Who says you have to travel far from home to enjoy the kind of natural beauty that comes with a complete feeling of urban escape? Fortunately for New Yorkers, just to our north, Westchester encompasses 18,000 acres of verdant parkland, woods, hiking and biking trails, and a place for activities like kayaking and fishing. Add to that a new Westchester Fit & Active hotel package (click to learn more) created by the Westchester Hotel Association, and your late summer plans for an al fresco getaway just got made.
Westchester’s proximity to the Big Apple means that you will waste little of your precious weekend getaway time (and money) on planes and rented cars. A quick Metro-North ride from midtown Manhattan and you are in the lush, serene outdoors. Nearly a dozen fine Westchester hotels are offering a variety of healthy amenities and activities until the end of summer at bargain rates. If you never quite got your body ready for bathing suit season, now is your chance.
Fit and Active packages start at a super-low $116 per night. Each hotel offers a different mix of activities and prices to suit every budget, and families are not left out of the fun and fitness. The Crowne Plaza (starts at $219 up to two adults and two children) White Plains package includes unlimited rides for four people at Rye Playland, which offers amusements for everyone in the family, from your pint-sized Evel Knievel to his afraid-of-heights parents. Mini-golf for the gang is also thrown in for good sporting measure.
Couples should have a look at the Castle on the Hudson ($450 per couple) for a romantic retreat that will sweep you away from the hustle and bustle of urban strife. A three-course dinner for two at Equus, the hotel’s highly praised dining spot, and loads of other goodies are included in the package. The Castle is located in charming Tarrytown. (Loyal oM readers are already savvy to this town’s fine dining, antiquing, art galleries and majestic views of the Hudson.)
The Tarrytown Doubletree‘s package caters to cyclists, and includes two one-day bike rentals. The bikes will be put to good use on the nearby 36.2 mile paved bike and pedestrian trails.
Summer’s not over yet. Don’t miss your opportunity to get away with these great value packages. With such a short stress-free travel time, your excuses are running out. For more detailed information on all of the participating hotels—including the Tarrytown House Estate (starting at $159), Doral Arrowwood (starting at $149) and the Ritz Carlton Westchester—plus variety of packages, visit the Westchester Tourism Fit and Active page.
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram