I’m looking for someplace withing driving distance from Jersey City/NYC for 3-4 days. There should be things to see and/or do with bonus points if there’s some place romantic to stay.
Thank you!
I vote for Tanglewood. A few good places to stay up that way as well!
Jay,
I think you should give us a few more details…
I was thinking south. My friend and his wife had a great time in Philly for his 40th, they stayed at a nice B&B right off Rittenhouse Sq. and did a bunch of things in the city, including a nice dinner. A bit closer is Lambertville/New Hope and the paths along the Delaware make for scenic walking/biking.
Tanglewood is a great idea, if you choose to go in that direction check out the Old Inn on the Green, my friend James is the wine director there.
A few ideas northeast of you that you might find interesting…(1) Stonington/Mystic CT … stay here …http://www.innatstonington.com/ or here http://www.oceanhouseri.com/ , (2) Block Island , RI, and (3) Newport, RI. As a disclaimer I live in (1) and frequent (3) all year round. There is so much going on in the summer along this coastal area that you won’t be bored…Gary
Definitely Block Island. Take the Amtrak (or Metro-North and connect to Shore Line East) to New London, walk across the street to the Fast Ferry,
and arrive soon in Old Harbor. Stay at the Spring House. I will vacation for much of August there.
Dutchess County (Rhinebeck, Red Hook, etc.) would be a nice option for antiquing, B&Bing, cheese farm touring, farmers’ markets and other activities.
Lake Placid. Probably about 5 hours away.
Oqunquitt Maine.
Lake Placid, Duchess County, Block Island are all good selections but come in a close second to Vermont.
Summer festivals for music, summer stock theater, mountain biking, alpine slides, golf, fishing, hiking, great restaurants and romantic bed and breakfasts, plus natural beauty make Vermont a great destination.
There are many great places to stay within a 4 to 5 hour drive from New Jersey.
While Vermont no longer has ocean/beach front property (it did at one time), there is a great lake, wonderful mountain streams, and majestic hills.
There are wonderful opportunities for outdoor activities, and theater, art galleries, antique shops and B&B’s for indoor activities.
You could also consider a trip through the Berkshires in MA up into Southern Vermont and return down the NY State Thruway back to NJ.
Thank you everyone!
So many choices. Dutchess County would involved the least amount of driving.
The Berkshires would be 3 hours. It has Tanglewood in the summer and lots of antiques and good restaurants.
The Northampton/Amherst area is really nice. Lots of music and young people.
Just north of Albany is Saratoga Springs which has the gorgeous horse races, but tends to be pricey and crowded once the racing season starts (late July).
The Finger Lakes is really beautiful, but a bit farther. Still, the lakes, the gorges, the wineries. A great variety of scenery and activities.
Thomas is right. Vermont is beautiful all over.
BTW I own a time share for one week during and very close to Tanglewood if you (or anyone else) is interested in renting a place for a week.
Troy
Stop fooling. He’ll believe you. 
All good answers above. Hey, Troy has a Dinosaur BBQ now so things must be getting better even there.
One thought that combines some of the options, especially if you would rather roam than stay in one spot. Day 1 on the North Fork of LI. Day 2 ferry to CT where there are several options including Mystic, the casinos, Block Island, Newport among others. You can combine 2-3 days among any of these. Then back to NYC on the lovely CT Turnpike (at least you only have to do it one way).
DC. We have great history, great museums and great offlines. Come here and I can put together a burg offline.
I know that prefered driving distance is subjective. But how about a 6-hour one to Montreal for some French flair?
I had suggested DC but it was the only place under discussion where Arnold had already spent a fair amount of time. Though you make it sound very tempting despite my oft expressed opinion that anyone who willingly travels to DC in the summer needs their head examined. But a burg offline might make Siberia sound tempting.
That explains the stuff coming from our leaders.
6 hours would be really pushing it. Even with just pee stops, it’s got to be at least 7.
Troy has a lot more than that, but I still doubt it’s most peoples’ idea of a getaway destination.
Of course, if your idea of a good time is a lengthy lecture on thermodynamics, then it definitely is the place to go!