There is nothing worse than returning from a weekend getaway feeling stressed as soon as you hit the hustle and bustle of the city. So this past weekend I went in search of a 48-hour vacation that could deliver a long-lasting sense of relaxation for New Yorkers.
It begins on a private balcony, overlooking a lush Appalachian mountain range, golf courses, and a slice of tropical paradise. The place is Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Golf Resort and the time to go is now.
On the top of a hill in Hardyston, New Jersey, 47 miles from Manhattan, the first thing you notice while leaning on your room’s terrace railing is that the stress has completely unraveled. Just you, the green mountain range to the northwest, an enormous sky, burbling brooks, and a smoky barbecue-scented air that sends you downstairs in search of food.
Garden to Table Dining
From the Chef’s Garden Restaurant at Crystal Springs Resort Note: Serves 4. Add fresh heirloom tomatoes to the salad, lightly salted, if desired. Ingredients: —2 cups olive oil |
Chef Danny Besser’s Olive Oil Lime DressingNow that spring has arrived, the place to go is the Chef’s Garden, one of the newest additions to Crystal Springs. A bit tucked away from the rest of the resort, the outdoor restaurant is a sustainable foodie’s delight. Adjacent to your seat are rows of spinach, tomatoes, peppers, giant eggplants, and bright purple cabbages, and just beyond that, a vista of mountains. No NYC culinary experience can compete with this.
The garden is 100% organic, and provides many of the seasonal ingredients for the menu. For dinner, order the chef’s family-style garden salad ($11), followed by the Pull-In Smoked Duroc Pork Sandwich ($8), and for dessert, the cobbler of the season ($9). Weather permitting, the Chef’s Garden will stay open through October. Another great on-site dining option, known for its private 60,000 bottle collection of world-class wine, is Restaurant Latour, which also gets its meats, fish, artisan cheeses and breads from local farms.
A Grand List of Lodge Activities
Whether the goal of your getaway is to finish a good book by a cozy fireside nook or reconnect with nature through some outdoor adventure, this property has something for everyone. On any given day, there is a naturalist-guided mountain hike and canoe trip, make-your-own caramel apples, wine tastings, bird watching, ping pong, biking ($50 rental/full day), a full-service spa voted #1 in the state, seven golf courses to choose from, and a $7 million indoor tropical Biosphere Pool Complex, complete with an underground aquarium, 140-foot water slide, steam room and sauna. A free shuttle can even take you to nearby Legends Riding Stables for an equestrian trail outing. After dark, consider stargazing, playing glow golf, roasting marshmallows, listening to live acoustic guitar music, or relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzi with a cocktail. If you’d like a night off from the kids, you can request a babysitter for $10/hour.
Crystal Springs Resort recently acquired Mountain Creek, which boasts $20 million of new renovations, so if you’re an avid skier or snowboarder, book a ski + stay package that includes an all day ski lift pass, overnight accommodations, and unlimited access to sister property Minerals Resort & Spa’s four indoor and outdoor heated pools, 6,000-square-foot fitness center, tennis and racquetball courts, indoor running track, full basketball court, and more than 45 weekly fitness classes. In addition to this month’s opening of Mountain Creek’s fabulous facility, 55,000-square-foot Red Tail Lodge, this winter haven is now offering America’s largest snow tube center, with more than 30 lanes totaling six miles of runs, two inflatable stuntman-style landing pads, and a brand new learning area for beginner skiers. As a winter alternative, jump on a cross-country skiing and snow shoeing outing to High Point State Park or bring your own gear and traverse the resort’s golf courses.
Home on the Range
Crystal Springs Resort has designed a sophisticated, warm and inviting environment for Grand Cascades Lodge, from the lobby to the landscaping to the guest rooms. Many of the 250 luxury units come with a balcony and gas fireplace, free wi-fi, one king or two queen beds with Tempur-Pedic mattresses, a flat-panel TV, a desk, bathroom with tub, and an I-Pod dock. Rates for a premium room begin at $234, and a one-bedroom suite with a kitchen, living and dining room area starts at $314. Consider booking a package like the Girlfriend’s Getaway or the Ultimate Spa & Stay package.
For a list of more getaway packages offered at great rates—for golfers, families, a group of girlfriends, wine lovers, couples, and even parents-to-be—visit Crystal Spring’s packages page.
How to get there: Consult offMetro’s guide to renting hybrids in Manhattan. The drive should take roughly an hour and a half from NYC. Check Google for specific directions. For public transportation options: Bus: Take New Jersey transit bus #196 or #197 into Warwick, NY about eight miles from the resort. Then call Crystal Limo Service at 973.271.1190
(Grand Cascades Lodge at Crystal Springs Resort, 3621 State Rt 94, Hamburg, NJ, 973.827.5996, crystalgolfresort.com)
KPICASA_GALLERY(CrystalSpringsResortReview)
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
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