The Forgotten Catskill Mountains!

When I was growing up in the New England state of Maine, I never would have believed that I would end up living in the Catskill Mountains of Upstate New York. I can remember that whenever I heard the words "New York" I could only think of a huge metropolis city. Little did I know that Upstate New York is a whole different world, a rural paradise.

The Catskills alone are unique and amazingly beautiful. They are unique and always pretty whether you are in a valley, on a hilltop or mountain, or in a tiny village or town. The mountains themselves are less rugged and have many hardwoods and not much underbrush, almost perfect for serious trail walking and hill climbing.

The Catskills have always been known as a retreat for the many people who escape the hussel and bussle of the Big Apple (NYC) either on weekends or for a whole summer. It is about a 2 to 3½ hour drive and the New York thruway becomes an exodus on Fridays and Sundays. At the turn of the 19th century the Catskill Mountains were full of huge resorts, hotels, and guest houses. Whole families would come to get away from the heat and dust of the city in the summer months, and later as the sport of skiing became popular, weekends at a ski lodge were a common family event. Today, many "city folk" have second homes and commute back and forth when they can.

All the seasons play an important role in the things to do. Skiing in the winter, touring in the spring and fall, and the cooler mountain temperatures are enjoyed in the summer. I would have to say that Upstate New York is one of the prettiest states I have ever seen. I live in the Stamford area that is and has always been known as the "Queen of the Catskills". At one time Stamford hosted over fourteen large hotels. Now, only a few are still standing. Stamford is nestled in the hills and it is quaint and charming with lovely village homes that are either Victorian or of the Arts and Crafts styles.

I have come to love the Catskills as much as my home state. A rural retreat to many for either the settler or pioneer. Perhaps, it's a good thing it has been forgotten. A good thing indeed!

Quick Tips:

Upstate New York can be visited at anytime of the year.

Take a ride through the state in the fall. The foliage is great due to the many sugar maple trees. Stock up on vegetables at the many fruit and farm stands. Go to a Maple Sugar Sap house and find syrup for the winter.

The Power Authority in Blenheim, New York, has so many activities through the year, there is always something to do. There is a State Park nearby with pool, picnic areas, trails and fishing and boating on the Schoharie creek.


Schoharie has the Old Stone Fort Museum and near by is the Iroqois Indian Museum. Arkville has the fun train rides through the mountains and some weekends "Thomas the Tank Engine" comes to visit for the children and for the grownups, a Jazz and Dinner night on board. Tubing on the Esopus Creek near Woodstock is popular, and the Catskill Game Farm is a favorite for children who love jungle and wild animals. The Howes Caves near Cobleskill are amazing to visit and the list goes on and on.
In the spring the green colors are fresh and beautiful. You can visit the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame and then the Oneonta Soccer Hall of Fame. A great family trip. And don't forget the Irish, German, Polish, and other festivals at Hunter Mountain in the summer. And visit America's Ireland in Durham.

You will find places to ski like Hunter and Windham, Highmount (Bellayre Mt., and Roxbury Platterkill Mt.). And if you prefer snow tubing instead it is also available, especially at Hunter.
Don't scratch the Catskills of Upstate New York off your list to visit. It is a great place to explore. A real surprise and the reason it holds the motto "I Love NY".

Best Way To Get Around:

Lansing Manor House is a Museum located at the Power Authority Barn in North Blenheim, New York, in the Catskill Mountains. It is a gorgeous old house that once was a manor house that owned thousands of acres in the late 17th century, and had many tenant farmers who, like in England and Ireland, were expected to pay rent with their products or be arrested and sent to prison. The anti-rent wars of Blenheim Hill are very historic, and a visit to this old manor house will bring you back to those times.

It overlooks a beautiful valley and sits on well kept grounds and other farm outbuildings surround it also. This museum hosts many activities through the year to the local community and also to its new visitors. The Power Authority is also on the same property, and it is the location of a huge experimental pump station that provides New York City with a big majority of their electricity. Across the valley, you can see the steep hill that houses the power factory. Inside the hill are many pumps that bring the water up from the Schoharie stream, holds it there in a huge reservoir and then lets the water back down to provide more electric during New York City’s peak hours.

The Lansing Manor is a wonderful place to visit, the tour guides can give you all the history of the manor and the surrounding area. Further down the Schoharie Valley are the many fertile fields that were once called "The Bread Basket of the American Revolution." It was here that wheat was grown to feed the soldiers.

In the photographs I have provided of the Lansing Manor, you will see many homemade quilts displayed. This was part of a quilt show that honored the Catskill Quilters. It was very interesting to see them mixed with the antiques and artifacts at the Museum.

I often visit the manor house for it always is a pleasure to see. The area is outstanding in beauty.

The New York Power Authority which supplies New York City with a vast majority of their electricity was built on a mountain that stands high and steep over the Schoharie Creek during the early 1970s. It was an experimental power plant that recycles the same water to generate more electricity to New York City during their peak hours of needed power. It does this by pumping water to the top of the mountain, which generates electricity and then stores it in a huge reservoir until it lets the water back down the mountain again generating more power during the time it is needed the most. This has been a very successful power station, and many visitors come to the Power Authority and enjoy the great visitor's center that is located across the valley and overlooking the pumpstation and Creek. It is also the area that has a museum of the Lansing Manor House a historic site of the Anti-Rent wars of Blenheim Hill.

This has been a popular visit for children also. If you visit in the summer, just down the road is the Minekill State Park which provides a pool, picnic areas, fishing and boating, and many trails to walk and explore.

Not only does the NY Power Authority provide this Visitor's Center and the Lansing Manor House Museum, it also is host to many festivals and community activities. Santa Claus always stops there to visit with the children and also the Easter Bunny, and it also has a great Haunted House at Halloween including a costume contest and bobbing for apples in big wooden barrels too. The Wildlife festival has many animals that come with their trainers to explain all about what they can do. Kids love this because there are horse and wagon rides and great stuff to eat, also many animals are on display to pet and enjoy.

Music performances have been enjoyed, and one Fourth of July there was a firework spectacular that filled the valley with the most famous fireworks in the world. The list of things to do goes on and on. How lucky for us that we live in the same neighborhood as this fun community minded place.

It is hard to show how interesting this museum (The Lansing Manor House) is without adding more photographs of the interior.

The house has four working stories. The cellar houses many pantries, a wine storage room, huge kitchen hearth for preparing the food, an informal breakfast room, a servant dinning room, root cellar, and so forth. The tour guides had set up a tea with cookies and punch for the Quilt Show display. They also handed out free herbal plants wrapped in burlap.

The first floor has the parlors and receiving rooms, and the second of course has the many bedrooms and laundry ironing area. The attic stores many other areas for storage.

The day I visited was during the Catskill Mountain Woman's Quilting Organization showing. The whole museum was used as a display of the many beautiful quilts of the quilter's "Hall of Fame". It made the visit even more interesting.

John Lansing was the first owner of this manor house, but he was never present and lived in England. His son was the next inhabitor, and then it was owned by other country gentlemen through the years.

I loved the cellar area the most, the old kitchen intriqued me--as I was trying to imagine preparing meals at this huge hearth. I love antiques, and the items were authentic and added to the historic quality of the Lansing Manor House.

Be sure you also visit the Power Authority visitor center on the same grounds. It all makes for a great family outing.

Spending time in the Catskills is like going back in time. All you can think of are quotes like "drinking lemonade on the porch," or "relaxing in a hammock," or "swimming in the local pond," or "fishing and wishing the fish will bite your line." There are not many places left where you can find retreat in the mountains away from the intense heat, and just lay back and relax in the shade. The rural isolation of the Catskills always surprises its visitors. I think the secret is that there are so many valleys and back roads that they become cut off topographically, thus making it harder to travel easily from one place to another not only by miles but by time.

Summer time is wonderful with old time picnics, first of July fireworks, watermelon, and kids running around squealing with laughter. It is rides on the country roads seeing great mountain views, streams, and shady woods with a waterfall.

Gardens are fluent and there are fields and more fields growing fresh vegetables or corn for the dairy cows. Stop for ice cream and try to eat it before it melts down your arm. Catch a local parade in a small town, and enjoy the festivities of community picnics. Some towns have "Old Home Days" and they are a great opportunity for the local folk and visitors to meet and enjoy the food, games, arts and crafts, rides on wagons, etc.

One of the best things to do is to just explore the country roads of the Catskill Mountains. It is truly a rural paradise even though ironically being so close to the largest city in the world. There is not one road or area that is not outstandingly gorgeous or interesting. Of course, you have to have an eye for beauty and natural splendor, yet even if not, you cannot help but notice how special this place is. It amazes me how consistent the Catskill Mountains are, the whole area is truly a retreat for the spirit, soul and body.

The farming lifestyle is alive and well. Many dairy, vegetable, and fruit farms dwell among these gentle hills. Also, there are several farming families who work hard side by side. Of course, the family farm is becoming less and less common, not to mention the sons and daughters who do go off to the big city to seek their fortunes and a different lifestyle. But many do come back, for once it is in your blood it is hard to shake it off.

The nicest thing about living in the Catskills is that you can truly have the best of both worlds. It is just a 3 hour drive to New York City. I think that is also why so many people who live in New York City come to the Catskills for their second homes that they enjoy on weekends and holidays. They can enjoy the benefits of New York City to make a good living and enjoy all its great restaurants, theaters, and museums, yet be able to come and relax in the natural peacefulness of the mountains.

The only problem about touring these country roads is that it makes you want to live here.