked at me with that expression that said “we need to leave this city immediately.”
That’s how we ended up discovering getaways from nyc that actually work when you’ve got kids and a dog. Turns out you don’t need some elaborate plan. Just throw everyone in the car and drive 90 minutes north.
Our First Trip to Cornwall Was Basically Controlled Chaos
Getaways in upstate ny weren’t even on my radar before Jake found Cromwell Manor Inn online. “They take dogs,” he said. “And it’s in Cornwall.” I had no idea where Cornwall was, but Max’s tail started wagging when we pulled out the suitcases, so I figured we were committed.
The drive took less than two hours. Noah asked “are we there yet?” exactly once before falling asleep, which felt like a miracle. When we pulled up to Cromwell Manor Inn, the building looked like something from a history book — the main Manor House has this gorgeous old architecture, and they’ve got another spot called the 1764 House that’s… well, from 1764.
Storm King Art Center Changed My Mind About Museums
I’m not an art person. Let me just say that upfront. But Storm King Art Center is five minutes from where we stayed, and Sarah at the front desk kept insisting we’d love it. “It’s outside,” she said. “The dog can come.”
So we went. And… okay, she was right. It’s 500 acres of giant sculptures scattered across hills and fields. Lily thought they were robot parts from space and tried climbing one before I could grab her. Noah spent an hour analyzing how they stay upright without tipping over — the kid’s obsessed with engineering. And Max? He was in heaven. Just running around, sniffing million-dollar art installations. Pretty sure he peed on at least one. Sorry, Storm King.
What got me was how relaxed everyone was. No one yelling at the kids to be quiet. No stressed-out security guards. Just families wandering around with their dogs, and it felt… normal. The kind of normal we don’t get in the city.
Kaaterskill Falls where We Made Our Best Memories
We went back in October specifically for the Catskills hiking. Jake had been talking about Kaaterskill Falls for weeks, and I made the crucial mistake of wearing canvas sneakers instead of actual hiking boots.
The trail up was fine. Beautiful fall colors, Max trotting ahead of us, kids actually getting along. Then we started heading back down, and I basically turned into a cartoon character slipping on wet leaves. Jake caught me before I face-planted completely, but Noah got the whole thing on video. I’m never living it down.
The best part though? Max tried jumping over a fallen log, completely misjudged the distance, and landed face-first in a pile of leaves. Lily laughed so hard she got hiccups. That dog was living his absolute best life, and honestly? Watching him discover streams and weird forest smells was weirdly therapeutic for all of us.
Back at Cromwell Manor Inn that night, the innkeeper asked how our hike went. When I mentioned the falls, she told us about this farm stand off Route 9W that we’d missed. We found it the next day — best apple cider donuts I’ve ever had in my life. The kids ate six between them. I had three and definitely hid a fourth one in my jacket pocket for later. Jake saw me do it and said absolutely nothing, which is why we’re still married.
Beacon Made Me Feel Like a Tourist in My Own State
On our third trip — yeah, we kept going back — we drove to Beacon for the day. It’s maybe 20 minutes from Cornwall, an easy day trip. The town has this contemporary art museum called Dia:Beacon in an old factory building, and I was skeptical. Art museums with a 7-year-old? Disaster waiting to happen.
But the spaces are huge. Like, airplane hangars are huge. The art’s weird and interesting enough that even Noah paid attention. And there was enough room that I wasn’t having a panic attack every time Lily got too close to something. Though she did try touching stuff. Multiple times. I spent half the visit hissing “Lily, no” under my breath.
We walked Main Street afterward, and Max became an instant celebrity. Golden Retrievers apparently have that effect. One woman literally gasped when she saw him, asked if she could hug him, then spent five minutes telling us about her childhood dog also named Max. Different Max, different decade, but we let her have the moment. Jake and I got coffee while the kids drank hot chocolate with truly alarming amounts of whipped cream.
Hudson Made Jake Fall in Love with Kale
Hudson was Jake’s idea. He’d heard about the food scene on Warren Street and wanted to check it out. I was mostly interested in the antique shops, which turned out to be a mistake with two kids in tow.
We had lunch at Wm. Farmer and Sons — this farm-to-table place with outdoor seating. They brought Max a water bowl without us even asking, which instantly made it my favorite restaurant. The kids shared some fancy mac and cheese that Noah rated “better than the box kind, but barely.” High praise from a ten-year-old. I had the best burger I’ve eaten in years. And Jake… Jake got a kale salad and wouldn’t shut up about it the entire drive home. Kale. I married a man who now waxes poetic about kale.
The antique browsing lasted about 15 minutes before Lily started her “I’m bored” routine. Pro tip: bring gummy bears. They buy you at least another 20 minutes of peace. Jake found some vintage baseball thing he was excited about, and I learned that anything pre-1990 is now considered “collectible.” Feeling great about that.
Why We Keep Going Back to Cromwell Manor Inn
Here’s the thing about finding places that genuinely welcome families and pets — it’s harder than you’d think. Most hotels say they’re pet-friendly, then charge you extra fees, stick you in the room next to the ice machine, and make you feel like you’re inconveniencing everyone just by existing.
Cromwell Manor Inn just… gets it. Last time we stayed in the 1764 House, and the kids were convinced it had “historical vibes.” Noah decided his room was haunted. It wasn’t, but he enjoyed the drama. Max had his own bed setup, actual dog treats waiting for him, and staff who gave us real recommendations. Not TripAdvisor tourist trap stuff — actual local intel. Like “this trail gets muddy, that restaurant says dog-friendly but means small dogs only.”
On our first visit, someone told me about Black Rock Forest trails before I even asked. We did one the next morning and barely saw another soul the entire time. The kind of peace that makes city living feel slightly insane. Lily collected seventeen pinecones. We still have them in a bag somewhere in our apartment.
The February Trip We’re Planning
We mostly went during warmer months, but parents at Noah’s school keep talking about winter up there. Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain apparently have great skiing, and Cromwell Manor Inn supposedly becomes this cozy fireplace retreat situation.
Jake and I are planning a February trip — assuming we can convince the kids that skiing lessons are fun and not torture. I’m mostly excited to see Max experience snow in the mountains. That dog loses his mind over three inches in Brooklyn. This should be entertaining.
What These Trips Actually Gave Us
I’m not gonna pretend every moment was magical. Lily and Noah fought in the backseat over music choices. Max got carsick that one time on Route 9 — that was rough. And I definitely forgot to pack enough layers for our June trip, which is how Noah ended up with a $30 gas station hoodie.
But getting out of the city, even just for a weekend, reset something in all of us. Noah got to be outdoorsy and obsess over how things work. Lily got to run around and collect weird nature stuff. Jake and I got 48 hours without sirens, without subway delays, without the constant background noise that makes you feel like your brain never fully shuts off.
And Max? That dog now plants himself by the front door the second he sees our duffel bags come out. Not taking any chances on getting left behind.
If You’re Thinking About Going
Download music before you leave the city. Cell service gets patchy once you’re up there. We learned this when the kids’ iPad died somewhere near Cornwall and we had zero backup entertainment. I ended up teaching them road trip songs from the ’90s. Noah called them “vintage.” I’m choosing to take that as a compliment and not an existential crisis about my age.
Pack more snacks than seems reasonable. Your kids will demolish them in the first hour. Trust me on this.
And just… go. If you’re in the city feeling that itch to escape, don’t overthink it. These spots are close, they actually want your family and your dog there, and they’ll remind you why you chose this chaotic life in the first place.
Every time we pack up and head north, I wonder if it’s worth the hassle. And every single time, about an hour into the drive when the city skyline disappears and actual trees start showing up, I remember.
Yeah. This is exactly what we needed.
