"Among the Catskills, a disjointed member of the Adirondacks, there lives a simple and good natured…read morefellow named Rip Van Winkle". - Washington Irving. And I can continue to quote much chapter and verse of this posthumous writing as the writing is near and dear to my heart - the gallantry shown at Fort Christina and more, the true founders of New York and I wish the good Peter Styversant were here today to drop a heap of learning about America on you who don't understand not just NY history, but America! Love it or be gone. Arriving at 5:45, I hadn't inquired as to what time the first tee ball hits the air, turns out it's about 8:00am. So I practiced my sneaky bump and runs, flips and flops and Texas toe downs. And player worth his salt has to know a multitude of great escape shots. So I lead the field being put out as a single with twins and fours amassing behind me and being 2 years removed from the short grass (due to injuries) I was a bit nervy on the 1st tee, nobody knew who I was, everyone else knew each other. Fortunately I ripped a low 3 iron cut stinger and I was off, still walking and carrying my bag, adding layers and subtracting layers as it was nippy in the mountains. I love the classic shallow and square bunkering design originally popular with architecture from the 20's and 30's. The greens rolled true but I couldn't buy a putt, not much break out there and putting off the second collar is doable. The fairways were in the shape to be expected for early season golf, what I should have done was pay closer attention to the unseen creeks that protected some greens and ran out along the sides. But I was the first player and I needed to set a good pace out there. Overall, the course played extremely fair, I can't give the staff enough credit for such fine service for me, attentiveness and extremely friendly.

Rip Van Winkle holds a special place in my heart…read more Not only is it the closest golf course to my parents' home and as such the place where I've golfed the most in the past decade (not saying much), but it's also the first place my brother, my father and I played after my father went through some very serious medical issues. We weren't entirely sure if he would ever be able to play golf again, so it was an amazing feeling to get out and hit a few balls with him last year. My father is doing much better now (physically at least, not that much better at golf), and so we try and get out whenever possible. This adds up to a couple times a year here when I'm in town, and accordingly, I am very, very bad at golf. Please believe that no one is mistaking Rip Van Winkle for something that belongs on the PGA Tour. When Greene County hasn't gotten enough rain, you may see a few brown spots out there. It's only nine holes, and generally pretty flat. However, it's an accessible, family-run place that I feel lucky to be able to play. It's affordable (kids play free too), and has my kind of casual vibe. I love that if I forgot to pack a collared shirt, they don't hassle me. My dad says the owner John is a great guy, and I like that his teenage son is often riding around tidying up the course. It's a true family biz. They do a good job too; the greens are well-maintained, the mountain backdrop is gorgeous, and you can't be sad about any day you spend trying to knock a little white ball around a beautiful grassy area. I suppose I can be sad about how poorly I do it, but I'm pretty happy here overall.

We have hiked there to the waterfall. The waterfall is one you can go behind it . Beautiful placeread more

We had our family reunion at Riedlbauers and it was great. The staff were so friendly and helpful…read more The food was delicious and very plentiful. I slept like a baby in the large guest room. I will definitely be back. Clean, safe and comfortable with an old-world friendly feeling.

What a great find!! Love this place and the staff. The food…read moreis great as well. Beautiful grounds and hiking on site. Beers and drinks aplenty. The out side area is spectacular and friendly. Go eat and stay a bit. Play some golf and come back to the bar. You'll be glad you did

When you dine at the CWH you are treated like family. The menu is made up of the most exquisite…read moremeals. Tonight we had the seared salmon which had the most amazing mashed potatoes and sauce. The chicken pot pie was enough for two(or a really hungry person!) that comes in a skillet and was still steaming after half an hour! I had the mountain burger which was very much a mountain! It was packed with so much flavor I couldn't believe it! For dessert the chef personally came out and let us know the options which I had the delight of trying the chocolate almond tart and the mini almond bundt cake with vanilla ice cream. I could tell immediately that the bundt cake had just come out of the oven. The chocolate almond tart was very rich and chocolatey delicious with homemade whipped cream. Dessert was my favorite part!

This hotel/bar/restaurant space has a modern retro decor and very cozy ambiance…read more The cocktail options are creative and they also have a good selection of wines. The food was unexpectedly elevated at extremely reasonable prices. I had the English chicken curry and a side of fries with a pesto aioli, and loved it. It's casual service and seating - just order at the bar and they bring everything out to you. Would definitely come back to try other items on the menu and relax with wine and a book.

We just had an amazing meal at Hotel Lilien. My husband had the brisket tacos and loved them…read more They're really like street tacos so not huge but we're perfect. Their brisket was delicious and juicy and the pickled red onions and cilantro were the perfect accompaniment. I had the tomato bisque soup and grilled cheese and have to say it was arguably the BEST soup I've ever had in my life!! It was incredible - such a simple dish but it was perfect. Regrettably we didn't get any pictures ... we will have to go back and will post pictures next time. If you are in the Hunter mountain area, stop by...this place is a gem!!

This is the must visit spot in Hunter and easily one of the best dive bars around! Viera, our…read morebartender, is always friendly and welcoming. She also makes the best pickled beets and dehydrated strawberries I've ever had the pleasure of trying. If you're lucky, you might even be able to purchase a jar from her to take home. The drinks are always on point, and the food is surprisingly good for a pub. The must tries are the wings, fried cauliflower bites & there burgers are all winners. There's a pool table to blow off some steam, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, and a jukebox with a great selection of music to keep the vibe going. It's a cash only establishment, so be sure to come prepared. You'll find a great mix of friendly locals and visitors enjoying a few drinks and good conversation. If you're visiting Hunter, this place is an absolute must stop & remember to ask for Viera homemade Picked Jars for Sale!

Definitely a dive bar, but the hazy IPA was solid. Everything else was about what you'd expect from…read morea dive bar.

Can't recommend this place enough. Amazing air BNB/inn located in the Catskills on an old abandoned…read morezoo. As a guest you were able to explore the zoo day and night however, you need to stay out of the buildings. The in itself is gorgeous and the rooms are comfortable. There is a total of five guestrooms. There is even an option to rent out the whole inn. There is a large kitchen and living room for guest to use That is a shared space. You can bring your own food and cook there if you want. There is also a few tent sites. Dog friendly! Definitely a unique experience and close to other attractions in the area.

Wow. You are not likely to find a more fantastic and unique place to stay. This was part of a…read moresurprise birthday weekend for my wife and until we got to Game Farm Road, she had no idea where we were going. Everyone is shocked when I tell them that we stayed inside what was the giraffe house. The rooms are well-appointed, and the communal are spacious. There's a full kitchen for you to use, couches, tables, a coffee bar. But for the people who are here to explore the modern ruins, the real appeal is outside the inn. We probably spent 5 hours exploring all over the abandoned zoo, and I'm not sure we covered everything. Almost everything is open, so you can go into the buildings, inside the fences, even inside the cages. It's spooky, but so cool. And since the inn has only five rooms, we hardly saw anyone while we were out there, since you can only explore the property if you're staying there. It's only about 20 minutes to downtown Catskill, where we went to eat both nights, but while you're on the property, it's completely quiet, except for the creepily atmospheric sounds of the gun range down the road.

Never been place like this. Never experienced a BAD customer service like here. 2* motel charging…read more$140/ night . Iam not against it if the room clean. During COVID 19 , we can expect the employees wear mask. They are not. Room was unbelievable dirty. Bed was made but not washed..As you see on pictures ,my points. NOT pet friendly place . I didnt even take my dog to the room. When I requested to get a refund ( on calm voice and attitude) and leave , owner was telling me: Go to the Hell! I hope you will enjoy that. Shove your card to your ass. Take your dog too , to hell. I just can't believe how unprofessional , nasty person can run this motel. I will report this place to be sure , people will be safe if they going there. Better not to.

This charming lodge has been serving families and travelers for decades. After some years of…read moredecline, new owners have been reinvigorating the site with a '70s retro-cool aesthetic. Clean rooms, fresh paint, and a friendly, attentive staff are making a big difference. Some of the furnishings could still use refurbishing or replacing. On our visit, we could see they were installing a vintage malm fireplace in the lobby. We also had the pleasure to meet fellow travelers around the fire pit, most of whom were returning guests. I also found out on our return, that we have friends who remember frequenting this place back in the day. If we find ourselves back this way again, we would love to make another visit. They seem to be in the process of redoing the bar/restaurant, so no review on that - but looks very cozy

Is a wonderful campground Great seasonal campsites…read moreLee and Betty run a exceptional operation

Good Campground, TERRIBLE SHOWERS. If you have your own shower facility in your rig, this place is…read morefine. It's off the beaten path, in the woods. The campground seems nice. I made our reservation over the phone and we were told we would get a site with a deck. We did not. We arrived after dark and it was hard to identify our site and the fact that we did not the kind of site we were "sold" did not help. Better signage to help identify sites would be good. We were just finishing a 2000 mile roadtrip so we've seen a few bathrooms and this was hands down the worst of all of them. The showers were not private and there wasn't a clean space to leave your supplies. There are two types of showers - stalls outside of the main bathhouse and two stalls inside. The stalls outside are not full doors - think bathroom stall doors - and someone could easily look in and see you showering. The inside stalls are across from each other with the door to the exterior across. Think a letter T - shower at each end of the top of the T and the door to the exterior at the bottom of the T. You undress in the common area just outside the stalls. There's nowhere clean really to put your clothing and if someone opened the door, they'd see you and all God gave you. Though I do not expect the Taj Mahal when I am camping, when I am paying to stay at a campground, especially one that caters to "glamping," I do expect some privacy. I did not feel comfortable with the shower situation and we elected not to stay another night. When this was presented to the office attendant the next morning, she was extremely rude. She did ultimately refund the money for a second night minus 3.9%. I hope that Treetopia has some upgrades in store for their shower facilities, especially if "glamping" is going to be their niche.