For the past 8 years or so, my husband and I have been heading upstate to the Catskills / Hudson Valley area for our mini getaways (we also got married there). Often time we have friends ask why we love it there so much and I've come to realize is because it simply allows us to disconnect, explore, relax and just be present with each other and our surroundings. There are no expectations.
This year we took a midweek trip and stayed in Mountaindale. It is our third time there and each time we try somewhere new.
WHERE WE STAYED
The first time we stayed at The Outliner in a tiny house, The Glen Wilde which is sadly now closed and most recently a cozy airbnb right in town. The town itself is VERY small, there are 3 main eating spots and 1 little boutique/vintage shop along with a yoga studio in town. So here is what we did!
WHERE WE ATE
Forage & Gather - Where we grabbed a quick bite before we headed out to explore other towns. This place was yummy. They have a range of food items and a mini grocery store that you can also grab some things to snack on later. We've only grabbed small quick to-go items here for breakfast / lunch and they are open until 4ish. They have always been nice and pretty quick!
The Dale - They have the BEST pizza. It is partially why we still go up to this tiny town upstate. We went on a Thursday night which was semi-busy. We have yet to make one of their karaoke nights but this place is perfect for a delicious pizza and cocktail.
High Voltage - It is really a vibe. It is very Brooklyn/Catskills aesthetic if you are familiar with it - elegant but moody. The food was delicious (burrata, roasted Brussel sprouts, potato pancakes) and the cocktails were also a plus! It was pretty quiet on Friday but again, the town is small! They have an outdoor bar by the creek which we went to a previous time.
WHERE WE EXPLORED
Accord - We popped over to Arrowood Farms in Accord. The first time we were there it was BUSY, this time around it was much, much quieter. They have food, lots of different drinks on tap, open field and some yard games. They also have chickens walking around their little chicken area - very cute!
Hurleyville - This place was also a quick bit stop before we headed out to Phoenicia. We checked out the Hurleyville General Store (owner was so kind), walked our little Astro at the Rail Trail and grabbed a quick snack at Pickled Owl (which I would recommend eating at for SURE)
Phoenicia - Phoenicia is one of the places that people tend to visit to, especially the Phoenicia Diner. The town has a few different shops and we popped into each of them. We grabbed a bite at Brios and also headed over to Woodstock Brewing afterwards for a beverage.
Kingston - Kingston! We stopped by Kingston on our way back down and wow what a delight. Oftentimes whenever we head upstate and explore any of the neighboring towns, they are pretty small with a few shops and restaurants. Kingston had A LOT of shops & restaurants but also had an "old" feel to it. I stopped by Half Moon Books to find some vintage floral books because #inspo.
So that basically wraps up our mini trip to the Catskills area! Will we be back? Definitely. We do hop around a lot but one thing that is consistent is each town has its own charm regardless of how small it is. If that is what you are looking for then you will enjoy it.