Drive to Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania

Escape route: Drive 90 miles due west on Interstate 80 through New Jersey and over the Delaware River to the small town of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, at the edge of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Make a day of it: Pull in at the Village Farmer bakery to pick up tasty provisions, such as cinnamon-dusted donuts and a picnic lunch (a sandwich, drink, cookies, and chips for $6.95). After a warm-up lap around Delaware Water Gap's sleepy Main Street, tackle the Appalachian Trail…well, a small section of it, at least. The four-mile loop from the edge of town to Mount Minsi's 1,463-foot peak passes through quiet forest, skirts pretty Lake Lenape, and rewards hikers with views of the Gap and Mount Tammany across the river. Many other well-blazed trails crisscross the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; city slickers feeling a bit intimidated by the great outdoors might prefer the two-hour guided hikes run by Edge of the Woods Outfitters ($25).

Perfect ending: The historic eight-room Deer Head Inn, at the end of Main Street, is housed in a 19th-century Victorian-style building with two wraparound porches. With a restaurant and a jazz club that hosts live acts Thursdays through Sundays, it's a mellow place to settle in for the night.—Lynn Suhrie

Village Farmer
13 Broad Street
Tel: 570 476 9440

Edge of the Woods Outfitters
110 Main Street
Tel: 570 421 6681

Deer Head Inn
5 Main Street
Tel: 570 424 2000

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