A Weekend Guide to Upstate New York

When the city grid feels like too much static, I drive north. Upstate weekends are a practice in packing light and choosing one town to linger in. My favorites right now: Phoenicia for its riverside diner, Hudson for treasure-hunting, and Livingston Manor for cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows.

I mapped out a 48-hour itinerary that leaves plenty of margin for naps and roadside farm stands. Think misty hikes, wood-fired pizza, and the soft clink of enamel mugs on a porch railing.