In case you missed it over on Instagram, Tom and I spent this past weekend at Mohonk Mountain House and it was truly like I stepped into a dream. I’m not a very outdoorsy person so this little excursion was fully out of character for me but also EXACTLY what I needed.
After a few weeks months of crazy work, I was feeling VERY burnt out and while I was taking a day here and there to “recharge,” nothing was really working. I was constantly checking in with my team, jumping online “just to do one thing,” the excuses were endless. I would like to say I made the decision to getaway but it was actually Tom and I’m SO thankful. He booked a long weekend at Mohonk only the week before we left and I wasn’t allowed to say no (and I’m so happy I didn’t).
If you’re looking to relax and recharge, keep reading for our weekend itinerary.
Day 1: Friday
Luckily, Mohonk is only 2 hours outside of New York City and since Tom had to work the full day, we woke up early and got on the road around 8 AM. We rolled into Mohonk around 10 AM, which was definitely a win. Unfortunately, our room wasn’t ready until around 3 PM, which is understandable now that I’ve stayed there a full weekend because WHO would want to leave such a gorgeous place early?! While Tom worked, I kept it low-key. I read on the porch, made a massage appointment for the following day, and enjoyed the peace and quiet for once.
Once Tom was done, we headed to dinner in the Mountain House’s main dinning room. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the resort, the cost of your stay includes (3) 3-course meals in their main dinning room (alcohol not included) and since you are eating breakfast // lunch // dinner there the menu changes daily. After a day of travel and not too much to eat, we worked up and appetite and those 3-courses were all we could look forward to. In all honesty, the food was great. As NYC foodies, I won’t go so far to say it was the best food I ever had but all-in-all was very pleased with the options and taste of the food.
After dinner, it was a bit rainy and their planned campfire was cancelled, which we were really disappointed about but we made the best of the night with a short walk and a nightcap at their bar, The Carriage House.
Day 2: Saturday
Saturday morning we were up bright and early with a breakfast reservation at 8:30 AM 😩. I am NOT a morning person but it felt pretty easy to wake up knowing all we had planned for the day was to rest. After breakfast we knew we wanted to head out for a hike of some sort but as I said I’m not outdoorsy AT ALL so felt a little at a loss of where to start. Luckily, Mohonk has two guided hikes planned throughout the day, one at 10 AM and another at 2 PM. We hopped on that 10 AM hike to get to know the mountain a bit better before heading out on our own and I’m so happy we did. We learned the trails, saw a few animals and even learned how to use the garbage cans that were made to keep bears out…
The hike took us to the tippy top of the mountain and took us about an hour. It was a great way to start the day. After the hike, we grabbed an iced coffee at the general store just off the lobby, which was the CUTEST and one of my favorite spots to spend time in. After coffee, we were off to our next adventure– The Lake.
Throughout the weekend, we tried the row boats (my arms are still killing me from all the rowing) and the pedal boats. Both were SO fun and a great workout. We truthfully, didn’t row/pedal too much. Just enough to get us out into the middle of the lake to relax and take in our surroundings. I think it may have been one of the most peaceful places that I’ve ever been.
After the Lake, Tom and I split up for a few solo activities. I headed to the spa for a massage and Tom headed to the golf course for a quick 9 holes. While I’ve been to a few spas throughout the years, I *think* this was my first massage and it was delightful. I chose the aroma massage, which is specifically crafted for relaxation and stress-relief.
After a day chock-full of activities (oh and I didn’t mention that it was 90+ degrees outside), we were SO TIRED but a vacation isn’t a vacation with at least one fancy dinner. 😍 After a quick shower and micro-nap on our balcony, I threw on this dress from last summer and I was ready for dinner. Following dinner, we watched the sunset with a glass of wine on the porch and even though I was only away for 24-hours, I reached full vacation bliss.
Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday, We slept in a bit (9:30ish?), grabbed a coffee and headed out for our own little walk. This time, we hiked what Mohonk calls Eagle Cliff, which traces the perimeter of the lake and included some STUNNING views (see below). This was a pretty easy and leisurely walk making it the perfect way to start the day since my body was hurting a bit after all we did on Saturday.
After our morning hike, we headed back to our room to pack up (sadly 😭) and checked out of our room. They require you to check out at 12 PM but will gladly hold your bags for the full day for your to enjoy the resort and we did just that. After check-out, we grabbed brunch and then headed out on the hardest hike of our lives. There haven’t been many hikes but I can already tell you this one will be memorable for a very long time. They call it ‘The Lemon Squeeze’ and while many friends warned me about this hike (and oddly encouraged it) I had NO idea it would be as hard as it was. Guys, I was literally rock climbing and scaling a freaking mountain. It was rough. HOWEVER, it felt SO rewarding once we reached the top. While it definitely wasn’t relaxing while I stressed out every moment on how I was going to make it up and how I’ve “passed the point of no return,” it felt nice to stress about something that wasn’t work for a change (and get a good workout while I was it).
After The Lemon Squeeze, we were pooped and could barely move. I washed up and changed quickly in the locker rooms and we were on our way home. On our way, we stopped in the town of New Paltz, which really wasn’t much (and we likely won’t be back) but we did find this awesome tea shop Called The Ridge that sold homemade sparkling iced tea and it may have been the most refreshing beverage I’ve ever tasted (but that may have been the 90 minute strenuous hike talking).
All in all, it was one of the most relaxing weekends of my life. I’ve never been so mindful about my personal headspace and wellness and it felt REALLY good. While I may not have it in the budget to head back to Mohonk anytime soon, I’m definitely taking a few of the lessons I learned into my everyday to hopefully make the stress of our post-pandemic world a little bit more relaxing.
