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Do You Think That Only Brown Cows Make Chocolate Milk? (A Catskill Mountain Getaway)

By
Real Estate Agent with Westcott Group Real Estate Company

 

Do you ever need to just get away with the family for a day or so to unwind? Long Island is a great place to live, but it's also pretty fast-paced. You could always go out to the east end of the Island, but it's not the same relaxing feeling of being "away" for a few days. These short trips are a perfect way to get re-energized. The key to receiving the benefit of the getaway is that the trip must be short enough so that most of the time is spent enjoying the things that you want to do and not in the car traveling.

 

 So where can Long Islanders go for their getaways without having to sit in the car for hours upon end? How about the Catskills?  This relaxing area is located only a few hours north of Long Island (2-3 hours depending on where on Long Island you are traveling from).  A few weeks back, I wrote about my experience at my wife's family reunion which took place in the Catskills.  The article was called Time Flies - Make Every Day Count.  This family reunion was at a place called Lake Superior State Park located in Bethel, NY.  It's a kind of hidden gem, as it's not too crowded, but it offers some nice things to do (swimming, boating, picnicking) at a very reasonable price.  The cost for a non-resident is $3 per day.  If you plan on spending time in the area, you can opt for a season pass for $20.  We had such a great time at the reunion that we decided to head back up there for a quick family trip before the start of school.

 

 

If you've never gotten the chance to swim in a lake, I would highly recommend trying it.  The cool water is so refreshing on a hot day.  Growing up, my siblings and I went to sleep-away camp in the Catskills and lake swimming was a big part of the fun.  So, in addition to this being a great place to go, it was also an area that brings back a lot of great memories.  With school starting in the next week or so, this was a chance to have one last family trip, and it was well worth it.

 

 

 

You'll see some interesting things on the way to the park that you don't usually see on Long Island.  There are the "hippy" areas that are near Bethel.  There are horses and farms with silos along the road, and plenty of cows to be seen, which is how the title of this article came about. 

 

  Nothing is better than having a good laugh while driving to your destination, and children are often the inspiration for laughter.  As my soon-to-be kindergartener saw the cows, he jokingly  asked "Do you think that only brown cows make chocolate milk?"  We all chuckled and enjoyed the moment.  

 

 

 

 Afterwards, we played a game similar to 20 questions to pass the time.  The only difference is that we don't count questions.  You are allowed to play until you get it or give up.  It makes the time fly by in the car, and keeps restless children engaged, which is something that I can't recommend highly enough.  This questions game is a great way to block the one question that every parent dreads..."Are We There Yet?"

 

Despite the dreaded question being asked on more than one occasion, which makes this trip seem longer than it actually is, this is really a fairly short, easy trip.  Just for the record, the first time that the question is usually posed to us is about 2 exits away from home on the LIE.  The park is conveniently located off of a road that connects to Route 17B (which is located off of Exit 104 off of Route 17 in Monticello).  It's a very easy place to get to (for directions from your home click here).  There are other things to do in the immediate area as well.

 

  On your way to Bethel, you will pass the Monticello Raceway, which is now known as the Monticello Racino because they have slot machines in addition to harness racing.  The slogan for this hybrid destination is "A Little Vegas In Your Backyard."  It's not quite Vegas, but if you're just looking to spend some time playing the one-armed bandits and watching some harness racing, this is a place that's worth going to. 

 

This area is always being built up, and entertainment has become more readily available in the Catskills.  Located at the exact site where Woodstock took place in 1969 is the new Bethel Woods Center For The Arts.  This state-of-the-art venue situated upon 1700 acres of land features music from the genres of Classical, Pop, Jazz, Country and Rock.  The enormous stage at this venue covers 7500 square feet.  There are 4800 seats located under a covered pavilion and an additional 12,000 people can view the concert from the less expensive lawn seats (bring your own chairs and blankets)Parking is free, and there is a selection of food and beverages available for purchase.  This incredible venue is drawing in some very well-known artists.  Please click here to check out the artists that have already played at the venue.

If you just want to get away from Long Island for a few days, the Catskill Mountains are an excellent destination choice.  For more details about the Catskills, including lodging choices, please click here.

 

About The Author

Adam Waldman is a Long Island Real Estate and Relocation specialist. Many Long Islanders have chosen to relocate to other parts of the country, but often times they don't have anyone to turn to for assistance. Realizing that this was an underserved market, Adam Waldman has created a team of professionals in the relocation "hot spots" that Long Islanders are relocating to. These professionals are experts in the field of relocation and can serve many purposes beyond a simple home search. Please visit www.TheLIReloGuy.com for your relocation needs and www.AdamWaldman.com for your local needs.

Adam Waldman, RE/MAX Best, 631-357-2036, adam@AdamWaldman.com

Comments (12)

Debbie Cook
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc - Silver Spring, MD
Silver Spring and Takoma Park Maryland Real Estate
oooohhh aahhhh  This looks like a wonderful place.  I've always wanted to go to the catskills!  It has always seemed so cool, romantic and mysterious to me.  Great descriptive localism post - Good job
Aug 31, 2007 05:13 AM
Adam Waldman
Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY
Realtor - Long Island
DEBBIE:  Thank you very much for your comment.  I'm glad that you enjoyed this post.  This was my first one, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.  It's good to hear someone else's opinion, particularly someone that isn't in the NY area.  I realize that these are the types of posts that don't get many comments, and that's ok.  I was just hoping to get something so I can tell if it read well.  Thank you again for being my first-ever localism post comment!
Aug 31, 2007 05:17 AM
Brian Block
RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President - McLean, VA
Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
Adam, it has been ages since I went to the Catskills.  I was there as a small kid when I was still living in New York (about 7 years old).  My parents have fond memories of summer camp and family vacations in the Catskills.  I enjoyed your post, and your son's funny question about the cows.  Whenever I think of the Catskills, I always think of the move "Dirty Dancing"
Aug 31, 2007 05:40 AM
Diane Rice
Rice Prprty Mgmnt & Rlty, LLC, South Holland, IL - Lansing, IL
SFR, SRES, CNC
Awesome Post!
Aug 31, 2007 06:09 AM
Adam Waldman
Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY
Realtor - Long Island
BRIAN:  "Dirty Dancing" does seem to be what many people think of when they think of the Catskills.  That is a movie that really captured the hearts of all types of people.  My father used to watch that movie every time that it was one.  We spent some vacations up there as well, and I went to camp for 5 summers in Parksville.  All of my Catskill memories are great ones.  My in-laws live up there now, so it's nice to be able to have a quick getaway from time to time.  Thanks for sharing your memories of the Catskills, and for reading the post.  Since this is my first localism-type post, I wasn't sure if I was hitting on the things that people would be interested in reading, but the few responses seem positive so I'm happy that I did this.
Aug 31, 2007 06:16 AM
Adam Waldman
Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY
Realtor - Long Island
DIANE:  Thanks for the compliment.  I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
Aug 31, 2007 06:17 AM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
Adam, Great description of your family get a way! Good use of photos and words to "paint" a picture for us. So glad that we had a chance to talk this week.
Aug 31, 2007 08:26 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
Adam, Oh, the Catskills brought back so many memories for me.  My Aunt used to own a cabin there and we spent a lot of time there.  I haven't been there in years and this made me want to go and revisit it.  I have been too busy finding so many places wonderful on Long Island that I never knew existed!  You would have thought I would have known them all by now!  Thankyou for a wonderful post and some terrific memories.
Aug 31, 2007 09:08 AM
Adam Waldman
Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY
Realtor - Long Island
MARGARET:  Thanks again for the inspiration.  Had we not spoken, I might have let this one slip by.  I'm glad that you enjoyed it, because I really enjoyed creating it.  I'll speak to you soon, Margaret.
Aug 31, 2007 03:09 PM
Adam Waldman
Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY
Realtor - Long Island
CAROLE:  Thank you for sharing your Catskills story and for your very supportive comments.  I really appreciate everything that you have to say.  I'm glad that this brought back some happy memories for you.  If you do decide to take a trip up there and write about it, I'll be sure to check it out.  Thanks again, Carole.
Aug 31, 2007 03:12 PM
Maureen Maureen
Orangeburg, NY

Adam - I used to live up in the Catskills near Monticello.  It is really beautiful.  Another great reason to visit the Catskills is the golf.  A lot of the resorts have their own golf courses.  You can pay to use them even if you are not staying at the resort.  

Great post, it has been featured in the I Love NY group.

Sep 01, 2007 10:51 AM
Adam Waldman
Westcott Group Real Estate Company - Hauppauge, NY
Realtor - Long Island
MAUREEN:  It's great to hear from someone that knows the area very well.  It's such a great place for us to visit, and the memories from childhood couldn't be better.  I haven't taken advantage of the golfing, because I don't golf, but that's an excellent point.  I really appreciate the fact that it's featured in I Love NY.  That was my first crack at a Localism post.  All of my others have either been directed towards the industry folks or to both industry and consumers.  Thanks for your comments and your compliment, Maureen.
Sep 01, 2007 01:26 PM