Mohonk Mountain House - Part I

One of my favorite places in the world – and I used to say this before I had seen as much of the world as I have seen, but it’s still true – is Mohonk Mountain House. This haven is located in the Shawangunk Mountains, outside of New Paltz, New York. For years, I went with groups or with friends to go day hiking. And then a few of us decided to stay overnight in the hotel; it’s off-limits to day hikers. It’s always been a splurge – and it still is – but it’s wonderful that it has survived and thrived when many full-service resorts in the Catskills and elsewhere have not. I’ve never been to a Catskills resort, but I can say with confidence that Mohonk is different. Over the years it has added amenities to keep up with the times, but the attraction has always been the natural beauty – the trails and the many views of the lake itself.


My friend Martha traveled to Mohonk as part of her birthday celebration – and that seemed like such a good idea that I wanted it to be part of mine. Sure, I spent five weeks in Southeast Asia and then six weeks Driving Across America – and then did it again – and then organized a New Orleans Birthday Build (writeup to come). But why not add a stay at Mohonk to my celebration? And we’ll see if anything else gets added – I may just continue for the whole decade!

Two nights seemed better than one. Martha and I drove up from Manhattan, my friend Debbie (who came just for the day) drove up from New Jersey, and we had time for a walk around the lake before settling in for the lunch buffet. Then, onto the highlight and must-do of our many Mohonk trips (though there have been times where we haven’t done it), the Labyrinth, a rock-scramble path with ups and downs and bridges and ladders and woods and exposed and just before the top, the Lemon Squeeze. At the top is Skytop Tower, one of the highest points in the area. Now that I’ve been elsewhere, this hike still hits the spot.






After our friend Paul passed away, we planted a tree for him in the Mohonk gardens. Hard to believe it was ten years ago. And hard to believe I have been to Mohonk just once since then! We walked through the gardens and checked on the tree. It was through Paul and the Junior Academy of the New York Academy of Sciences that we first went to Mohonk, and there are always a lot of memories there.