Just back from a flying visit (both literally & figuratively) to New York. Though we’re back from our honeymoon less than a month, we couldn’t miss our bestie Nikki’s 30th birthday. It’s extremely difficult to balance which occasions we head across the ocean for, especially when so many important things happen within the span of a year.

Around a year ago, we heard that Norwegian Airlines was to launch cheap, direct flights to & from New York’s Stewart Airport. Stewart is in Newburgh, NY, about a 1.5 hour drive from NYC, & NYC is where a bunch of my friends live & a quick train away from my family. We paid about £250 ($330) each for round trip flights between Edinburgh & New York. Seemed a bit too good to be true, so we were leery of testing it out. SO WORTH IT!

They have a bus that takes you directly from the airport to NYC’s Port Authority for £15 ($20) if you’re looking to get into the city. For all my NY/NJ peeps, they also have these same cheap, direct flights going between Stewart & Dublin, Belfast & London…if you wanted to come visit me with a pit stop somewhere between! (Just sayin’.)

The plane seats didn’t have TVs (which we were aware of beforehand), but you can just download movies before you go & bring them with! The flight attendant mentioned they were in the process of switching over the planes to ones with personal TVs – so stay tuned for that as well. Because of the reduced price, you also don’t get a checked bag, to pick your seat, or an in-flight meal – all things you can add-on, or prep for beforehand, so they’re barely noticeable. They always run out of vegetarian meals anyways!

We had a whole day to kill since we arrived on Thursday evening, so we took an Uber to Newburgh’s town centre. We honestly felt like we traveled back in time when we got to the bowling alley. Not only were the prices stuck in the ’80s, so were the ads, lanes, shoes, vending machines, arcade games, etc. etc. It was AWESOME. V Stranger Things-esque (minus The Upside Down, thankfully!). Five games, four shoes & 2 pitchers of beer later, we were only out about £38 ($50) – CRAZY!

Nikki rented a cabin up in Woodstock, which was a short drive from Newburgh, & her friend Andrew was kind enough to pick us up on the way. We quickly realised that Radio Woodstock (100.1 WDST) was probably one of the best stations we’d ever listened to. Not shocking, considering the vibe of the area, but what was amazing was that we didn’t notice one commercial. Definitely unplug your phones from the aux if you’re driving through, & you’ll likely stumble onto your new, favourite tune. Alternatively, you can check it out online, streaming live here. You’re welcome!

Upstate New York is pretty much made for an autumn rendezvous, so it was the perfect time of year to check it out. The fall foliage was gorgeous, the woods extremely peaceful & quiet – almost like the beginning scenes from a horror film (to my creepy delight!).  Our house had a fire pit, hot tub & plenty of space for the whole group to enjoy lots of food, laughs, drinks & themed nights.

Woodstock itself was the quaintest, coolest town I’d ever been to & pretty much what I was hoping for. Of course you can’t hear the name Woodstock without thinking of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair of 1969. Fun fact: Woodstock Festival actually happened in Bethel, NY – about 60 miles away. It was originally meant to be held in Woodstock, but they couldn’t secure a location there, hence the name that’s gone down in history.

The town itself is every bit as vintage & stylish as one might imagine. Rob & I are both massive fans of ’60s/’70s rock & roll, so we were excited to check out the record stores for sure. I’m also a huge sucker for vintage clothing, so I was very eager to do some shopping. Because we each only had a small carry-on, we were spatially limited, but definitely accepted the challenge.

I found a serious, hidden gem in the amazing Rock City Vintage…a burnt orange suede jacket for under £30 ($40)! Definitely check that shop out, as well as CandleStock, which houses literally any type of candle you can imagine & then some. It has a drip mound of candle wax that began in 1969 & is completely amazing, mesmerising & glow-in-the-dark!

Take a walk down Tinker Street & you’ll pass loads of shops set inside of old homes & so much you’d like to take with you that you’ll wish you’d splurged for those extra carry-on bags at the airport. I’m not joking, this town centre looks like the set of every “quaint” town in a TV show/movie. TOO. CUTE.

Shindig has awesome brunch options for vegetarians & meat lovers alike + a Fentimans cocktail that was both delicious & hefty. We spent most of Sunday evening chilling in what’s sure to be the sweetest spot in the area, Station Bar & Curio – grOovy tunes, great, local beers on tap, lovely bartender named Lily! THE place to waste a day away while waiting for a flight (Grilled cheese, Pac Man, pool table – need I say more?).

We had the best weekend celebrating Nikki, breathing that fresh mountain air & milling about in a town we instantly felt deeply connected to. Woodstock, I’m 100% certain it won’t be the last time we meet – until next time, for reals!

xJess