For New Yorkers, the word “country” is pretty synonymous with anything beyond the outer suburbs of the concrete jungle. Travel 2-3 hours north-ish — especially around this time of year — and you’ll find some of the most spectacular landscape views you’ve ever seen. The other weekend, we were in the midst of it all in Narrowsburg, New York, located right between the Catskill and Pocono Mountains, a place that I’ve dubbed one of the best weekend getaways from NYC.

Narrowsburg is a hamlet on the east shore of the Delaware River bordering Pennsylvania. It’s a small town with pleasant people, picturesque boutiques and delicious restaurants you’d expect to find in the West Village. Its Main Street is small but mighty with delicious farm-to-table eateries and cool boutique shops. And the views and hikes are enough to make a lasting impression on their own.

After the beer festival and chili cook-off, we went back to our friends Ben and Jaime’s house for some unwinding and more dining. Beer can chicken was on our makeshift menu and we kept ourselves busy with pigs in a blanket and spanakopita while we waited. Fueled by a strong wine binge, we managed to squeeze in shooting (the boys bought two pellet guns as self-serving housewarming gifts for Ben and spent the entire weekend battling Solo cups they had set up around the property for target practice), lots of football, a great hike on the Tusten Mountain Trail, bald eagle sightings, and loads of This American Life in between. All in all, I think we did pretty well.