b'Day-Tripping ItMaking the most of an 18-hour vacationBY TIA SWANSONT here is nothing like a vacation. Thenbut just as sweet. innoparticularorder,aresometo end the evening a bit earlier, but they can start a again, there is nothing like a daycationAndsohere,bit earlier too. Piermont is surrounded by trails and eitherthat lovely, casual, less stressedwonderful daycation destinations. parks, many of which include spectacular views over middlegroundbetweenstayingputtheHudson. TallmanMountainStatePark butts and hoofing it for exotic climes. ThePIERMONT,NYMyhusbandandIlovetoup against Piermont, and, in addition to trails, has idea of a daycation is to get away fromspend summer afternoons into the evening wander- a public pool complex that sells day passes. Paradise the ordinary, but not far, so you can going around Piermont, says Maggie Tuohy, who hasBoats rents watercraft to explore the marshes around and come back in a single day, although on rare oc- raised four children in Maplewood. While she andPiermont and the Hudson itself. And while its not casions a night in a cheap hotel with a swimmingher family have made plenty of use of Mor-pool or a tent pitched in a State Park offers its ownris Countys Park system for hikes and bicy-little glimpse of heaven. cle rides, when shes ready for a date night, The appeals of a daycation are myriad: Its rela- she and her husband, Marty, head north to tively cheap; it can be planned and executed at thePiermont, the charming town that sits on drop of a hat; and dollar for dollar and hour for hourthe western banks of the Hudson just across it is every bit as fun as its more expensive and ex- the New York border. The Tuohys poke in haustive cousin. This may be why daycations are aand out of the stores on Piermont Avenue, favorite of many.grab a drink at one of the bars with out-Living in the shadow of New York City meansdoor seating and dine alongside the river there is no end to the things one can find to do inat Cornettas. The view of the boats and a day. In summer, however, with the heat pressingthe river is spectacular, Maggie says. But, downontheconcrete,thebestdaycationsoftenshe adds, the best part is finishing the eve-can be found by heading away from all that, towardning listening to live music at The TurningSouth Orange residents Rebecca Gelman and Michael Ehrenreich emptier places where the pleasures are fewerfewerPoint. Those with kids in tow may wantoperate Big Bear Gear in Lambertville.38/ matters magazine / summer 2022'