For a relaxing weekend getaway with wineries, shopping, nightlife entertainment, and even a medieval festival, try Orange County, New York!

When you need to get away... Orange County, New York is the place! We were looking for a weekend get away from the routine workweek, and we found it on this trip.

After a quick 2-hour drive, we started our weekend off at the Brotherhood Winery. Brotherhood is the oldest winery in America. The Brotherhood Winery feels more like a museum than your average small winery. The tour is quite interesting and takes you underground into the old cellars where the wine was made and stored, and in some cases, still is. I was sad to see the destruction to some of the main buildings at the winery caused by a recent fire. Hopefully, the reconstruction plans they have will do justice to the great history of this location. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about wine and was also a fun host. She also lead the tasting. The tasting gave you a nice idea of the different types of wine brotherhood had to offer. The grounds are beautiful to walk around. If you have a chance, stop by the gift shop; it used to be an old church and has some nice wine-themed gifts. Be prepared to spend some time here, as the tour can easily be over an hour, and then the tasting takes some time as well. This is time worth spending, though.

Our next stop of the day was at the Storm King Art Center. This is a sculpture park and museum. This was one of the most unique museum experiences of my life. I was raised to be quiet and not to touch anything when walking into museums of any kind. Well, at Storm King, the outdoor environment invites you to walk around, bring a picnic and soak in all the art around you. We were extremely lucky to be there while the Alexander Calder outdoor monumental Sculpture exhibit was going on. I was familiar with Calder, as I had seen some of his work in New York City. These grand pieces were overwhelming to the sight. The park itself is breathtaking with its 500 acres of land filled with hills and surrounded by mountains. The time to go here is in nice weather, and due to the heat, I would have to recommend coming in cooler seasons like spring or fall. There is a small exhibit space indoor in the visitor center, but the main reason to come here would be to just walk the outdoor park. They do have a tour by tram. It reminds me of going to the zoo or some Disney-type ride, where you look out and see wild amazing creatures, except at Storm King, they are made of metal or stone.

We ended our night by going to The Cromwell Manor Inn. This was by far my favorite part of our trip, and I plan on coming back very soon. Not only are the grounds of this inn warm and inviting, the owners Jack and Cynthia are as well. They do not treat you as "everyday hotel guests," but as friends staying with them for a short time. Any one of the rooms in this wonderful hidden treasure would be a treat to stay in. Every room is decorated with an eye for detail from the furniture to the pictures on the wall to some of the antique pieces decorating the shelves. Every bed looks to be fit for a prince or a princess, and boy, do you feel like one when you stay here! We woke up to the smells of breakfast being cooked. Cynthia was nice enough to find out that we were leaving early for our tour and cooked breakfast especially for us. The fresh fruit and French toast was amazing. I think I found my new "runaway spot." After a night at the Cromwell Inn, I felt renewed. If you ever can't find me... Call The Cromwell Inn!

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