ADIRONDACKS Saranac Lake

New Paltz to the Adirondacks: 230 miles, 3.5 hrs

The state's tallest mountain peaks have been battlegrounds for three wars; home turf to Native American and French encampments, loggers and miners; host to two Olympics; and destination of choice for Gilded Age magnates. The region includes the Adirondack Park, Lake Champlain's western shore, and 11 Scenic Byways. Campgrounds and accommodations range from low-key to sumptuous. Find virtually every outdoor sport; artisans; shops; museums; historic homes, forts, and farms; gemstone fields; theater; regattas; dining; and excursion railroads.

CORNING Glass Museum

Kingston to Finger Lakes: 258 miles, 4 hrs.

Whatever you can do outdoors can be done bigger and better here—including hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, fishing, white-water rafting, sailing, bird-watching, and wine tasting along the Canandaigua, Cayuga, Keuka, and Seneca Wine Trails. These 9,000 square miles also feature world-class ballooning, hangliding, golf, and tennis. Route 54A along Keuka Lake was named one of the top 15 scenic drives in the world by British Airways. Historical sites include the Women's Rights Heritage Trail, Underground Railroad stops, and the Erie Canal.

BECKET Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

Hudson to Berkshires: 60 miles, 1.5 hrs.

The Berkshires provide a lushly wooded home for some of the country's most venerated cultural institutions. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge exhibits Rockwell's beloved painted Americana. MASS MoCA (North Adams), offers diverse, sophisticated works—like German socialist artist Joseph Beuys's sculpture. The Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (Becket) features the contemporary Maori and Pacific Islander company Black Grace and Japan's Project Fukurow. The summertime Tanglewood Music Festival presents everything from Beethoven to Tony Bennett.

PHILADELPHIA Liberty Bell

Beacon to Philadelphia: 157 miles, 3 hrs.

Trends, kitsch, and history meld together. Get grits at Down Home Diner, Amish farmers' meals—with Amish folks onsite—at the Dutch Eating Place, or genuine espresso at Old City Coffee—all within fanciful Reading Terminal Market. Find your roots at Liberty Bell Center, Independence Hall, and the National Constitution Center. Shop exclusive boutiques like Reebok's Rbk and punk fashion house Zipperhead. Crowd-crushing clubs abound, from the Swanky Bubbles champagne bar, to 32 Degrees, where shots are served in ice cube "glasses."

CONEY ISLAND Mermaid Parade

Hyde Park to the Beach: 114 miles, 2.5 hrs.

Though we live in a valley the salt and solace of the beach isn't far away. Less than three hours will get you to Brooklyn's famous and now refurbished Coney Island, where a historic museum has joined burlesque shows, or the Jersey Shore. Long Branch, a glamorous 'Jersey resort from the 1860s to World War I, is enjoying a rebirth but remains ostensibly a monument to past glory that's a perfect setting for a quiet, romantic wander. Visit nearby Keansburg for its newly cleaned-up beaches, scenic bay-walk park, and Beachway Road amusement and water park.