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We all know that this time of year is filled with holiday festivities. Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, holiday parties, cookie exchanges, cocktail parties, etc. But this year, consider treating yourself to your own festive escape to get in the spirit while enjoying the crisp country air! Sip warm local cider, cut down your own tree, shop for gifts from artisanal local vendors, and enjoy time with friends and families outside the hustle and bustle of the city chaos. We have lots of ideas for day trips and weekend getaways all across New York State this holiday season. Check them out below! 11/16 - 11/18: Make a festive holiday getaway up to the beautiful Finger Lakes and check out all that Ithaca and the rest of Tompkins County has to offer! Be the thrifty multitasker that you are and treat yourself while shopping for others! Cross items off your gift list and sample before you by at the 25th Annual Cayuga Lake Wine Trail Holiday Shopping Spree. Participating Cayuga Lake Wine Trail wineries include Long Point, Montezuma, Six Mile Creek and more. Get your tickets early -- some include perks and takeaways like  a souvenir wine glass, a grapevine wreath, an ornament at each stop, a shoppers card, wine and food! Spend a whole week in the gorgeous Finger Lakes and stick around through Dec. 6 - Dec. 8 for The Ithaca Ice Fest, an annual tradition in Downtown Ithaca! No holiday season is complete without a celebration of cold weather and cold weather sports…like Ice Carving! Witness the nation’s finest ice carvers during 3 rounds of breathtaking competition. The festival features impressive display sculptures, fire demonstrations, a tasty Chowder Cook-off, and the ever-popular Ice Bar, an outdoor bar made entirely of ice, which serves Bacchus Beer, wine, and hot cocoa. The Ithaca Ice Festival ice carving competition is

Just 60 miles north of New York City lies the gorgeous (and nearest wine region to the city in New York State) Shawangunk Wine Trail. Nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the Hudson River, the trail features 13 member wineries, which are producing diverse and unique wines to share with locals and visitors in the bucolic Hudson Valley region. The trail winds amid stunning landscapes and a range of attractions, including hiking, kayaking, spas, antique shopping, farm-to-table eateries, U-pick farms and markets, and holiday tree farms. On September 30th, at EscapeMaker's annual Applepalooza + Craft Wine, Cider & Beverage Fest - a fall harvest festival celebrating New York apples, local fare and craft sips - the Hudson Valley Wine Magazine unveiled a special edition dedicated to the Shawagunk Wine Trail! The special edition is produced with support from Taste NY, the official “eat-local, drink-local” program for New York State. Inside the magazine, there is a discount pass for 2-for-1 tastings, discounts on purchases and more for wine trail visitors to use at the 13 wineries. To celebrate the issue, several wineries were at the event representing the trail and showcasing their amazing Hudson Valley wines. They included: Baldwin Vineyards: Celebrating its 27th year this year, Baldwin Vineyards is a second generation winery. Pat and Jack’s daughter Wendy and her husband Alex are creating an atmosphere where customers want to relax, kick their feet up and enjoy the delicious wines made in the classic Baldwin style. Baldwin Vineyards offers fifteen different wines, including Gold Medal Awarded: Chardonnay, Riesling, Claret and Strawberry wine, plus Merlot, Brut Sparkling wine, Ice wine, Port and Raspberry wine. The Strawberry wine is made from only the freshest strawberries (no other fruit or liquid is added to dilute the intense flavor). Because of its intensity, it synergizes with your favorite dessert, especially

Halloween season is here and we're ready for some haunted houses, corn mazes, jack o'lanterns and more! There are so many day trip and weekend getaways to experience the spooky just outside NYC. Check them out below and start planning your weekend escape. For a nearby Halloween celebration, take a day-trip to Westchester County for the annual Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze! The tri-state area’s biggest fall event creates a breathtaking display along an 18th century riverside landscape…all out of 7,000+ illuminated jack o’lanterns! Thousands of people attend every year, book your spot before they sell out! AND THEY WILL! Take Metro North Railroad to Croton-Harmon, cab 5 minutes to Van Cortlandt Manor. Now through November 24th. Take a weekend getaway to Brew Central in Central New York for a Halloween celebration filled with brews and boos. Head to Empire Brewing Company for fun, festivities, and the chance to win free BEER FOR A YEAR! The Empire Brewing Company staff will vote on best patron costume. Winner receives a full growler, every month for an entire year, of their preferred Empire liquid! October 31st. Head up to the Catskills in Sullivan County for spooktacular fall weekend! Part of New York’s Haunted History Trail, Burn Brae Mansion welcomes all to their Halloween Festival and Dark Forest Fright Walk. Enjoy beer and cider from Shrewd Fox Brewery; shop for food, crafts, and Halloween items too. October 19 - 20. Please note, the Fright Walk is not recommended for small children and does require trail walking. And, of course, what is Halloween without the sweet celebration of witches and wizards. Harry Potter nerd or not, plan a weekend getaway to Ithaca, NY for the ultimate Wizarding Weekend! October 26-28, partake in a pumpkin carving contest, a Quidditch pitch, wand dueling, human chess, magic classes and more all weekend long. No car? You can grab the Greyhound Bus straight to Ithaca!

October is here and we're living for all things autumn: apple picking, pumpkin patches, hay rides, cider donuts and, of course, CIDER! For those of you who joined us for our Applepalooza: Craft Wine, Cider & Beverages Fest last month, your taste buds have already been awakened to the amazing ciders that are made just outside the city. But if you just couldn't get enough - you're in luck! All of these cider-makers (and so many more) have fabulous farms, tasting rooms and orchards that you can visit for a day trip or weekend getaway all year long. Check out a few of our favorite New York Ciders that you can visit in person below. Brooklyn Cider House (New Paltz, NY): At Twin Star Orchards in New Paltz, NY, they have free cider tastings, delicious wood-fired pizza and burgers, and they sell fresh baked goods and seasonal produce from their garden. They also have a great selection of New York cider, wine, and spirits and pick-your-own “ugly apples” in the fall. Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider (Rhinebeck & New Paltz, NY): They produce a line of exceptional farm-based ciders with style and character. Drawing on classic European cider making techniques, these highly drinkable ciders have a robust new world flavor profile. The cidery is based at two beloved Hudson Valley farms, Breezy Hill Orchard near Rhinebeck and Stone Ridge Orchard near New Paltz. The farms are known for their commitment to ecological growing and the production of highly flavored fruit. The orchards produce over 100 varieties of apples and have just planted a dedicated hard cider orchard with a number of traditional cider apples including Dabinett, Bedan, Binet Rouge, Kingston Black, Chisel Jersey, Ashmeads Kernel, and others. The Kitchen at Stone Ridge is also offering three, five or seven course dinners filled with farm fresh ingredients, beverage pairing,