Where's a good place to get away from it all outside of new York city for a day?

How about the Hudson Valley, a gorgeous place.

Not sure what you are looking for, but an overnight trip to the Mohonk Mountain House up in New Paltz is a nice getaway. Not much to do there but relax and the setting is great.

SRM

Bear Mountain for hiking and picnicing (50 miles N of the city; Olana, home of painter Frederick Church and about 90 minute drive from GW. Both in the Hudson Valley.

Palisades Park, just over the GW bridge in NJ.

Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, and Columbia County, where I live. Gorgeous up here but too far for a day trip.

I would second Mohonk; run by the Quakers so no loud music and a nice glaciated natural pool in which to swim.

My only NYC experience was highlighted by a day at Jones Beach State Park (or the correct name). I had a great day there.

But, getting there now, Kev. It is a haul; the roads on LI are a nightmare and the trains are packed.

Didn’t think of that. We came across that bridge from CT, and it was a weekday.

Go to Mystic, Connecticut. There are ships, the Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Mystic Aquarium. There are also quite a bunch of lovely hotels and B&Bs in the area.
http://www.mysticcountry.com/

Also, if you like hiking, there are tons of beautiful parks and forests to spend a day picnicking and hiking and or swimming in. Here is a link:
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325086&depNav_GID=1650

There are also some interesting beaches and swimming holes:
http://www.visitconnecticut.com/current_category.1475/companies_list.html

I like to go fruit picking
http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?a=1368&q=258902

and there tons of museums, too. What do you want to do on this one day off that you have?

All good suggestions. Thank you. I’m heading up to Bear Mountain on Sunday. Hoping for a bear of a time (har .. har… har. sigh).

Bring your raingear. It rains at some point every day in the Hudson Valley. One of my aerobic exercises is running up and down stairs to open and close windows and doors. After the day is over, check for ticks. (Don’t panic. They are everywhere there is grass outside of the city. We coexist, and you will love your trip and the gentle beauty of the area. Hiker, be (w) ar (e).

Here’s a site with a good ID and removal techniques. Just bring a tweezers in your back pack. http://www.mainelyticks.com/html/web_tick_id.htm