2 New York Vacation Spots Named Among America’s Best for an Old-School Getaway

Remember when going on vacation meant actually going on vacation?

No work emails. Not worrying about getting the perfect picture for Instagram. And not spending half the trip staring at your phone trying to figure out what everyone else is doing.

Instead, vacation meant mini-golf, roadside motels, arcades, ice cream and piling the whole family into the car for a road trip.

Don't get me wrong. I rely on those hotel reviews - but, if you miss those simpler summer days, you may not have to travel far to get them back.

According to Yahoo Creates, there are two popular destinations in New York that are among the best places in America for a nostalgic vacation that still feels like the good old days.

Lake George Brings Back the Classic Family Vacation

If you grew up in New York, there is a good chance Lake George brings back a memory or two or three or four.

Located in the Adirondacks, Lake George has been welcoming summer vacationers since the 1800s! And while plenty has changed over the years, the area still holds onto the things that made old-school family vacations so much fun.

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Think motor lodges, mini-golf courses, lakeside arcades and days spent near the water.

You can even take a steamboat cruise on Lake George, continuing a tradition that dates back more than a century.

Lake George is where grandparents, parents and kids can all find something to enjoy. Even better, some of those activities may bring back memories for the adults while they are making new ones with their kids.

The Catskills Offer a Different Kind of New York Nostalgia

The Catskills also made the list, although the nostalgia here comes with a little more history.

The region was once home to the famous Borscht Belt, where sprawling resorts attracted generations of vacationers looking to escape the city.

While that era has mostly disappeared, pieces of it still remain. Some historic properties have been restored, while others have been left behind as reminders of what the Catskills once were.

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Add in mountain views, small towns and classic diners, and the Catskills offer a vacation that can feel worlds away from today's fast-paced lifestyle.

For anyone interested in history and a slower getaway, it is another reminder that you do not always have to leave New York to feel like you have escaped.

More Throwback Vacation Spots Across America

New York isn't alone when it comes to destinations keeping the old-fashioned family vacation alive.

Mackinac Island in Michigan may offer one of the biggest trips back in time. Cars have been banned on the island since 1898, leaving visitors to get around by foot, bicycle or horse-drawn carriage.

Wildwood, New Jersey, is packed with retro charm thanks to its collection of colorful 1950s and '60s Doo Wop-style motels. Throw in the boardwalk, saltwater taffy and neon signs, and it may feel like your family road trip took a wrong turn into another decade.

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Nearby Ocean Grove offers a much quieter New Jersey beach experience with Victorian architecture, colorful tent cottages and a shoreline without the high-rises and busy boardwalk atmosphere found in many modern beach towns.

Door County, Wisconsin, mixes waterfront relaxation with cherry orchards, lighthouses, family-run resorts and traditional fish boils.

Put-in-Bay on Ohio's South Bass Island keeps things simple with golf carts, bicycles, ice cream parlors and ferry access.

Wisconsin Dells still delivers plenty of classic roadside Americana with duck boat tours, go-karts and supper clubs mixed in with its famous water parks.

Then there is Chincoteague Island in Virginia, where seafood shacks, quiet beaches and nearby wild ponies offer a much different experience from crowded tourist destinations.

Maybe the Best Vacation Is the One You Don't Post About

These destinations may be hundreds of miles apart, but they all have something in common.

They remind us of a time when vacation wasn't something you had to document every five minutes.

You went somewhere. You explored. You played mini-golf. You ate too much ice cream. And you probably got lost at least once because nobody had GPS.

But, somehow, everyone survived.

Maybe the best part of a throwback vacation isn't where you go at all. Maybe it's putting down the phone long enough to actually enjoy being there.