Mother’s Day at Mohonk.

Mohonk Mountain House. Well, this place is a little slice of heaven. There’s something almost Narnia-esque about it. Like you’ve passed through the wardrobe and, oh my word, there you are in another world in all its beauty. I had to come down off the high before I even felt like I had my bearings such that I could write about it. Like, did it really look that way outside our hotel room? Was the brunch really as good as I imagined it to be? The answers to these questions are always yes. Let’s start at the beginning..Mohonk has been around since 1869. And it has all the incredible character that would suggest that era (detailed wood moldings, transom windows above doors, a gorgeous 5-story central staircase, etc.) but with all the modern amenities that we like now. Except TVs. No TVs in the rooms. (Not in any that we heard about anyway.) That was fine by us since all of the activities available there trump television any day of the week. The Mountain House was founded by a Quaker named Albert Smiley, and it’s still owned by the Smiley family today. (I wish I were a Smiley.) Steve told us about the Quakers while we were there. Then, today, while I was writing this post he told me to forget everything he had said because he had confused the Quakers with the Shakers! We just had a good laugh. To even get there, you’re well off the main roads, sort of trailing through the Hudson Valley in all its splendor. A farm here, a barn there, the majesty of the mountains in the distance. (the Hudson Valley…Have you been yet? I would highly suggest it. No doubt its popularity has grown over the years, but I still think it’s a little bit of a secret gem. You really need to see for yourself what a spectacular part of the country it is.) Upon arrival, you come to a small sort of security building where they take your name, jot down information about your car and point you in the right direction to find the House. But you’re not there yet! Nope, you still need to drive another mile or two on this tiny, winding, one-way road through the woods, before you come to Mohonk. It’s a private road–a driveway really–so there’s no houses or intersections anywhere. The woods are dense, and then there’s a pasture here, and a view of the mountains in the distance there and then more woods. It’s lovely. As you approach, you pass tulip gardens, an expansive rolling lawn, and then, like a Victorian castle rising above you right into the clouds (literally the clouds on the day we arrived!), you’re there.We headed straight in, and for the huge deck lined with rocking chairs overlooking the lake. The boys quickly discovered the school of trout, and the handy machine that gives you a handful of fish food for a dime. They cleared me out of my dimes (and those of passing strangers) in about 15 minutes.Soon thereafter, we went inside this cozy, beautiful room for their afternoon tea and cookies. (Yes! They have afternoon tea and cookies!! But of course.) Fireplaces going, board games, coloring. The lake visible from all the windows, and the trout still teeming waiting for more food to be thrown their way.While we were sipping our tea, Parker told me he had to use the bathroom. We left to go find it and that’s when I happened upon Lynzy! I was pleasantly surprised to see her and her family, as I’ve followed her for a long time. And, no surprise here, they’re all so lovely. We had the chance to have drinks (sans husbands and kids) the first night and then had dinner with our families the last night. We all hit it off–kids and adults alike.So coming to Mohonk is a little bit like being asked to juggle when you don’t juggle. This is a terrible analogy, but it was worse before Steve looked over my post for some editing help. (This is the sentence that made us both laugh out loud.) So you just have to decide which balls–each one utterly fantastic in its own right–you’re going to let fall. The activities are endless: horseback riding, hiking, country line dancing, spa, mountain biking,  indoor pool, yoga, meditation, tennis, boating, tomahawk throwing (you read that right), all the way to simply getting a hot drink, finding a cozy nook somewhere, and sitting with a good book. Oh and there’s an award-winning kids’ club if you want a bit of a date night, or a solo hike or spa day too. We hiked to the Skytop Tower the first day. There’s 85 miles of hiking to do right from Mohonk’s front doors, and this, for me anyway, is one of their biggest draws. To get lost on a gorgeous hike but then head back to Mohonk where the most incredible meals are being prepared and where you can have a hot shower is like the best of both worlds. I’d highly suggest the Rock Scramble. Parts of it, you’re truly squeezing through the tightest rock formations, or scooting under massive boulders (watch your head!) and it was so much fun (best for ages 7+). The boys also got to horseback ride on Saturday. We were really spoiled by Mohonk. Views from the trail going up to Skytop Tower.Little spots like this are dotted all along the trails The views from Skytop. Now you’re just showing off, Hudson Valley. Being there in the spring was really fantastic, but I had the thought more than once that virtually all seasons would offer something really unique and wonderful. There’s an open air pavilion for ice skating in the winter, the snowshoeing through the woods would be spectacular, spring with its blooming trees, and boating, and tulip gardens, summer with the swimming and outdoor fireplaces would be a blast, and then… fall color. So get here. Any time, just get here. After we came back from hiking, we got ready for dinner and took a boat ride around the lake. (Fun fact–the boats are made by Lowells Boat Shop. A local-to-us boat shop, and made by a good friend of ours. Hey hey Graham!) Also, I love that man of mine and I love his smile. Especially lately. We’ve had a lot on our plates, so I’m really welcoming the light moments lately. Here we were trying to find a fish that still had a lure attached to him. Steve was hoping to catch him with a net and remove the lure. We tried for about a half hour, but then gave up as he so infrequently swam close enough to us. Steve joked that we should reenact the Notebook scene. “It wasn’t over for me! Why didn’t you write me?” “I wrote you 365 letters.” (We didn’t. Missed opportunity.)   Sitting in the rocking chairs was one of my favorite things to do. So was the eating. Now I’ve made brief mentions of the food a few times, but honestly the food could be it’s own post. Heck, the food could be three of its own posts–one for each meal. My IG highlights have a bit of a brunch tour under the Mohonk tab, but let me talk about it for a second here too. Here’s the deal. It’s not lost on me that Mohonk is pretty expensive, but I must emphasize that food and a lot of the activities are included. The more you add up the value of all of those things, the more the price makes sense. Okay, the food. This is not just any all-you-can-eat buffet. This is local, fresh, made right there for you dishes and the options are endless. I think my eyes fell out of my head the first time I had a meal there. I’m talking beautiful cuts of wagyu beef and pork loin, roasted vegetables, an incredible salad bar, a ramen station, a pasta station, crepes, omelettes, egg sandwiches, fresh breads, waffles and fresh berries, signature salads, fruit smoothie station, fancy desserts, an ice cream bar. You want pasta? You walk up, politely tell the person working at the station what you’d like from vodka sauce to pesto and everything in between, and right there it’s freshly made and served on your plate. The boys had a field day with this, as you can imagine. I tried my best not to make a scene by skipping through the dining room. Steve says he put on 5 pounds. As if the lakeside wasn’t beautiful enough, there is a tulip garden on the other side. Everything was in full bloom. It was a wonderful Mother’s Day surprise.These ones were my favorite. Driving away from Mohonk was a little bit depressing. I could’ve spent days and days there wandering the halls, hiking the trails, and sitting on the deck with a glass of wine in the evenings. It is a little slice of heaven there in the Hudson Valley and I couldn’t recommend it more. Spending Mother’s Day there was such a gift.Thank you so much for inviting us, Mohonk Mountain House. We will remember this weekend forever!

This post is in collaboration with Mohonk Mountain House who generously gifted us this weekend. Thank you Mohonk, and thank you readers!