Total Trip: A quick, affordable Catskills getaway for two

06.09.2023 - 19:27 / lonelyplanet.com

First, let’s get this out of the way: I am a New Yorker who can drive.

Many of us can’t, won’t or just get nervous when they go anywhere north of the George Washington Bridge – and I get it. New York City is the kind of place that holds you close and gives you a million glittery, delicious reasons to stay within city limits.

But sometimes, you just need to drive.

It was my boyfriend's birthday and the weather report was looking flawless: bright sunny skies, warm-ish, no humidity. Just the kind of weekend that warranted a ramble upstate. We chose the Catskill Mountains – an American vacation classic (thanks, Dirty Dancing) and structured our weekend around a cute new hotel in the mountain town of Hunter.

First opened in the ’70s, Bluebird Hunter Lodge was fully re-imagined in 2022 as a rustic-chic mountain retreat that works in all seasons. Here’s how we got there, what we did in the area when we arrived and what it all cost.

I can drive, but I definitely do not own a car. That means I booked a rental and picked it up in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River, to avoid having to drive in Midtown traffic. My share was $117 for a three-day rental. I didn’t have to add extra insurance because I booked it with my American Express Platinum card, which includes this coverage as a benefit. Hunter Lodge graciously hosted me for this two-night trip; September rates go for an average of $306 per night on weekends, and about $170 on weeknights. Because we stayed on a weekend, I’m factoring in the higher rate here ($612 for the stay, $306 for my share).

Total: $423

Hunter Lodge is about a 2.5-hour drive from the city, and our route included $28 in tolls and toll fees (my share: $14). After about 90 minutes, we stopped for lunch at the classic Alexis Diner in the town of Newburgh. It’s the kind of place with lots of chrome and neon, and a menu that includes potstickers, shrimp scampi and cheese omelets. We ordered too much – though I have zero regrets about the matzoh ball soup – and it came to $20 apiece.

When we checked into our room at the handsome, plaid-and-antler-bedecked Hunter Lodge, we were zonked. Rather than get back in the car to find dinner, we decided to eat at the property. (We had a food-and-beverage credit.) Hunter Tavern, just off the hotel lobby, offers a cozy menu of comfort food that you can enjoy by a roaring fire on cooler days. We split some apps – the smoked trout toast and the house-made potato chips with bacon-horseradish dip – and each had a beer. My share came to $22.

Total: $56

This was our day for wandering. We started the day at the Olana State Historic Site, a jaw-dropper of a Victorian-era mansion built by painter Frederic Church. Church was a titan of the Hudson River School, the