3 Spring Break Trip Ideas Within A Three-Hour Drive Of New York City
Atlantic City's boardwalk and steel pier
Summer is the peak travel season in most parts of the world, but spring—with its blissfully mild weather, sights of nature coming back to life, and more accessible accommodations and attractions—is an equally desirable time to plan a vacation.
If you happen to be a New Yorker, you've got options galore—especially if you prefer the ease of hopping into a car instead of the hassle of boarding a plane. With that in mind, here are three destinations for memorable spring break vacations. Even better? All of the picks are under a three-hour drive from Manhattan.
The striking exterior of Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
If you've never considered a leisure trip to New Haven, what are you waiting for? There's plenty for history and culture buffs to explore, from Amistad Memorial, a three-sided bronze statue dedicated to the 1839 Amistad Revolt and its leader Sengbe Pieh, to the Yale University Art Gallery, which is free and open to the public. And in case you don't know by now, Connecticut's third largest city also boasts a mouthwatering pizza scene. (Fun fact: last May, U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro declared New Haven the Pizza Capital of the U.S. in a statement read into the Congressional Record.) You'll find the trinity of the city's legendary coal-fired and thin-crust pies at Sally's, Frank Pepe, and Modern.
As for where to stay, it's tough to top Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. For starters: it's an archectural marvel. The hotel takes up residence in a commanding 1968 concrete structure envisioned by Marcel Breuer overlooking the Long Island Sound—and an Ikea, too, for your home shopping needs. Inside, the 165 rooms and suites, along with the common spaces, channel mid-century vibes with their clean and pared-back color palette, furnishings, and meticulously-preseved original details such as granite tiles and wood paneling. Because Hotel Marcel is Leed Platinum-certified, runs on renewable energy, and is Passive House-certified, you'll feel even better about booking a room here.
Exterior of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Most tourists flock to this iconic Jersey Shore town when the sun is scorching, but now is an underrated time to plan a trip. Not only will you get ahead of the crushing crowds, Atlantic City's boardwalk (also the country's oldest and longest) and beaches will feel like they're all your own.
Though there are plenty of places to eat along the boardwalk, venture off the beaten path to discover the city's lesser-known spots, like Bar32 Chocolate—New Jersey's only bean-to-bar chocolate shop by Nicole Callazzo—and neighboring Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, a Monopoly-themed indoor-outdoor venue with 40 taps and casual fare.
Though not new, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa—which opened in 2023—feels fresh as ever thanks to a sweeping $55 million renovation including the rebranding of The Water Club to MGM Tower and a crisp revamp of its 757 guest rooms and suites. What's remained the same is Borgata's enticing restaurant roster—Old Homestead Steak House is by far and away the best place for quality chops in town—54,000-square-foot wellness haven Spa Toccare, and exciting live entertainment (Def Leppard, Jim Gaffigan, and The Black Keys are scheduled to perform this year.)
One of Shandaken Inn's two-bedroom cottages
If you need to really get off the grid, look no further than Shandaken. This rural town tucked away in the heart of The Catksills Mountains is comprised of 12 hamlets—including Phoenica, where you'll find the beloved Phoenicia Diner—and is a hushed hideaway for outdoor pursuits, from hiking Giant Ledge to trout fishing at Esopus Creek.
After a long day out, retire to one of Shandaken Inn's three two-bedroom cottages—whose names take inspiration from the area's historic resorts and camps (Pines, Fallsview, Tamarack). These accommodations boast cozy residential vibes with their kitchenettes, fireplaces, Old Hickory furnture, and textured John Rosselli wallcoverings. Included in your stay is complimentary daily breakfast in The Clubhouse Restaurant & Bar, which is also serves a rustic dinner menu of smoked trout chowder, whey braised rabbit, and spinach ricotta dumplings.
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Is this why Americans have hit the brakes on the #vanlife dream?
Is this why Americans have hit the brakes on the #vanlife dream? After a boom during the pandemic, Americans are no longer embracing vanlife with as much enthusiasm as they did during lockdown. Plenty of pandemic-era habits have stuck around - Zoom calls, grocery delivery, comfy pants - but living out of a van freely on the open road, it seems, has not had the same staying power. Vanlife represents the outdoorsy lifestyle centered around mobile shelters like camping trailers, recreational vehicles, and retrofitted vans. Starting in 2020, as cities emptied and remote work became the norm, thousands of people took to this relatively cheap and crowd-free way to explore the country. As they traveled, they fueled the trend by sharing their most idyllic experiences on social media with the hashtag #vanlife. 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When the pandemic hit in 2020, people around the world, freshly untethered from their office jobs, saw an opportunity to embark on their own on-the-road adventures. Across the U.S., there was a surge in RV sales, from 400,000 shipments in 2019 to 600,000 in 2021, according to the RV Industry Association. Those figures do not account for retrofitted vans, which are beloved by the vanlife community. These vans, often former work vehicles or delivery vans, exploded in popularity thanks to their budget-friendly customization options and flexibility. Unlike larger trailers or bus-like mobile homes, they are easier to drive and park while still being more comfortable than tents. However, securing one became difficult; as CNN reported in 2021, companies that retrofit vans suddenly had yearslong waitlists - and that was assuming the customer had a van to retrofit given the competition. During lockdowns, online orders for household items surged and Amazon needed to expand their fleet of van models - namely, Mercedes Sprinters, Ford Transits and RAM ProMasters - which happen to be the preferred choices for vanlifers, as well. The end of the dream Nonetheless, many Americans did succeed in landing their own recreational vehicle. The race to get (or retrofit) RVs created an influx of newbie owners. As shown by the chart below, more than half (55%) of today's RV owners are newbies who have owned their vehicle for just five years or less. The vanlife movement appears to have deflated as quickly as it ballooned in pandemic-era America. For many, the vanlife lifestyle turned out to be a detour, not a destination. As a result, many vehicles bought during the pandemic are not racking up much mileage today. Some 10 million households, or close to 8% of all households in the U.S., camped in an RV last year - and around 8 million of those campers were RV owners. That might seem like a lot, but it is down from the 15 million (nearly 12% of households) that camped in an RV at the 2022 peak. The drop in vanlifers is also evident in yearly survey data that tracks campers by experience level. The share of inexperienced campers (those who were brand new to camping or who had started "in the last few years") peaked in the years after the pandemic's onset, according to Kampgrounds of America. In 2022, people who were relatively new to camping accounted for more than 40% of all campers. After that peak though, the numbers dropped off pretty quickly. The mad rush to join the vanlife community was over, new blood was not coming into the vanlife community as quickly, and there was attrition among the vanlifers who had given it a shot. By 2024 the share of relatively new campers had dropped to 16% - levels that were typical before the pandemic hit. There are many reasons why the dream did not live long. For one, vanlife is not the "Insta-glam" life it is cracked up to be. There are difficult realities of vanlife, as New York Times essayist Caity Weaver captured in her own pursuit of the idyllic lifestyle in 2022, noting that just the act of sleeping in a van was "cramped, slovenly and bad." Vanlife also became impractical as life got back to normal. As the major waves of COVID-19 petered out, managers became less tolerant of the work-from-anywhere approach, making it difficult for most to juggle both vanlife and their careers. Still, vanlife left its mark While vanlife may have been a flash-in-the-pan for many, the overall number of people who seek outdoorsy experiences, including RVing, tent camping, or glamping, may now start to stabilize to normal growth levels. Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that the growth would be about 2 million additional households a year. As the camping community returns to normal, it is interesting to note that a few things have, in fact, changed for good. For one, there has been "a notable increase in younger and more diverse [RV] owners compared to previous years," a RV Industry Association report notes. "Younger generations are much more engaged than they used to be." Indeed, those who have stuck around are more committed to the lifestyle. Today, owners use their RVs a median of 30 days a year, up 50% from the 20 days reported in 2021. And campgrounds have tried to accommodate them, offering more amenities like WiFi, according to Kampgrounds of America. Perhaps vanlife is now how it was always intended to be: a smaller, scrappier community that genuinely wants the open road, the early mornings in nature, and yes, the occasional headache of a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. This story originally appeared on Motointegrator, was produced in collaboration with DataPulse Research, and was reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
