The Perfect Fall Day Trip from NYC Does Not Exi– Oh Wait, I Just Found It

This year and last, I opted to use Blacklane, which offers reliable chauffeur services from the city. This isn’t your typical car service—it’s much easier and much more convenient. I’m able to book and plan my entire day trip on the app, with full transparency in pricing (which is extremely reasonable), vehicle type (my friend group of four opted for a super comfy Business SUV) and duration.

Mapping out what some might call the perfect fall day trip from NYC (yes, I’m bragging), my friends and I threw on our flannel and puffy vests (not kidding) and awaited our SUV.

Blacklane’s friendly and knowledgeable driver picked us up at my doorstep in Manhattan. This year's first stop? Benmarl Winery, whose estate boasts the oldest vineyard in America. Wine aside, the Benmarl views of rolling hills are top notch. We timed things perfectly for the winery's 20th anniversary party, where we enjoyed great food, live music and a delicious sampling of six wines (the blush is a great choice if you have a sweet tooth!).

Then we headed to Quartz Rock Vineyard and Cider House for a few drinks at comfy picnic tables with a view. My friends enjoyed a flavored whiskey tasting (they even mixed their favorite with hot apple cider), while I tried two different white wines (the Seyval Blanc is extremely drinkable and crisp). The service at this family-owned vineyard was top-notch, and I'm so glad we were able to fit this stop into our schedule.

Afterwards, we headed to the busiest of the stops, Angry Orchard Cider House. I took in a cider flight—which ranged from amazing to a little too sweet for me. But the atmosphere was lively and fun. The lines were long but they moved fast—and it was worth the wait.

We wrapped things up with an outdoor dinner in Tarrytown at one of our favorite haunts, River Market Bar & Kitchen. I opted to end our Blacklane journey there so that we could sit and have a leisurely meal (with the option to keep the Tarrytown party going if we wanted). There’s a convenient train station located adjacent to River Market for a quick city return. But it would have also been an easy option to extend my trip and have our driver drop us back at my front door.

Were we exhausted after our perfect fall day trip? Absolutely, in the best way possible. Were we tipsy while we scrolled through the day’s photos on our short trip home? Again, yes. Will we be using Blacklane and heading north for fall fun again next year? I think you already know the answer.