CANCEL YOUR BEACH PLANS. THE CATSKILLS ARE READY FOR YOU.
While everybody else is fighting sideways rain at an overcrowded beach, you could be on a porch in the mountains doing absolutely nothing. Just saying. Here's the thing nobody wants to admit about Memorial Day Weekend in NYC: the forecast looks like someone accidentally spilled cold brew on the entire East Coast.
Rain. Wind. Gray skies. Crowded trains to overcrowded beaches. Someone's rooftop BBQ featuring wet hamburger buns and a Bluetooth speaker fighting for its life.
Honestly? This might be the best thing that could happen to you.
Because while everybody else is trying to force "summer energy" into 53 degrees and sideways rain, the Catskills are about to become exactly what they were meant to be: cozy, quiet, foggy, slow, and wildly relaxing……breath-in the amazing air on the mountain, get cozy with your favorite movie.
At Alpine Four Season Lodge near Belleayre Mountain, this is the kind of weekend where you wake up slowly, make coffee in sweatpants, watch clouds roll through the mountains, and suddenly realize you haven't looked at your phone in two hours.
That's the real luxury now. Not bottle service. Not standing in line somewhere. Not paying $27 for a spicy margarita while pretending you enjoy "the vibe."
Seductively refreshing. Foggy Catskills mornings. Cool air through the window. Coffee in hand. The city suddenly feels very far away.
A rainy Catskills weekend has its own rhythm.
Morning coffee while rain hits the trees. Then you eat. A lot. Here's where to go:
🍳 Phoenicia Diner: The classic. Slide into a vinyl booth and order the eggs any way they'll make them, a stack of buttermilk pancakes that genuinely need two hands, and a bottomless diner coffee that hits different at altitude. This is the breakfast that makes you cancel your afternoon plans and order pie.
🥐Bettina's: Phoenicia's little European secret. Come here for the flaky, buttery pastries that taste like someone's French grandmother made them specifically for you, and a coffee so good you'll think about it on the drive home. Get whatever's in the case. All of it. You're on vacation.
🍷 Cafe Marguerite:This is your Saturday AM treat night. Try their home baked goods and culinary creations…..trust us you’ll be back soon for more.
🥃 Union Grove Distillery: Taste through their small-batch spirits and grab a bottle for the lodge. The kind of place where you walk in for a quick tasting and somehow end up staying for an hour talking to the person behind the bar. Get the whiskey. Trust us.
Got the message in the bottle…“light a fire, pour a whiskey, and let the Catskills slow everything down.”
And if the rain lets up for a few hours? Even better. The forests around Belleayre Mountain go electric green after rainfall. Mist hangs between the trees like a movie set. Everything smells like pine, earth, and campfire smoke.
Also worth bookmarking: Belleayre Mountain Area Guide · Catskills Visitor Guide
The truth is, some of the best weekends in the Catskills are the ones where the weather gives you permission to slow down.
And let's be honest — you probably needed that more than another rooftop party anyway.
Availability at Alpine Four Season Lodge is tightening fast.
Book direct at alpinefourseasonlodge.com, bring a hoodie, and let the mountains handle the rest.
Be the first to stay in our newly renovated lodgings The Lotus Suite and The Sun Bird Chalet
Daniel & The Crew
32 Galli Curci Road, Highmount, NY 12441 — Daniel & The Crew
