offManhattan

What: Foxwoods is teaming up with offManhattan and Peter Pan Bus Lines to provide a bus from NYC to Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Where: Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT. Less than three hours from NYC.

When: Special round-trip charters: July 17, July 24, July 31, and August 7, departing at 12p.m. (Call Carmilisse Farrell at 860.312.3448 or email cfarrell@foxwoods.com to make your reservation!)

Why: Because this is North America’s largest casino and it’s now easier to get to—and more affordable—than ever before. The Emerald City of the U.S., Foxwoods will be the most fun, stress-free weekend getaway you’ll have all summer. And these seats will sell out fast—especially with the meal voucher and great discounts on performances included with your ticket—so follow the yellow brick road to 34th Street, and enjoy the ride! (For more info about the destination, read offManhattan’s review. For reservation details and the entertainment at Foxwoods, read on.)

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. The crashing waves and salty sea breezes aren’t going anywhere, but there is an upcoming event here you don’t want to miss.

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.

Around here, at offManhattan, Earth Day is a year-round mantra that we try and live by, not merely a daylong change of habits. So encourage your children to start on the green path, with earth-friendly habits that will last a lifetime. You will set the right example when you travel to your next vacation destination without a car.

oM readers are already familiar with Woodloch Pines and Skytop Lodge, both terrific choices for your family’s next holiday. Here are five more options in the Northeast, from Mount Tremper to Maine—free lobster dinners and free camp— that promise fun for kids and parents while respecting that most important parent, Mother Earth.

The most affordable option isn’t always the healthiest one, and the healthy option is usually the least affordable. That’s true with most things, from your health to the health of the planet. Solar panels on your roof are expensive, but a double down sandwich from KFC, not so much.

So it’s nice when two masters are served, as is the case with Megabus, a bus travel business connecting the Northeast and Midwest using fuel-efficiency and low cost prices.

You can only learn so much watching The Food Network. Put down the remote control and pick up a whisk at one of these culinary destinations near New York City—from the Culinary Institute of America in the Hudson Valley to a quaint bed and breakfast-hosted food and wine pairing in New Jersey. You may just find your inner Julia Child. Even if your soufflés fall and your cookies crumble, a good time (and a new take-home chef’s hat) is all but guaranteed at one of the following six gastronomical getaways–all accessible without a car, of course.

Less than a two-hour train ride north of Manhattan, Rhinebeck is a quirky slice of New York history with all the trappings of a quaint upstate town. Home to the state’s Sheep and Wool Festival and the big annual Dutchess County Fair, this village in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains packs a pleasant punch, between the natural beauty of the Hudson Valley, non-commercial shopping avenues, time-honored traditions, and “hiya neighbor” local spirit; don’t be too surprised when a stranger invites you to an open house for dinner—and you find yourself wanting to extend the weekend just one more day.

offManhattan recently starting blogging for The Huffington Post, and we want to make sure our readers are up to (green) speed on all things oM. So, with Earth Day’s 40th anniversary approaching, we’ve discovered that the National Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. has chosen this year to supplant a pretty cause with a truly ecological one. From adrenaline-pumping activities to sustainable eats, here are six green ways to celebrate the annual spring event.

1. Ditch the car. Take the bus.
2. Opt for sweet (sustainable) dreams.
3. Bike the blossoms.
4. A green appetite.
5. In the greenlight.
6. Drink Greenly.

Read the full story on Huffington Post’s Green section.