After almost a full year in our apartment in New York City we decided to pack the dog, the snow boots, and lots of warm weather gear and head up to the Catskills. For those of you who don't know (like I didn't) the Catskill Mountains are a range of mountains in New York State and the home to some beautiful scenery and some frosty weather in the winter!
For many of us around the United States, 2020 was a year of staying hunkered down in our homes and apartments, and avoiding contact with as many people as possible. In a busy city like New York or LA, avoiding other people becomes especially difficult , so it's nice when you don't have someone RIGHT next to you at all times.
Where are the Catskill Mountains?
The Catskill Mountains lie in southeastern New York State and are about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City.
We hired a car, left around 10 and enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Bread Alone Bakery in Boiceville, I can highly recommend the pulled pork and chicken sandwiches!
The drive isn't all that exciting, but once you get closer and actually enter the Catskill region, you'll find plenty to see.
What do you do in the Catskills?
For us, this trip was all about just not being in the city and doing very little (while also working).
The area is known for the Catskill Forest Preserve, with its rich wildlife and hiking trails, and ski resorts including Hunter Mountain and Belleayre Mountain.
… but Stacey and I are terrible skiers so there's no risk of us wandering up to a ski resort. The wide open spaces, the nature trails, and the wonderful scenery is why you head this way, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. There's 2′ of snow RIGHT up against our back door, and this is the view when I open it!
There are plenty of hiking trails close-by and nice drives you can do to see the outdoors safely from your heated car seats.
There's also the “World's biggest kaleidoscope” which we will most certainly be heading to!
Where to stay in the Catskills?
This week, we wanted to stay a little isolated from others still and have some of our own space so we're staying at the Full Moon Resort. While it doesn't have many facilities (especially during COVID-19) it's perfect for a stay in a cozy place with everything you need to enjoy the outdoors. We're loving it!
You need to pack all your own food, and the closest restaurants and amenities are all around 30 minutes drive away.
There are rooms of varying sizes depending on what you're looking for, and there are also a number of other hotels and resorts available depending on the activities you want to undertake.
What's the weather in the Catskills?
I'll update this when we come back during the warmer months but I can say that during the winter, it's snowy, icy, and cold.
In the half a week we've been here we've already seen a number of fresh snowfalls and that's on top of the 2′ of snow that's already settled (semi-permanently) on the ground.
The sun is out today though, so I'm sure it's perfect for those of you looking to ski!
Pack your warm weather gear though because when the sun goes down the temperature really drops!
