New York Labor Day Weekend Getaways

• Hyde Park, New York, is about four hours outside New York City.London - Hyde Park image by XtravaganT from Fotolia.com
  
  Labor Day is traditionally the end of the summer season in New York; New York City public school students return to school shortly after Labor Day, and the city heats up with new theater and restaurant openings. The weather around Labor Day is usually mild, with the heat of the summer over. Yet is is still warm enough to go the beach.
  
  Within two hours of New York City, you can find many choices for a weekend get-away, whether by car or train. Just remember that on holiday weekends, many hotels require a three-night minimum.
  
  

Greenport, Long Island

• You can take the Long Island Expressway or Long Island Rail Road to Greenport, Long Island. Once you are there, it is perfect for biking, visiting wineries and farms and going to the beach. Beaches here are a bit rocky, not the soft sand of the south shore, but the water temperature around Labor Day is perfect for swimming.
  
  Hike the North Port Audubon Society's Red House nature trail or rent a kayak in Eagle's Neck. The little town of Greenport and surrounding North Fork communities also have fine restaurants and boutique shopping.
  
  

Hudson, New York

• Head upstate to Hudson, two hours or so by the New York State Thruway or a couple of hours on Amtrak. This river town in Columbia County is filled with antique shops, and a thriving farmer's market offers locally grown food.
  
  See more of the water from Hudson Cruises, boat rides that leave from a waterfront park. If you have kids with you, check out the nearby Museum of Firefighting, where you can climb onto different fire trucks.
  
  

Historic homes

• Hyde Park and Rhinebeck, in upstate New York, are home to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Home and Museum, Val-Kill (Eleanor Roosevelt's home) and the Vanderbilt Mansion, all open for touring. Rhinebeck also has the cool Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, with a collection of antique planes. You can drive to Rhinebeck on the New York State Thruway, about 2.5 hours, or take Metro North, but a car is better for getting around.
  
  Both towns have antique shops and farmer's markets. Depending on when Labor Day falls, the Dutchess County Fair may still be open. The Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, has several excellent restaurants.