To be perfectly honest, a lot of the time when I travel I'm not looking for anything like fancy hotels, restaurants, or activities. Most of the time I'm just looking for a good view. That was the cause of my move to New England many years ago, and I don't regret that. There's nothing like a good view, and the Northeast has so many of them.
1. The High Peaks of Greene County of the Catskill Mountains, near Catskill, New York. It's called the land of Rip Van Winkle. There are so many things named after the Washington Irving Legend that it will surprise you. It's one of the most iconic places that I visit in the Northeast.
The views cannot be matched. One of my favorite views is off the top of Kaaterskill Mountain where the Catskill Mountain House Hotel used to be. You can see all the way past the Hudson River from up there, and if you happen to be there on a nice day, it will feel like you can see forever.
There are many places where you can walk and even drive to the top of one of these magnificent peaks and you will never be disappointed with the view. You can also go to any one of the ski resorts in summer and even fall and ride ski lift or gondola to the top for another amazing mountaintop view. It's worth every minute of windy little roads that you need to navigate on the way up.
Another great view that the Catskills afford you is the waterfalls. Kaaterskill Falls with its double plunge is probably the best known, but there are many great falls to look at in the Catskills. Most are easily reached by short trails. Kaaterskill is the hardest one to hike to, because it has a long steep staircase. Still worth it.
There are so many beautiful views in the Catskills that you'll never want to put your camera down. Whether it's the iconic bridges, cliffs, waterfalls, the Hudson River, the winding roads or even the cat statues in downtown Catskill; you'll love every view you see. This is why the Catskills is one of my favorite places to go for the view.
2. Lighthouses. The Northeast Region has some of the most iconic lighthouses you'll ever see. They are all along the coast, up and down the Hudson River, and all over the many islands of the northern Atlantic Seaboard. Whether it be Nubble in York, Maine or the Roosevelt Island Light in New York City's East River; you will be charmed with the structures and in general; the view.
Some of my favorite lighthouses are Nubble in York, Maine; Montauk in Montauk, Long Island, NY; Rondout in Kingston, NY; Stafford Shoal in Long Island Sound, and Gay Head Light in Aquinnah, Martha's Vineyard, MA.
In the northeast you can visit many of the lighthouses, take a boat tour in many areas to see several lighthouses or just spend the day looking around. You'll find them. All you have to do is Google.
3. Bridges. That's right, there are amazing bridges all over the northeast. Whether you walk under them, a dramatic path to get a view of an amazing bridge or you walk the bridge. Bridge walking is one of my favorite things, and a lot of the notable bridges in the region are walkable.
You'd be surprised how many of the amazing bridges that cross the Connecticut, Thames and Hudson Rivers are walkable. You can even walk across the George Washington Bridge in New York City. If you're looking for a view, you can't beat it.
https://www.theemptynestexplorers.com/blog/walking-across-the-hudson-river-via-3-different-crossings
4. The views in New York City. This will never get old and you'll never run out of good views. There are several bridges, most of which you can walk all over the city. There are islands in the rivers and the harbor. There are beaches along the shore in Brooklyn. There are observation decks on skyscrapers. There are elevated parks and elevated trains. There are so many ways to get a great view of the city that you really should find some of them.
The great thing about the city is that a lot of the views are free. Even if you want to get a look at that skyline, you can jump on the Staten Island Ferry or the IKEA shuttle or something. You don't have to take a tour. Remember that. Views you'll love and really low cost to get them. That's the beauty of New York City.
5. Foliage. I don't care what you're looking at; there's no better way to enjoy fall foliage than to come to the northeast. From a mountaintop, from a boat on a river, in a park, off a cliff, in a valley, in an iconic little village in Vermont, from a gondola or whatever. It's just the best seasonal view you'll ever have.
I've spent my foliage seasons all over this region and there's not really a bad spot. You do have to watch out for the tour buses though. If you travel to look at foliage on or around Columbus Day/Discovery Day/Indigenous People's Day; check out where the tours offered are going and pick a different area. It can get quite crowded that weekend and you'll feel more like you're at Yellowstone than in the northeast looking at leaves. Always make sure you check an app or website that monitors the foliage in the fall so you know when is the best time to visit.
Another great thing that goes along with our leaf peeping traditions are a ton of fall fairs and festivals. We go apple picking, pumpkin picking and corn maze wandering. We love everything pumpkin as a rule and everything apple. You'll have to try the cider both warm and cold. It's just that we love the beauty that fall brings us. We all know it's about to get nasty for months, but we do not go quietly into that harsh night. We do a lot of celebrating first.
If you've never considered visiting the northeast United States, you might just be missing out. We're renowned for being crowded and having busy roads, but it's not all asphalt and concrete out here. A true New Englander or Northeasterner can make a day out of the littlest things. A lot of us love to hike, walk, kayak, ski, and a lot of other outdoor activities. Most of us love to get on a boat of some kind and go where there's a great view. It's just a fact. We have lighthouse tours, foliage tours, train tours and all kinds of tours. The northeast, while being known for its politics, overpopulated cities and overpricing; is a place you can come, meet some truly unique and fun people, see amazing natural wonders with great views and enjoy!
