Catskill Mountain Railroad - Twilight Limited

One of the most fun activities I've done in Ulster County is ride on the Twilight Limited Train on the Catskill Mountain Railroad. Twice each summer, the CMRR has a nighttime ride that includes a fun stop at the Phoenicia Train Station where they have live music and snacks. In addition to dancing to Bluegrass tunes, you can visit the Empire State Railway Museum during the stopover in Phoenicia. The train then heads toward the Ashokan Reservoir before turning back to Mount Tremper Station to drop everyone off.

Although the Twilight Limited runs only twice a year, there are regular rides during the week plus other special rides, like their Fall Foliage Rides. You can even charter a train for a special occasion.

During the Twilight Limited, we enjoyed the sounds of Earl Pardini and the Slide Mountain String Band. They played a fairly long set at the station in Phoenicia and then joined us for the remainder of the ride. Someone else on our train ride posted footage from the trip on YouTube. It includes several pictures (some blurry) and video from the ride. It includes music from the band and some great footage of the merriment on the platform in Phoenicia. The video captures several train passengers dancing the Virginia Reel, a folk dance dating back to the 17th century.

The old ticket booth inside the Phoenicia Train Station/Museum is pictured above. The YouTube video includes shots of a lot of the pictures and memorabilia inside the museum.

The train is quite impressive on the interior as well. Above is a photo of the enclosed car. There were also two "outdoor" cars that had benches running along the center and were open to the elements - perfect for the weather on Saturday night.

The CMRR is an extension of the Delaware and Ulster Railroad, which was completed in 1900. The railroad helped build up the Catskills as a vacation/retreat destination for people from New York City, and its fortunes rose and fell along with those of the mountain houses in the region. More information about the history of the railroad is available here.

Overall, the ride was a lot of fun, and I'm definitely looking forward to going back for the Fall Foliage Train. The Mount Tremper Train Station is located just outside of Phoenicia and is the main starting and stopping point for the Esopus Line. You can also take the train along its Kingston Line with the train starting at Kingston Plaza. The Kingston ride focuses mainly on the city of Kingston and doesn't appear to go into the countryside like the Esopus Line.

Giant Ledge/Panther Mountain Hike

Ulster County has tons of great hiking. Between Mohonk, Minnewaska and the Catskills, there are trails for everyone at all levels of difficulty. A challenging hike is the trail to Giant Ledge and Panther Mountain. The trail head that we used is on Route 47. Route 47 meets Route 28 a few miles west of Phoenicia. Head south from 28 about 7 miles, and the trail head parking will be on the right.

The trail is quite steep, as seen in the picture above. Interestingly, the trees on the trail tend to be far more inclined to the deciduous category than you typically see in the area. As you get father up the mountain, the trees become more evergreen - with some great balsam firs.

The big pay-offs on the hike are prior to the peak at Panther Mountain. Giant Ledge includes a series of overlooks that afford sweeping views of the Catskills. They are well worth the hike, and they are even better than the views I've seen from some of the other mountains, including Wittenberg.

Panther Mountain tops out at an elevation of 3,720 feet. The trail head is around 2,200/2,300 feet, so the elevation gain is about 1,500 feet. It's a bit of a challenge, but it's well worth it for the views! For more information about Panther Mountain, go to this link.

Mohonk Garden Shop & Greenhouse

Another great place to visit at Mohonk is the Garden Shop & Greenhouse. And you don't even have to pay for a day pass or stay at Mohonk House - you just have to register at the main gate, and you can drive to the Garden Shop. There is a time limit that you can stay at the shop - usually about 45 minutes, but it's a great way to see some of the Mohonk grounds and to have the chance to shop at a fun greenhouse.

The Garden Shop includes plants, lawn ornaments and other accessories. Many of the plants available at the shop are the same plants used on the grounds. There are also some very unique plants - including some of the Victorian-era plants that the Mohonk grounds are known for.

More information about the shop are available on the Mohonk site on this page. It is a good idea to call ahead of time to ask them to notify the main gate that you are coming (although we've also been able to gain access to the shop without calling ahead). The page includes times and the main number for the Garden Shop.

Mohonk Day Trippin'

If you want to experience Mohonk House - one of the gems of the Hudson Valley - you don't have to spend an outrageous sum of money on a hotel room. You can do a day trip! At the main gate, you can get a day pass (note: you have to pay parking in addition to the pass). Because day parking is at the main gate (and it's a couple of miles to the main house), Mohonk provides a shuttle bus that will drop you off at the Picnic Lodge (pictured below).The Picnic Lodge is the main point of entry for day trippers and is the only location for day trippers to purchase meals. Day trippers are not allowed inside the main house, although you can access the trails around the property. Below is the kitchen area of the Picnic Lodge.As the name suggests, you can picnic at the Picnic Lodge. There are comfy rocking chairs on the front porch (the same rocking chairs that you see all along the lakefront side of the main house).

You can also use the picnic tables on the side porch of the Picnic Lodge. Here's a good secret for day trippers. You can have an even better experience at Mohonk by planning a meal at the main dining room.

Day meals are allowed for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. For an upfront-paid fee, you get your meal plus access to the guest parking lot at the main house, and you are allowed to visit the first floor of the main house - including the cool gift store. Meals can be pricey, so I suggest going in for breakfast - that also gives you the whole day to wander around.

Contact numbers for Mohonk (to ask about day passes and/or to make day meal reservations) are here.