Tannersville, NY not to be confused with Tannersville, PA which according to Google Search is way more popular, is a really special place to me.  As much as I love the stimulation of New York City sometimes the whole “concrete jungle” part gets me a little antsy.  Growing up in a Southern California beach town I was very spoiled to have the ocean right there, but also to have hills, mountains, deserts all within a quick drive away.

So about a year and a half ago, I was going through one of those “I gotta get out of the city” spells and told Mike I was dying to do some hiking and see some nature.  After asking around and doing some research he presented me with Tannersville, a small, quirky and colorful town in the Catskills about a two and a half hour drive outside of the city.

We stay at this really amazing place called the Hotel Mountain Brook.  It has great views of the mountains and the owner Amy is really sweet.  Every morning they make a delicious breakfast using all local products.

Besides the popular Hunter Mountain, where New Yorkers flock to during the winter, Tannersville is also well know for the Kaaterskill falls.  It is considered the longest waterfall in New York, not to be confused with the largest which would be Niagara Falls.  We started our hike by taking the Escarpment Trail which runs along the mountain above the falls.

Once we hit the trail we were a little surprised as there was still a significant amount of snow on parts of it, but it made the scenery that more beautiful.  One thing I found to be especially pretty was the way the fallen debris imprinted itself into the snow.

It reminded me of a finished paper product I created as a kid with the old flower presses.  As we kept hiking we continued to come across more of the trails treasures.

Falling leaves

Winter growth

And iced over water streams

After we finished along the trail we made our way back down to check out the Kaaterskills.   The first time we hiked the falls we started from the top and made our way down and back up, but with ice on the trail we were unable to do so. Normally you’ll find people swimming at the bottom of each of the falls, but this time the watering holes were frozen over.

We really lucked out with the weather which made this day of nature that much more enjoyable.  After the falls we made our way to Last Chance Cheese Antiques Cafe where we indulged in a couple of their beers from the over 300 bottle selection and their local cheeses.  Main Street, though small has great restaurants including Pancho Villias, a Mexican place with yummy fajitas and guacamole.   We also came across a new find, Currans.  Using only local ingredients and changing their menu seasonally, this place exceed our expectations.

So after a weekend of hiking and great food I felt refreshed, renewed and excited to get back to the city life that keeps me on the go.

Even if you live in a tranquil place, everyone needs a little escape from the craziness of their life.  So I’m interested, where do you like to go to recharge you batteries?