Well, sleepy Ottawa qualifies on the "into Canada a little" front.

We're about 7.5 hours driving time from NYC, up interstate 87, and then branching off through Keene Valley, Keene, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Massena, on the NY side, and then crossing the border to Cornwall, and less than an hour from there to here.

Nice drive that route, with possible stopovers anywhere in the Keene through Saranac Lake areas of the Adirondack Mountains.

Free B&B at our place here (of course!). But Montreal is even slightly closer to NYC, and might have more appeal. Or it could be "done" as a day-trip by rail from here, taking advantage of one of the few good rail connections left in Canada.

Cheers