THE TIMELESS CATSKILLS
By Golda Turner
The Catskills is a beautiful mountain region in the Hudson Valley of lower New York. Its convenient location makes it a perfect place to escape the hectic city life of the greater New York metropolitan area.
This rural mountain area is full of forests, lakes, farms, and things to do. For years, it has been the vacation area of choice for thousands of families.
When my mother was a young child in the 1920’s, she remembers spending the summer at what was called in Yiddish a “Koch Alain”, a main house with a large shared dining area. The room held dining areas and rows of stoves and cabinets, one for each family. My grandmother koshered her stove and zealously guarded her pots. Woe to the one who would touch her things!
Just a few years later, her mother contracted tuberculosis and was taken to the Loomis Sanitarium for Consumptives in Liberty NY for a “rest cure”. In the days before antibiotics, it was believed that the fresh mountain air combined with exercise and healthy food would heal the lungs. When she was stable enough to be released from the hospital to outpatient care, my mother came to live with her in a rented house in Liberty. Her father would occasionally make the long trip up for weekends. She has wonderful memories of the two years that she spent living in the rural village. She spoke of the relaxed way of life and natural beauty, of berry picking in the summer, the stunning fall foliage, sledding in the winter, and so much more.
Her uncle and aunt ran a small hotel in the Catskills in the early 1900’s. It was a large building with many gables. Aunt Rachel did the cooking, schlepping huge pots of steaming food to serve the many guests. Most people made the long trek up from the city by train, as there were few cars in those days.
Over time, grand Kosher hotels such as Grossinger’s, Kutchers, The Concord, and the Homowack opened. They offered many amenities such as golf, tennis, bowling, swimming, and a theater hosting famous performers.
Bungalow colonies sprung up throughout the area where families could rent a small, simply furnished summer home, sharing a pool, pay phone, washing machine, and other amenities with their neighbors. Larger colonies even had a small grocery and day camp for the children.
Our first few summers as a young couple were spent at bungalow colonies where my husband worked in the day camp. Our tiny bungalows had beautiful antique wallpaper and mismatched furniture, which had certainly seen better days. But it was our “home away from home” for the summer. Some memories include:
- Collecting rolls of quarters to feed the pay phone and washing machine (when they worked).
- Awaiting a turn for the only working washing machine and hanging the clothes on a line to dry in the cool breeze
- The excitement when a large group of girls squeezed into a car to come back from town—with one sitting on the hood---and ran over a skunk!
- The town’s fire siren was triggered during a thunder storm and wailed for hours---I was terrified that it must be an air raid siren!
- Making jam from raspberries which I picked by myself
- Buying freshly picked corn and vegetables from a farm stand
- The traveling vendors who would stop by to peddle their wares to an appreciative audience
Today many colonies have upgraded to nice winterized homes with central air conditioning, washers & dryers, and all of the comforts of home. Families come up for weekends throughout the year in addition to the summer.
And of course, there are the summer sleep away camps, where generations of children meet new friends and gain new skills.
Though the pace of life is slower, there is much to see and do in the Catskills. There are numerous hiking trails, waterfalls, working farms, and activities galore.
Nothing is as calming as going back to nature on a real working farm. The Catskills are full of farms, many with farm stands. Here are a few that welcome visitors:
Kelders Farm (Kerhonkson 845-626-7137 www.keldersfarm.com) Pick your own luscious fruits and vegetables, feed the farm animals, find your way through their giant corn maze, and more. Dressel Farms (New Paltz 845-255-0693 www.dresselfarms.com) Though they grow strawberries and vegetables, Dressel is known for their orchards of all varieties of apples to pick on your own.
The old railroad tracks are still in use. Aboard the Catskill Mountain Railroad (Kingston 845-332-4854 www.catskillmountainrailroad.com) you can travel through picturesque farmlands and forests, cross the Esopus creek, travel through the Hurley Flats and then start climbing Hurley Mountain. Most trains are wheelchair accessible. With Rail Explorers (Phoenicia www.railexplorers.net) you can peddle your way alongside the Esopus Creek through the beautiful woods of the Catskill Mountains on Pedal powered rail vehicles.
Summer is a wonderful time to be out on the water. Take a cruise or cool off with rafting, kayaking, or canoeing.
Hudson River Cruises (Kingston 845-340-4700 www.hudsonrivercruises.com) Explore the majestic Hudson River aboard the M/V Rip Van Winkle. Enjoy narrated cruises past quaint lighthouses, great estates, and a magnificent view of the Catskill Mountains. Partially accessible. Manual wheelchairs accommodated. Paynes Water Sports (White Lake 845-583-1000 www.payneswatersports.com) rents all kinds of boats: Pontoon Boats, Pedal Boats, Row Boats, Speed Boats, Kayaks, canoes and Banana Boats.
Are you more adventurous? Landers River Trips (Narrowsburg 845-252-3925 www.landersrivertrips.com) Enjoy the day on the Delaware River. Landers has eight locations to launch rafts, canoes, kayaks, or tubes. Options for calm stretches of water or varying degrees of rapids and whitewater. Town Tinker Tube Rental (Phonecia 845-688-5553 http://www.towntinker.com/) Thrill to whitewater rafting down the fast moving Esopus Creek. Limited to ages 12 and older.
Are you a mountain person like me? I am happiest when in the cool forest with my trusty camera in hand.
Hunter Mountain (Hunter, 518-263-4223 www.huntermtn.com) Take a scenic skyride to view mountains in far off Massachusetts and Vermont, zoom on a zipline, participate in an off road adventure, or hike to the peak. And of course there is skiing in the winter. Belleayre Mountain (Highmount, 845-254-5600 https://www.belleayre.com/ ) Take the Catskill Thunder Gondola to the summit of Belleayre Mountain for breathtaking views of the Catskill Forest Preserve. Belleayre also give adaptive ski and snowboarding lessons in the winter season.
Summer is the season for county fairs. They feature rides, arcades, shows, and entertainment. Visit both the Orange County Fair (Middletown www.orangecountyfair.com) and the Ulster County Fair (New Paltz www.ulstercountyfair.com).
If you enjoy fun activities, you can also experience a few family favorites. The Castle Fun Center (Chester 845-469-2116 www.thecastlefuncenter.com) features go karts and bumper cars, an arcade, rides, batting cages, laser tag, rock climbing, zip lining, and more. At Liberty Heights Trampoline and Adventure Park (Liberty 845-747-8080 www.libertyheightsny.com) you can play trampoline sports like Dunk and Extreme Dodgeball, play laser tag, enjoy virtual reality, and play arcade games. Family Fun Farm (Monticello 347-480-3276 www.familyfunfarm.com) is great for families with younger children. Kids can feed the animals, hike, zipline, ride a pony, play laser tag, enjoy bumper boats and go karts, and more. Are you a mystery lover? Join family or friends to solve the clues in the Escape Room (Middletown 845-202-9010 www.mysteryroom.com/locations/middletown-ny)
Are you a history buff? Fort Delaware Museum (Narrowsburg https://sullivanny.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/FortDelaware) is a replicated fort with stockades and log homes where the daily life of the wilderness settler is explored through exhibits, crafts, and demonstrations. Period-dressed interpreters demonstrate 18th century life skills, including: cooking, baking bread, animal care, dipping candles, and the firing of a ½ pound British swivel cannon.
The Catskills offers so much more than just bungalow colonies and camps. It is a lovely jewel with much to explore.