Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
between NYC and Monticello (one way $30, two hours), the gateway to the southern
Catskills. Buses leave from NYC's Port Authority. The commuter rail line
Metro-North
(
212-532-4900, 800-638-7646;
http://mta.info
;
one-way off-peak $9-16)
makes stops through
the Lower and Middle Hudson Valleys.
SCENIC DRIVE: ROUTE 28 & AROUND
One sign that you've crossed into the Catskills is when the unending asphalt gives
way to dense greenery crowding the snaking roadway as you exit the I-87 and turn
onto Rte 28. As you drive through the heart of the region, the vistas open up and
the mountains (around 35 peaks are above 3500ft) take on stunning coloring de-
pending on the season and time of day. Esopus Creek winds its way through the
area and
Ashokan Reservoir
is a nice place for a walk or drive. To the south of Rte
28, several roads wind their way up and over the high peaks in Catskill Park.
Emerson Spa Resort
( 877-688-2828;
www.emersonresort.com
;
5340 Rte 28, Mt Tremper; r
at lodge/inn from $159/199; )
offers a full-service base for Catskills ad-
ventures whatever time of year. From luxurious Asian-inspired suites to rustic-chic
rooms in the log-cabin-style lodge, Emerson aims to please; staff can help arrange
trips from skiing to kayaking. The Phoenix restaurant (mains $15 to $30) is prob-
ably the best in the region and the Catamount, popular with locals, has pub fare
(mains $10) including burgers and BBQ ribs, and live music and dancing Monday
nights. The world's largest kaleidoscope and kaleidoscope boutique, selling
sculpture-quality pieces, is attached, as well as a coffee-sandwich shop.
Only a few miles further west is the one-lane town of
Phoenicia
. It's a pleasant
place to stop for a meal and a tube -
Town Tinker Tube Rental
( 845-688-5553;
www.towntinker.com
; 10 Bridge St; tubes per day $15; )
can hook you up for repeated forays
down the Esopus rapids. The refreshing water of Pine Hill Lake at nearby
Belleayre
ski in the winter). In nearby Arkville, you can take a scenic ride on the historic
Delaware & Ulster Rail Line
( 845-586-3877;
www.durr.org
;
Hwy 28; adult/child $12/7;
11am & 2pm, Sat & Sun Jun-Nov, additional trips Thu & Fri Jul-Sep; )
. Less than a mile west of
$80, ste from $130; )
, a classic and affordable roadside motel.
From here you can carry on north on Rte 30 to the
Roxbury Motel
(
607-326-7200;
www.theroxburymotel.com
; 2258 County Hwy 41; r incl breakfast Mon-Fri Jun-Oct
$100-300; )
, in the tiny village of the same name, a wonderfully creative gem of
a place with luxuriously designed and whimsically named rooms, each inspired by
a particular '60s or '70s TV show or film - think The Jetsonsand Wizard of Oz.
Wintertime (lower room rates) means huddling around the fire pit whereas warm
