Whether heading to a gourmet getaway in New Haven or a relaxing bike ride in the Hudson Valley, one of our favorite methods to escape is by Metro-North. This week, we visited the Metro-North Getaway Day at Grand Central Terminal to find even more inspiration for summer trips (and, of course, share our favorite getaways via Metro-North). From package deals to new partnerships, summer 2017 is all about collaboration to make it even easier to get out of town.
Beyond the Metro-North Station
As extensive as our public transit system is, it does not, alas, go everywhere. Getaway Day let us connect with the team at Metro-North and hear more about their 2017 goal of going beyond their own stations with new transportation partnerships.
This summer, join Escape Maker for a Farm Fresh Tour highlighting Dutchess County’s farms, wineries and distilleries. Take Metro-North to Poughkeepsie.
Further South in the Hudson Valley, volunteer-run group GO Peekskill has also launched a free shuttle on Saturdays that connects train travelers to select hotels and restaurants throughout the town.
Arguably the most notable partnership for 2017 is the one between Metro-North and Zipcar called “Ride2Drive” which includes Zipcars stationed at key Metro-North locations. According to Donna N. Haynes, the Assistant Director of Partnerships at Metro-North Railroad, “We’re excited to introduce Ride2Drive which makes it easy for customers to take the train and jump in a ZipCar at stations in the Hudson Valley and get to great places like Storm King, Stone Barns and West Point or New York State trails and parks that would normally be out of reach by public transportation.”
Exhibits Galore
Museums and art spaces also showed up en force with news of their upcoming (and easy to get to) exhibits for the summer.
One of our favorite go-to art spaces during the summer is the Storm King Art Center. This summer, they’re presenting White Sculptures, an exploration of the use of white by artist David Smith and Outlooks: Heather Hart, an interactive exhibit about rooftops.
In Norwalk, the Maritime Aquarium is ramping up this summer by introducing both a flamingo and octopus exhibit and the Lockwood Mathews Mansion is showing a new exhibit Wedding Traditions and Fashion from the 1860s to the 1930s.
Closer to home and still accessible via Metro-North, the New York Botanical Garden just opened Art by Dale Chihuly which runs through the summer. Use the code “9112” online to get 20% off an All Garden Pass Ticket.
How to Get There: Metro-North runs extensive train lines out of Grand Central Terminal covering the Hudson Valley and Connecticut.
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