Friday, December 28, 2012

Winter Playground


So we had about 8" of snow yesterday and here you can see the view from the window of the Lacemaker room of some of the trees in our garden, the Lower Esopus Creek, the Winter Wheat in the fields beyond and then the foothills of the Catskill State Park. So moodily beautiful at this time of year, ideal for landscape photography. It's also an ideal time now for Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowboarding, Downhill Skiing and all those other fun winter activities!

Downhill Skiing/Snowboarding/ Snow Tubing

Belleayre Mountain, (45 minutes away)
Off Rt. 28, Highmount, NY 12441, tel 1-800-942-6904 www.belleayre.com
171 skiable acres with 96% of terrain covered by snowmaking; 8 lifts, 47 trails & glades, Rail Park, Terrain Park & Half Pipe; 4 lodges; equipment rentals & lessons; open daily, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Lodges; 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. 

Sawkill Family Ski Center (10 minutes away)
167 Hill Rd, Kingston NY 12401, tel 845-336-6977 www.sawkillski.com
Small family ski center very close to us. Open weekends and holidays for skiing, snow tubing and snow boarding.

Cross-Country Skiing/Snowshoeing

Belleayre Mountain (see above) also has 9.2 kilometers of groomed cross-country trails

Minnewaska State Park Preserve (25 minutes away)
Rt 44/55, New Paltz, NY 12561, tel 845-255-0752 www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/127/details.aspx
Located in the Shawangunk Mountains just outside of New Paltz. Minnewask hosts winter nature programs, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowshoe rentals. Open 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily. Fees:$7/car; snowshoe rentals; $15/person.

Mohonk Mountain House (20 minutes away)
1000 Mountain Rest Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561, tel 845-256-2197 http://www.mohonk.com/Activities/Day-Guests/Winter-Activities
30 miles of trails; Ski Shop with ski and snow shoe rentals on premises. Day fees: Midweek– $18/adults; $13/children under 12; Weekends & Holidays– $23/adults; $18/children under 12. Ski rentals: $20/adults; $14/children. Snowshoe rentals: $16/adults; $12/children

Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center (40 minutes away)
6198 Main Street Tannersville, NY 12485, tel 18-589-5361 www.mtntrails.com
Nestled on the northern border of Tannersville, located in the beautiful Northern Catskills.
National ski patrol, lessons, equipment hire, 35 kilometers of quiet nature trails on 300 acres that are groomed, track-set, and marked to degree of difficulty. Highly recommended


For other cross-country skiing options which may or may not be groomed, you can also check out:
The Hudson Valley Rail Trail (30 minutes away) www.HudsonValleyrailtrail.net , The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (30 minutes away) www.gorailtrail.org , The O&W Rail Trail (right next to our house) http://www.traillink.com/trail/d--h-canal-heritage-corridor-(ow-rail-trail).aspx , and the Mohonk Preserve (20 minutes away) www.mohonkpreserve.org

Ice Skating

Kiwanis Ice Arena (20 minutes away) tel 845-247-2590 http://kiwanisicearena.com/skatingdrop_in_hockey_schedule
Fully enclosed refrigerated Olympic-size ice rink facility. Daily. Sept-April.

Mohonk Mountain House Ice Skating Pavilion (20 minutes away)
1000 Mountain Rest Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561 http://www.mohonk.com/Activities/Day-Guests/Winter-Activities
18,000-square-foot ice rink. Outside pavilion with open sides, wooden roof beams, stone columns, and a 39-foot-tall stone fireplace overlooking the enchanting lake. Highly recommended.

Moriello Park Ice Rink (30 minutes away)
Mulberry St, New Paltz 12561 www.townofnewpaltz.org (go to Recreation Dept – then choose: Recreation Updates)
Newly opened outdoor ice rink set at the town of New Paltz Moriello Pool/Park. Open daily for skating: 11:00 AM-2:00 PM; 4:00 PM-7:30 PM. FREE! Outdoor pond skating and sledding is also available at New Paltz Sports Park (across from the Ulster County Fairgrounds), Libertyville Rd., New Paltz. For ice and sledding conditions, you can check the town website listed above.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Last Minuite Gifts


It's never too late to purchase one of our very own Gift Certificates, you can easily order them online here: http://www.webervations.com/magic-scripts/giftcert.asp?memberid=11827 . (You can also click on the icon top left on our home page). A great gift for friends, family or business associates you can buy them in any multiple of $25. They can be redeemed against a stay at any time in the following 12 months (or longer by request).

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Getting into the holiday spirit!



We're getting our seasonal decor together in the house....

Meanwhile, we found this neat interactive map of activities here in Ulster County to help you plan your stay:
http://co.ulster.ny.us/recreation/