offManhattan

Great things await travel in our future: jetpacks, floating walkways, miles long pneumatic tubes—all prophesied by the futurists at Hanna-Barbera—but what about the near future? In what ways can intercity travel become more convenient and efficient for us today? It’s a question we’ve asked and answered. It’s the bus.

More to the point, it’s Megabus. The Chicago-based company launched in 2006 as a subsidiary of Coach USA, and has since put itself at the vanguard of high-quality, low-cost city-to-city travel, servicing 19 Midwest and 14 Northeast cities in the United States. Later this summer, Megabus will introduce a new bus from New York City to Providence.

After the jump, learn about their big incentive for visiting the Creative Capital of Rhode Island.

Who says you have to travel far from home to enjoy the kind of natural beauty that comes with a complete feeling of urban escape? Fortunately for New Yorkers, just to our north, Westchester encompasses 18,000 acres of verdant parkland, woods, hiking and biking trails, and a place for activities like kayaking and fishing. Add to that a new Westchester Fit & Active hotel package (click to learn more) created by the Westchester Hotel Association, and your late summer plans for an al fresco getaway just got made.

The names of Atlantic City’s streets are familiar to anyone who has ever spent an afternoon playing Monopoly. Now that you’ve left childhood games behind, you may be acquainted with the hedonistic pleasures that make Atlantic City the Tri-State area’s grown-up playground. Although its gaming casinos have put it prominently on the map, don’t be fooled into thinking it is a one-note town. It is a haven for fine dining, tax -free outlet shopping, top-notch entertainment and a slew of events that are garnering national attention, from the upcoming Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival to the Atlantic City Film Festival slated for this fall.

A New Way to Get to Atlantic City
Whether you visit Atlantic City to roll the dice or stroll the boardwalk, you can save time, money, and greenhouse gas emissions the next time you visit—without skimping on comfort. Hampton Luxury Liner is now offering daily coach bus service to Harrah’s Resort and Caesars from several convenient locations in Manhattan, along with one in Plainview, Long Island. They are well known for transporting New Yorkers to the Hamptons and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, without the hassle, expense, and carbon footprint that comes with driving. 1.4 million gallons of gasoline are saved every year in the U.S. as a result of using public transportation, so if you haven’t hopped on the car-free wagon, this is your chance to.

For thrill-seekers, adrenaline junkies, and anyone who envies birds for their ability to fly, there is a new opportunity for you to soar at high speeds among the tree tops just two hours from NYC. Over Memorial Day weekend, New York Zipline Adventures opened what will become the longest zipline operation in North America at the popular winter ski destination of Hunter Mountain. Currently, two tours are available for the zipping throughout the Catskills’ forest canopy, over streams, waterfalls, and wildlife on a 1/2-inch steel cable.

When the piping hot pavement and overcrowded parks replace a love of Manhattan with the annual summer in the city claustrophobia, don’t duck and cover in the Hamptons. Consider Scotland instead.

There is such a place in the Hudson Valley that’s got everything but the bagpipes. Just 40 minutes north of NYC, Castle on the Hudson is that mysterious, medieval-style stone hotel, tucked away in 11 hilltop acres overlooking the Hudson River. You may have seen the clouds tiptoeing over the century-old towers as you crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge into Tarrytown.

Rising from southeastern Connecticut’s rolling green hills, a few short hours from New York City, is an unrivaled entertainment destination. Foxwoods Resort Casino is North America’s largest casino with 340,000 square feet of gaming space in a complex that covers 4.7 million square feet. The property comprises over 30 restaurants, 24 retail shops, nightclubs, spas, and numerous world-class performance venues. And that’s not all.

One summer weekend, find yourself sitting on a new exclusive offManhattan-Foxwoods charter on Peter Pan Bus heading to an oasis in Mashantucket that is both calming and exhilarating. It’s where Frank Sinatra christened a theater, and Tom Collichio now celebrates seasonal cuisine.

While we applaud the New York City Parks Department for their efforts to bring us a little slice of the wild outdoors with kayaking on the Hudson, let’s be frank—it’s not exactly an adrenaline rush. Lucky for us city folk, as well as those with a healthy fear of murky water, adventure is not so far away. Take a break from the hiking and biking this summer and get rolling on some whitewater rapids with Whitewater Challengers a little farther up river from home.

Nova Scotia, or “New Scotland,” bears a striking resemblance to its namesake, both in its landscape—defined by lush highland hills, rugged cliffs and crashing seas—and in its culture, which still clings to Scottish roots, nearly 400 years after Scottish nobleman Sir William Alexander was granted his plot of land. Though Gaelic culture may sometimes feel like a rarity in the modern world, in Nova Scotia it is alive and well. Here, you’ll find tartan shops and Gaelic welcome signs, weekend céilidhs (traditional Gaelic music and dancing parties)—mixed in with some Acadian French traditions.