You’re a very lucky gal when you find yourself with best friends who have second homes. A few years ago, Kathleen’s parents purchased a home in Tannersville so they could have a relaxing place to get away from their city life in the Bronx. My beau has gone on plenty of golf trips there, but I finally scored an invite for a gals weekend. I MADE IT!
We didn’t even make it all the way to Tannersville before I proclaimed my obsession with the Catskills and my goal of getting our own small place in the area if we decide to stay New Yorkers for life. Truth be told, I have been drawn to the Catskills for the last decade without ever having been – I can’t even tell you why. This trip confirmed my suspicion: it’s a great area that offers the perfect respite.
Friday, May 3rd
After a stop at the liquor store to stock up, we hit the road. The drive took about 2 hours 15 minutes from the Bronx – not bad at all – and we went straight to Tops, the local grocery store to make sure we had enough snacks for the house and creamer for the coffee. That evening was entirely low key. When you think mountain town, you don’t think clubbing. You think wine and snuggling by a fireplace. It was May so we weren’t looking to light a fire, but we did want a quintesential cozy night. We brought some Italian food with us from a spot back in the city so we ate that, had a lil game night, and danced in the kitchen.
Saturday, May 4th
We woke up on Saturday and drank our coffees on the deck before getting our act together and heading to the falls. Haines Falls is beautiful and offers both trails and a great lookout point.
After admiring the outdoors, we parked on Main Street to check out the town. I found some great items at Rustic Mountain, a fabulous antique store. I picked up a small Dutch-inspired stoneware dish that will be great for dips and the identical Garfield glass cup from a McDonald’s happy meal that I had growing up (and still have at my parents’ home!). If you like antiquing, this is a must stop. I also grabbed a shirt from Camp Catskill, a nicely curated outdoors shop. We also perused Tannersville Works, which had both antiques and new art, but sadly didn’t purchase anything. (Not gonna lie – I slightly regret not walking away with some of their midcentury glassware.) There was plenty more strolling to be done, but we wanted to make sure we made a stop at on of the more elevated spots that are drawing crowds to the region.
Scribner’s is the premier boutique hotel in the area. It’s nice and trendy with its black exterior/walls and light wood. There’s a lovely library and nice pool area – it’s styled. After seeing how people ball out when they come to the Catskills, we settled into some adirondack chairs with wine to chit chat. We were in no rush and it was so nice. The amenities here are top notch. If you’re planning a weekend getaway and not looking to stay in an Airbnb, this is the place to do it.
We freshened up a bit and had some more cocktails back at the house before walking to Main Street for drinks and apps. We went to Last Chance for some fondue and while we intended to go to Slopes for our one night “out”…we realized we imbibed a smidge too much so we went back to the house to wind down there.
Sunday, May 5th
After two nights of a lot (a lot) of wine, we were a bit sluggish on Sunday morning. We took our time getting dressed before grabbing breakfast (to go) from The Pantry. This large, open space has a thriving take-away side (complete with pantry staples) as well as a half serving as a restaurant/coffee shop. It reminded me of a place you’d find in the Hamptons and felt family run…which it is. I got the Turkish eggs (2 poached eggs with garlicy Greek yogurt over a crispy potato cake, topped with Nduja chili oil and rye crumble). It was heavy but oh so good. (The avocado toast also looked particularly good.)
After that, it was time to head home. It certainly wasn’t a long trip, but it was so nice to get away and I relished the opportunity to read on my book in the morning before everyone was out of bed, which is exactly how I want to spend my time at a mountain house. Tannersville, you’ll see me again.
Tannersville Details
- Accommodations (we stayed at a friend’s home, but there are plenty of options)
- Airbnb: Something about a mountain getaway makes me want to stay in an actual home. I recommend something in walking distance to Main Street like this, this, or this. Or how about this one or this biggie for a bachelor/bachelorette weekend?
- Hotels: A couple of beautiful high end lodges
- Scribner’s Lodge: The outdoor barrel sauna looks awesome and they host some great events throughout the year
- Hotel Mountain Brook: Well appointed with lovely hangout areas and great views
- Food & Drink
- When you want that small town, yesteryear fix (think: burgers and ice cream), head to Mama’s Boy
- Maggie’s Krooked Cafe and Juice Bar for an artsy breakfast
- Jesse’s Harvest House is a great farm to table spot. When you want a nicer meal, this is THE place.
- We didn’t make it to Nat’s Mountain House, but I’m a very big fan of Nat’s on Bank in the city. The decor, food, and cocktails are always on point and I imagine they bring that same spirit upstate.
- Tabla is a lovely tapas style spot that Kathleen enjoys.
- Activities
- Check out the falls. Explore nature and the trails at Kaaterskill Falls. Other hiking options include the Escarpment Trail, Mary’s Glen Trail, North Point, and Giant Ledge.
- Mountain Top Arboretum. Beautiful gardens.
- Ski. Hunter and Bellayre mountains are right there.
- Breweries. While not all in Tannersville, the Catskills towns are clustered together so you could hit up quite a few breweries, including West Kill Brewing, Hunter Mountain Brewery, Woodstock Brewing, Rip Van Winkle, and Old Factory.
- Go antiquing. In addition to the shops mentioned above, there’s Tannersville Antique and Artisan Center, Hunter Antique Mall and General Store, and plenty of great antique stores in the neighboring towns.
Peaches to Apples 