From U-Hauls to the Catskills: How One Obsession Became Alpine Four Season Lodge

Before Alpine Four Season Lodge existed, before the porch coffee, the mountain mornings, the sound of absolutely nothing, there was just a stubborn New Yorker who needed to get out of the city every single weekend.

I didn't own property upstate yet. I just knew that somewhere on Route 28 near Phoenicia, my entire nervous system exhaled.

When this is the only wheel left……go for it.

The Great Escape (The Hard Way)

First came rental cars. By Friday afternoon, Manhattan becomes the Hunger Games of available vehicles. Every car disappears the moment a weather app whispers "sunny in the Catskills."

Then came Zipcar. Technically clever. Emotionally exhausting. Race the clock, worry about parking, obsess over the return time, somehow adding more stress to a trip designed to remove it.

So I made the completely reasonable decision to rent U-Hauls instead. Yes. Actual moving trucks.

There is something deeply humbling about rolling into the Catskills in a 17-foot box truck while everyone else arrives in polished SUVs with kayaks on the roof. But the moment Route 28 opened up near Phoenicia, mountains rising through the trees, the air changing, the city noise dissolving mile by mile, I genuinely did not care.

That feeling eventually became Alpine Four Season Lodge.

The Wheels on the bus go round and round…..

The Easiest Way Up (We Figured It Out)

After the rental car chaos and the accidental U-Haul era, the best solution turned out to be the simplest one: the Trailways bus from Port Authority.

No traffic stress. No parking wars. No last-minute scrambles. Just sit back, watch the skyline fade into forests and rivers, and let the journey become part of the experience.

Your route through the Catskills: 🌿 Woodstock, coffee shops, galleries, and that effortlessly cool mountain-town energy 🌊 Phoenicia, creekside walks, great food, and the kind of quiet that feels like a full exhale 🍂 Margaretville, antique shops, local markets, and scenic drives that go nowhere in particular (which is exactly the point) 🏔️ Highmount at Belleayre — Alpine Four Season Lodge, your private mountain home

Fast forward to today no more U-Haul required and we own a car.

Why Spring in the Catskills Hits Different

Spring up here is one of New York's most underrated secrets. The forests go electric green. The roads empty out. The mountain towns wake up after winter with an energy that feels brand new.

Midweek is when it's best. Before the Friday rush, before the restaurants fill up, the mountains still feel personal. Like they're yours.

It's the perfect reset for a romantic getaway, a remote work week, a solo recharge, or an early Mother's Day escape before the chaos of peak season takes over.

Your Mountain Home Awaits

Alpine Four Season Lodge sits at 32 Galli Curci Road in Highmount, NY — steps from Belleayre Mountain, under 2 1/2 hours from the city, and a world away from everything else.

10 suite and apartment accomodations. Sleeps 22. Four seasons of exactly what you came here for.

Check availability now and book direct for best rates: www.alpinefourseasonlodge.com

— Daniel & The Crew