If you’re one of the millions of people that are feeling stressed out and exhausted and ready to start planning a nice retreat, the first thing you’ll need to do is decide on a destination. If you’re a fan of the outdoors or live up in the Northeast region of the United States, you’ll definitely want to consider the Catskill Mountains as a prime choice for your getaway. This location is sure to get rid of any built-up stress you may be suffering from and help you reconnect with your family and nature. It offers spectacular views of wildlife, flora, and amazing backdrops that you can’t find anywhere else.
The Catskill Mountains are located a short drive away, about 100 miles, north of New York City. When considering this location, however, it’s important to remember that this is no tropical beach. The weather here, depending on the month you’re visiting, can range anywhere between 10° in coldest month, January, and up to 72° in its warmest month, which is July. Depending on what you enjoy doing when you do escape on a vacation, you will want to check the weather and review your different options for outdoor activities. Ice fishing, skiing, and nature walks are very common in this Mountain range.
There are many different options as far as accommodations go when traveling to this area, so whether you decide to enjoy an outdoors adventure with camping or spend a bit to rent a room at a nice hotel or – gasp – a B&B, make sure to plan accordingly. No one likes to overpay for their stay or have to deal with a poorly planned itinerary or lack thereof. If you’re looking to save money on your stay, definitely start your search where everyone should: online.
These days there are so many travel deals available on the Internet, it’ll make your head spin. There are vacation comparison sites that will put all the hotel prices side by side for you to choose the best deal. There are also promotional vacation package sites like Stay Promo that run hotel sales with huge discounts on room nights and/or sightseeing passes or tours built in. There are even some sites that will allow you to secure big undisclosed discounts on your stay if you don’t mind not knowing where you’re staying prior, which can really add to the excitement if you’re not picky on a certain BNB or hotel. Rarely if you know where you want to stay you can even call up the actual hotel and get them to beat an advertised online rate. You’ll be surprised how many times this works. Whatever you do though, don’t stop at calling the hotel because it literally pays to shop around.
As far as what you should do after you arrive, this area has gained quite a bit in popularity over the past decade or two and features a wide range of activities for both kids and the young at heart. Here are a few extra tips to consider if you do decide to visit the Catskill Mountains. The Catskills are broken up into five different counties and quite a few different cities, all of which offer unique attractions and activities and deserve a visit and some exploration. Now, if your main goal is peace and relaxation and you’re short on time, your best bet would be to stick to Woodstock, Catskill, and Phoenicia.
Keep in mind that the Catskill Mountains are well known for antique shops, vintage, and retro wear and no matter which city you decide to, you’re sure to have a wide selection of shops to peruse. No matter the shop you choose to visit, you’re sure to uncover lots of hidden treasures. There’s also a huge selection of hiking trails, each of which offer their own difficulty mode, sites, and views.
One of the most popular attractions is the Kaaterskill Falls, which features a two-tier waterfall and holds the record as the tallest cascading waterfall in New York state. This is a must visit if this is your first time to the Catskills. It’s said to be a huge inspiration to many poets, photographers, and artists throughout the years.
If you want to skip a strenuous hike, you definitely should consider a chairlift ride from the top of Windham Mountain. This is definitely not a ride for anyone that is afraid of heights, seeing as it goes up over 3000 feet, but you will be able to see some of the most astonishing panoramic views of your life from this chairlift. The ride itself travels to miles and takes about 10 minutes and at the end of the ride you’ll have the option of relaxing on the peak, so if you’re looking for a nice romantic gesture for your significant other, you may even want to consider packing a picnic so you can enjoy the view for as long as possible with your spouse.
If you’re deciding to travel during the summertime or the fall, and enjoy fresh fruit, you can consider going to pick fresh fruit, such as apples, peaches, pumpkins, and even blueberries. This is a great family activity and you’ll be able to find really good deals and end up with a lot of fruit to take home. You’ll even find that many of the restaurants in the Catskills enjoy featuring farm to table cuisine, and you can find some of the freshest meat, fruits, and vegetables at the various restaurants throughout the area.
You may also be happy to know, that even though places becoming more and more popular, the prices of everything that you’ll end up needing on your trip are still very reasonable. This is usually a welcoming aspect of a vacation to the Catskill Mountains, so that you are able to truly enjoy all of the activities, shopping, dining out, and amazing accommodations all without breaking the bank.
For most people the Catskill Mountains are an envious travel destination full of amazing scenery and wonderful family activities for all to enjoy, however for select few, those that are frequently in need of proper rest and relaxation, the Catskill mountains can easily become a second home. Some say this mountain range provides truly magical properties, and combined with amazing hospitality and some of the freshest food available the United States, it’s easy to see how and why the Catskill Mountains has become one of the top travel destinations in the entire United States.
If you’ve made the decision to visit this spot, you will definitely want to preplan your entire trip to ensure that your vacation includes everything you need it to. Consider the weather and decide on a budget to ensure that you’re able to enjoy your vacation as much as possible. Whether you’d like to enjoy some nightlife at one of the local theaters, hit up the nightclub, enjoy a dinner or picnic out with your loved ones, chill out with nature, or just hang out at a hotel and enjoy the weather, you’re sure to have an endless amount of activities in the Catskill Mountains to choose from. If planned correctly, you may even be able to do all of these activities mentioned above and whatever amount of time set aside for the vacation. Start planning your trip now as it’s never too soon for a nice getaway to relax.