Long distance relationships can be trying but there are some perks! Aside from getting to be with the best man ever, I love that my long distance relationship provides me with a great excuse to travel. Before being in a long distance relationship, as much as I loved to travel, it was really a once in a while thing. Now I find myself making monthly trips and I'm not bothered by it! Though it can get pricy, I've learned the cheapest ways to spend quality time with my person when we're not always in the same place. Right now, I am based in New York City and he is working in upstate New York about three hours north of the city. This is a cakewalk in comparison to other distances but provides us with fun opportunities for weekend getaways.
While sometimes we split the distance, this weekend I stayed with him to cut the cost of paying for a hotel and because he was busy with work. He is working in Endicott, NY which is a small town to the West of larger upstate hub Binghamton, NY. Though Endicott is your run of the mill small town, there are a number of things to do here and in neighboring towns. Here are the ingredients for a good romantic getaway with your long distance lover.
I pretty much cook for myself when I'm home in the city, so when I visit Matt, I always rely on there being good food around. It's always fun to go out to eat with your person because you can try new things together. In Endicott, it seemed to be mainly food chains and ma and pop type Italian restaurants. I checked out TripAdvisor to get advice on where to try first. One night, we splurged on a nicer meal from Number 5, a local steakhouse, which is rated very high on TripAdvisor. To balance that pricy meal, another night we ate at the sweet, nostalgic Skylark Diner and enjoyed breakfast for dinner which is one of my guilty pleasures.
In my opinion, another important aspect for a successful romantic getaway is a pretty background. Living in New York City, I get tired of the metropolitan atmosphere and crave nature any time I leave city limits. Lucky for me, Endicott was the perfect spot for that. Located just off the Hudson River, the views of the surrounding mountains and the river were astonishing. Endicott is connected to neighboring town Vestal by a cute bridge that crossed over an especially picturesque part of the Hudson River and I loved driving over that with my boyfriend. The area allowed us to take amazing hikes. Click here for hiking trails mapped by locals and visitors.
Though we spend most of our time talking and catching up, it's always nice to have some fun activities locally. Experiencing the culture of different places together is really fun. Matt happened to be working at a local theatre here in Endicott. The Cider Mill Playhouse doubles as a live theatre and a cider mill which made it a shoe in for something fun for us to do. Though he had to work the show, I got to see their production of The Drowsy Chaperone which was really wonderful! Though a musical theatre buff, I had never seen this particular production. The Drowsy Chaperone is essentially a show inside a show. We join Man in Chair as he reminisces one of his favorite musical records, The Drowsy Chaperone, a ridiculous prohibition era musical where weddings are called off, then called on, then more weddings are arranged. As you watch Man in Chair, played with great conviction by Joshua Sedelmeyer, listen to the record, you grasp that musicals and arts and culture in general are a great escape from reality and a great way to learn. I think that this message is even more vital today than in the show's Broadway premiere in 2006, because of the impending budget cuts of the arts. The show does a really good job at supporting the argument as to why we need arts funding.
In addition to Cider Mill Playhouse, a quick twenty minute drive away, is the Apple Hill Farm, an apple picking farm, farmers market, and more. Though the weather wasn't friendly enough for us to apple pick, we did get to visit the farmers market which was so much fun since the only other farmers market I've ever known is in Union Square, making this a completely different experience and a fun one to share with my significant other.
No matter the place, the most important thing when visiting your long distance significant other is quality time. Never take a moment with them for granted. Finding spots with great local food, beautiful landscapes, and unique activities just makes the vacation even more special.
