A Snowy State of Mind: Winter in New York City and Upstate

The next two days are all about getting to the city’s core. Start your days with a quintessential New York breakfast – a lox bagel and black coffee – before hitting the sights, starting with one of the most panoramic of them all, the Edge Hudson Yards Observation Deck. The highest deck in the Western Hemisphere, its one-of-a-kind design makes you feel like you’re floating over the city’s skyline – especially if you stand on its glass floor. In the afternoon, you’ll pay a visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which chronicles the events of September 11th through media, narratives and a collection of monumental and authentic artefacts.

The next day, fuel up with a hot dog before strolling down Fifth Avenue to skate on the legendary Rockefeller ice rink. Then it’s down to the docks for a cruise along the city’s three rivers. You’ll pass under 20 bridges and circle round over 130 landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center and the Yankee Stadium; it’s quite the sightseeing tour. Of course, no trip to New York is complete without a visit a slice of pizza, so we recommend ending the evening at any one of the city’s iconic pizzerias.

Today, you’ll bid farewell to New York City (and public transport) and say hello to your hire car and Monticello, just a two-hour drive away in the Catskill Mountains. Defined as a ‘village’, this upstate outpost is far from what we know in the UK. Its downtown is bustling – filled with charming and historic buildings that play host to boutiques, bars and restaurants – while its hinterland is pockmarked by enticing wineries. It’s also home to numerous art galleries and theatres, which have successfully put the village (or small city) back on the map. Spend the evening getting acquainted with your new hotel, where you’ll be hunkering down for the next five nights, and getting to grips with Monticello life at its local bars and restaurants.

Named after Thomas Jefferson’s Virginian residence, Monticello, it’s not surprising that New York’s Monticello (pronounced mon-tah-sell-oh) packs a punch in the culture department. Visit the nearby Bethel Woods Center for the Arts for a walk down memory lane back to the iconic 1969 Woodstock festival at its museum, or make a night of it at one of their live shows. If you’re after a dose of fresh air, Monticello has it by the bucketful during the colder months. By November, the Catskill Mountains are a winter wonderland, complete with two of the state’s best ski resorts. Welcoming skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, and offering a premier apres-ski experience, as well as ice skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, it’s the perfect alpine retreat away from the hustle and bustle of New York. A day on the slopes followed by myriad farm-to-fork dining options… what’s not to love?