Wildlife, design, food & drink, travel, real estate, country characters, adventures, waterfalls.
All in Catskills for Kids
Banana bread with a molten chocolate core. Bacon and egg biscuits. Chubby squirrels. Best brunch in Mount Tremper.
This tiny Rensselaerville market and cafe has a very big heart. (Plus farm-raised meat and the finest veggie burger in the Catskills!)
Indian Ladder Farms has everything you want in a Catskill Mountain vacation in one convenient (and stunningly beautiful) location.
Crisp hard cider. Idyllic beer garden. U-pick produce. Playground. Petting zoo. Great food. Weddings. HEAVEN!
Art, history, and nature converge at the the historic Catskill, NY home of landscape painter Thomas Cole. And it's the kind of place that really lights up when inquisitive children arrive.
Albany's New York State Museum: A greatest hits collection for fans of the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Transit Museum, and Jane's Carousel.
The hand-lettered signs out front read "ALL BOOKS 50¢ to $1" and "YES! PARK ON THE GRASS!" If you're a bookworm who is a few beers deep (thanks to the nearby Suarez and Sloop tasting rooms), this roadside bookshop is pure magic.
Spoiler alert: If you’ve been dreaming of a playground that serves beer and snacks, Sloop’s about to manifest that dream for you.
BEWARE: These fluffy, white Maremma sheepdog puppies are JUST TOO CUTE. When we visited them at Lime Kiln Farm, the puppies were 9 weeks old and already weighing around 30 pounds.
Opus 40, a wondrous, bewitching Saugerties sculpture park of swirling slate and labyrinthine paths feels M.C. Escher artwork come to life. But is it safe for kids?
Lime Kiln Farm feels like a little piece of the Italian countryside tucked into the Hudson Valley. The owners made cheese in Tuscany for over 20 years before moving to the Catskills town of Coxsackie.
So fragrant and almondy, so rich with the jammy sweetness of its fig filling. This cake is the perfect foil to a cup of coffee or tea, and I've been craving it ever since. YOU MUST TRY IT ASAP.
With a gorgeous Catskill Mountain backdrop on her doorstep, a knack for capturing the magic of childhood, and perhaps the most affordable rates in NY State, photographer Christine McIlhenny of HarmonyHill Photography conjures up sweetness in every shot.
It's cheap, it's clean, it's kid-friendly, and it's so much better than a fast food chain. Plus, it's the only place you can buy their incredible Secret Sauce to slather onto grilled chicken, burgers, and dogs all summer long.
Zoom Flume is a water park tucked away in the Catskill Mountains. Ever felt trapped or overwhelmed at Kalahari or Great Wolf Lodge? The open-air, colorful, and clean Zoom Flume might be the place for you.
The Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook, NY offers year-round nature trails and free tours of the 8th President's mansion in the spring, summer, and fall.
Are these deer tracks in the snow? Bear tracks? Coyote tracks? Lynx tracks?! What types of animals walk around in the snow in the Catskills?
Howe Caverns, part natural wonder and part tourist attraction, has been one of my favorite spots in the Catskills since I was a little kid. Going back as a grown-up, the dark, chilly, yet very family-friendly cave tour was just as fascinating and delightfully cheesy as I remembered.
The Jolly Cow Ice Cream makes the perfect rest stop when you're heading to the Catskills from NYC. It's 5 minutes off the Thruway, and kiddy cups/cones cost a mere $1.40, probably cheaper than whatever junk food you'd grab at gas station's convenience store.
Tannersville's Mountain Top Arboretum plunges you into the enchantment of nature. This beautiful public garden is a must-visit if you're planning a side-trip from Kaaterskill Falls or staying at the nearby Deer Mountain Inn.
The Windham Path is a strikingly beautiful, family-friendly spot for novice hikers in the Catskills. Its 4-season, 1.5-mile loop can be traveled by foot, bicycle, cross-country ski, or snowshoe -- and it's even stroller-friendly.
