NEWSLETTER
Orange County, N.Y. - You don’t need a big travel budget to maximize a full day of fun and exploration in Orange County, New York. From charming downtowns and handmade treats to family attractions and mountain trails, these three one-day itineraries pack plenty into a day of wonder while keeping the total around $100, all an hour from New York City.
You might even have enough left over to take home a souvenir such as a handmade craft or work of art. And the scenery? That’s free.
Here are three ways to spend the day: an itinerary for couples, one for families and one for outdoor adventurers. Follow one as written, or mix and match activities to create your own affordable getaway with Orange County Tourism and Film’s trip planner, pickocny.com/itineraries.
Couples Day: Small-Town Warwick, Farm Fresh + Craft Drinks
Theme: A leisurely day with beautiful scenery, good food and time to wander.
Area: Warwick
9 a.m. Explore downtown Warwick, N.Y. Stop for breakfast in your choice of eatery. ($15-$20). Wander and peruse stores such as Frazzleberries Country Store, Village Bungalow and LightClub Curiosity Shoppe. Want to linger? Get a coffee at Café e Dolci – New York ($10-$12).
Noon. Lunch at Pennings Farm, 4 Warwick Turnpike, Warwick, N.Y. ($40-$50) Lunch in the barn-style setting of the Harvest Grill, with seating inside or outside in pleasant weather. Then check out the marketplace. penningsfarmmarket.com
3:30 p.m. Go for a craft beverage. Take the scenic route to enjoy the landscape, then stop for beer, wine or spirits. A couple of options:
- At Drowned Lands Brewery, 251 State School Road, Warwick, N.Y., sip one of their IPAs, fruited sours or a different treat, like the pumpkin cider, on Wawayanda Creek. Listen to live music or check their calendar for special events. ($20-$30) tinyurl.com/PickOCNY-
DrownedLands - Prefer wine or spirits? Visit Warwick Valley Winery, Distillery and Orchard, 114 Little York Road, Warwick, N.Y. Sample wines such as the popular Harvest Moon white or Black Dirt red, or their spirits including Warwick Gin or their Black Dirt bourbon or rye. (Tastings start at $8 for wine, $12 for spirits.) Admission is charged on weekends in September and October, when visitors enjoy live music. tinyurl.com/
PickOCNYWarwickWinery
Budget
Downtown Warwick: $15-$30
Lunch: $30-$40
Craft beverage: $20-$30
Total: $65-$101
Families: History, a Picnic Lunch and Mini Golf
Theme: Things kids can see, touch and explore.
Area: Monroe-Chester
Target budget: $75 to $110 for a family of four
10:00 a.m. Museum Village of Old Smith's Clove, 1010 Route 17M, Monroe, N.Y.
The open-air museum re-creates a late-19th-century village, with historic buildings, trades and demonstrations. ($20-40) museumvillage.org.
Noon: Pack a picnic lunch. ($20-25) Picnic at Crane Park and Airplane Park, Millponds Parkway, Monroe, N.Y. Scenic Crane Park features two ponds, one with a gazebo on a small island. Let the young ones play on Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible playground equipment at Airplane Park.
2 p.m. The Castle Fun Centre, 109 Brookside Ave., Chester, N.Y. Play mini golf. ($40-45). Play 18 holes in a lively, colorful setting. Castle also offers a host of family fun activities including go karts, a zip line, Dragon Coaster and bowling. tinyurl.com/PickOCNYCastleFun
Estimated family-of-four budget:
Museum Village: about $20-40
Picnic Lunch: $20-25
Mini Golf $40-45
Total: $75-$110
Adventurers: Hike, Explore & Discover
Theme: Spend the day outside, get exercise and see Orange County from its highest point.
Area: New Windsor-Newburgh
Target budget: $100 for two
8:30 a.m. Hike Schunnemunk Mountain, Otterkill Road, New Windsor, N.Y.
Get out early for a hike among the 3,300 acres of Schunnemunk State Park. Challenge yourself to reach the summit, Orange County’s highest point at 1,664 feet. tinyurl.com/PickOCNY-Schunn
11:30 a.m. Picnic at the Peak. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at the peak of Schunnemunk Mountain or another park. $15-20). You’ll keep costs down and linger over lunch with a view.
1 p.m. Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Road, New Windsor, N.Y.
Look at Storm King as more than an art museum. It is an art-and-landscape adventure on 500 acres of meadows, hills, woods and varied walking terrain. Admission for two is $56 on peak weekends in fall. tinyurl.com/PickOCNY-SKAC.
3:30 p.m. Brotherhood Winery, America’s Oldest Winery, 100 Brotherhood Plaza, Washingtonville, N.Y.
Finish the day with an unguided tasting of five wines, for $15 per person. Or splurge a little and join a group tour of the network of underground wine cellars, with a tasting, for $25 per person. tinyurl.com/PickOCNY-
Estimated Budget:
Hike: Free
Lunch: $15-20
Storm King: $56
Brotherhood Winery: $30-50
Total: roughly $100-$125 for two
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