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Local Guides | New York City

Explore Postcard Cabins Eastern Catskills

By Postcard Cabins -

Here’s a handy guide for getting to our New York location, Postcard Cabins Eastern Catskills, and local spots to pick up any supplies you may need. While there’s a lot to do in the area, we suggest taking a break from planning in excess and simply enjoying the time away from your daily routine and hustle.

Parking + Public Transportation

Parking at Postcard Cabins Eastern Catskills is easy; simply drive up and park directly next to your tiny cabin. If you don’t have wheels, don’t worry.  Our cabins can be accessed by a variety of ways on public transportation:

  • From Penn Station, you can take Amtrak to the Hudson, NY stop, then grab a cab (we recommend Pronto Taxi, 518-822-9500, cash only) for about a 20-25 min ride to your cabin
  • From the NYC Greyhound station, you can take it to the Catskill Park & Ride, then take a taxi from there.
  • From Grand Central, you can take MetroNorth to Poughkeepsie, and you could Uber over from there. It’s an hour ride and will probably be pricey (about $150), so it’s a better option if you split it with friends.

Walks in the Woods

Want to remove the walls between you and nature? Take a trip down one of these nearby hiking trails just a short drive away.

Kaaterskill Falls
Distance: 2.5 miles, about 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed

Directions from Our Cabins

This hike is short, though it is also steep and can get rocky. But all the effort is totally worth it when you reach the gorgeous waterfall.

Overlook Mountain Trail
Distance: 4.8 miles, about 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed on-leash

Directions from Our Cabins

The stunning view from the top of this hike makes you forget about the strenuous slog to get there. You’ll also find an old fire tower and ruins of a former hotel at the summit, and at the start or end of your hike, you can visit a Buddhist temple.

North-South Lake
Distance: 4.1 miles, about 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed on-leash

Directions from Our Cabins

Follow Mary’s Glen Trail to enjoy the views from Artist’s Rock, Sunset Rock, Newman’s Ledge, and North Point, then reward yourself with a dip in the lake. Or simply skip the hike and enjoy the water!

Sustenance & SnackSustenance & Snacks

If you’re in need of extra supplies, you can find several stores nearby to fulfill your needs and fill your belly.

Last Chance Cheese, 6009 Main St, Tannersville, New York, 12485
You’ll find so much more than just cheese here! Sit down for a meal at the tavern, search for treasure among the antiques, peruse the gourmet offerings in the shop, and choose from a huge selection of beer and, of course, cheese.

Hannaford, 223 Main St, Cairo, NY 12413
Hannaford is a full supermarket so you can stock up here.

Tousey Winery,  1774 New York, U.S. 9, Germantown, NY 12526
To taste some of the local flavors of Catskill, NY head to Tousey Winery prepared to find a new favorite wine. 

Notes on Nature

  • The Catskills are made up of 98 peaks, and they were shaped by waterways and sediment deposits, meaning that geologically they are considered a dissected plateau, not mountains.
  • Bobcats do live in the region, and many people believe that is what inspired the name Catskills, though that hasn’t been proven to be true.
  • Golden eagles, bald eagles, and a variety of hawks are common in the area, so you might spot them soaring overhead.

Find cabins near New York. 

Features

How They Getaway: A Mother-Daughter Trip

By Postcard Cabins -

There are few gifts more valuable than giving someone your undistracted time.

It’s about putting cell phones away when you’re at dinner, taking time to call family members without the TV on in the background, dedicating yourself to being with another person.

It’s that idea that took Getaway guest Rozette Rago out to our Big Bear Outpost with her mom – for a mother-daughter Getaway when they both needed a simple, undistracted break.

Rozette is a photo editor for Wirecutter and a freelance photographer in Los Angeles, and between the two gigs, it can be difficult to align schedules and make the time for family. “I had been wanting to get out of the city for a bit, and I brought it up to my mom to see if she was up for it… My mom and I are very close and we try to hang out as much as we can, but trips are harder because of our work schedules.”

mother daughter

Rozette and her mom kicked things off with an early escape to get in some hiking and a delicious meal. “On the day of our Getaway, we drove out of Los Angeles earlier so we could make stops on the way to the Big Bear Outpost. I drove straight to Lake Arrowhead Village so we could walk around for a bit and have lunch there. After that, I saw Heaps Peak Arboretum on your list or recommended nearby hikes so we went there.”

“When we got to our cabin, we were blown away. We sat on the bed and pretty much stayed there the whole night chatting, playing games, and relaxing. It was fun watching the sky change colors as the sun started setting.”

It was the perfect mixture for the mom and daughter, who love the beauty of nature without being strictly outdoorsy types. “The cabin was the perfect balance between being safe indoors, but still feeling like I’m outdoors because of the enormous window. My mom and I spent valuable time not worrying about work and other things. We just took our time and relaxed and ate a bunch of snacks that we brought along for the trip. We really felt rested after.”

mother daughter

It’s that valuable time which felt so good. So often during our off-time, we can feel compelled to do this, that, and the other thing, to make the most out of our weekend vacations, even when it is to a cabin getaway. Rozette notes, “My mom and I go on trip together where we walk nonstop all day and visit as many spots as possible, but on this trip, we made a point to just slow down and relax. I think it’s important to really commit to that and just enjoy the idleness. I know how hard that is for city people who are constantly on the go, and I’m completely on the same boat. But this Getaway experience really helped me clear my mind for a day, take a deep breath, and just enjoy where I was at.”

Give yourself that necessary reset in a tiny cabin in nature. Book your Getaway here.

Guest Stories

365 Hours Outside

By Postcard Cabins -

When Haylie Tate kicked off her 2019, she had a very specific goal in mind for her family: to spend 365 hours outside.

She was inspired by the blog 1000 Hours Outside and Angela J. Hanscom’s Balanced and Barefoot. Haylie was struck by how little time kids were spending in the outdoors in our modern times – how just 40 years ago, “kids were getting all the stimulation they needed by participating in several hours of daily unstructured play,” the blog notes.

Ideally, children should be getting 3-4 hours of free play every day outside, but the average child is currently at only 3-7 minutes. Those numbers are striking, but the behavioral effects can be even greater, with increasingly diminishing attention spans.

So Haylie decided to flip the script for her family. Her youngest was just born last September, so 1000 hours seemed a little optimistic, but 365 was surely doable, with 1000 as the goal for 2020. She currently homeschools/un-schools/wild-schools, so an escape to Getaway Beaver Creek made for a natural fit… and a perfect break in a trip of a ton of activities.

“We loved our Getaway! trip to Hershey, PA, and the perfect place to recenter after the sensory overload of Hershey Park… My 3 year old loved the campfire and lanterns, and my husband and I enjoyed unplugging.”

To find out more about the benefits of time spent in nature, read How to Get Away. To experience it for yourself, book a Getaway today.

Guest Stories

Making Yourself a Priority: Antoinett Atkins’ Getaway

By Postcard Cabins -

It isn’t easy making time for yourself, for nature, and for simply doing nothing when you have three jobs, are a caregiver to many in your family, and are raising a kid on your own.

Ask Antoinett Atkins, a Tacoma-based Program Manager, who escaped to Getaway Mount Adams last month with her son. But to use her words – she went because she had to and “to show up to life and feel life and reconnect to myself.” She currently works for Reach Center, where she partners with different agencies within her community to offer a variety of services for youth experiencing homelessness.

It’s been a stressful time for Antoinett. Her organization has been in transition, which has forced her to take on a bigger role. At the same time, she works as a political consultant on several special elections campaigns. On top of all this, over the past year, she’s experienced tremendous grief. Her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and she suffered the losses of her best friend’s mom and her cousin. In addition to being a single mom herself, she helps take care of her cousin’s 2 year old son. She’s been called on to be the rock, but to use her words “it’s easy to forget myself.”

This year, Antoinett decided to do things a little differently. Firstly, she started out with a simple mantra: “I am a priority.” With so much going on, Antoinett came to the very simple realization that if she did not put herself first in everything she did, she would not be able to show up for anything. “It’s an investment in myself. I don’t know if we can ever have true balance in our lives, but one thing I can do is take time for myself.”

Antoinett took her son out to Getaway Mount Adams and it was exactly what she needed. The escape provided her with the opportunity to take her 4 year old to nature for the first time, and to take some quiet time to reflect. In that time, she thought a lot about her priorities. How sometimes stepping away from things can help you grow. How getting caught up in the cult of busyness isn’t so productive for any of us. She asked herself critical questions. She notes, “I’m so comfortable being the problem solver, but am I the solution trigger? I think busyness can be an addiction. If you’re not moving… if you’re not up early or out late, are you really reaching for the dream?”

Antoinett’s plan is to continue to explore these questions, at home and on her next Getaway. “The next time I go will be may myself, or I’ll go with another mom so that I can allow her to experience getting away. It’s so hard to be okay just letting go. I would love for another mom to be able to experience it.”

Interested in exploring Getaway Mount Adams for yourself? Find out more here.

Guest Stories | Portland

A Romantic Escape to Getaway Mount Adams

By Postcard Cabins -

Our guests often characterize their Getaway with a simple turn of phrase – disconnect to reconnect.

There’s something other worldly that happens when you turn off your devices and devote undistracted time in nature to the one(s) you love most.

Take it from Getaway guest Emily Conway, who escaped to Getaway Mount Adams with her husband last month. The Washington State-based fitness instructor ditched notifications and slowed down to enjoy some quality time in the great outdoors. Emily shares her story:

The fast pace of our current culture and hurried lifestyle often promises fulfillment, but, I would argue, rarely delivers. While, for a time, we can sustain this manufactured way of life, we are often left tired, in need of refreshment. We need to disconnect from the constant noise and overstimulation we are infiltrated by. Sound familiar?

Do you want to decompress, detox from the steady stream of connection and notifications, tugging at your attention to detail, and the relentless “hustle” from thing to thing? To unplug from the noise so you can plug into the quiet and peace that stillness brings?

Picture yourself bundled up under your wool beanie, zipped into your fleece lined jacket, filled up on a hardy dinner you two slow cooked over an open fire stove, snuggled up together next to a camp fire with nothing but the light from the stars above, the crackling of the embers, and the warmth from the flames and each-others company. You have space to breath, reflect, think, allow your mind to wander, laugh, joke, and enjoy the moment shared. There is stillness surrounding you, and, holding tight to the hand of your mate sitting in the opposite chair, your love deepens as memories are in the process of being made.

Committing to a few things over the 3 days we spent at the cabin greatly increased and magnified the enjoyment of our time there; it might help you too:

  1. We locked away our cell phones and work to focus on being present in the moment.
  2. We gave ourselves permission to rest and do things slowly. This looked like waking up to the morning light peeking in, pulling up the shade overhanging our enormous window, revealing that we were sitting smack dab amidst a flurry of beautiful autumn colored trees. With little birds floating around, and sunshine pouring over the tall, dew sparkling grass in the field next to us, we felt like we were waking up in a fairytale. Of course we brought along our chemex, and, since rest was our purpose, each morning we brewed our coffee, sipped it slowly, and cozied up in bed for as long as we could.
  3. Our favorite pastime while we were there was reading aloud to each other. Getting lost in the pages together, we bonded at a deep soul level.
  4. Playing cards was another a part of our daily routine. With our competitive edge in common, we dabbled in learning new games, and resurrecting our old favorites.
  5. We snacked, played, talked, napped, listened to music, slow danced, hiked, strolled on the nearby trails, enjoyed the beauty in the nature around us… and the beauty in each-other.

We had space and time to dream. We reimagined our hopes for our lives, for both the immediate and the future. Our final day found us encouraged and filled up. We were ready to go home with the same intentionality we experienced at the cabin. Purposed to continue to live, and love, in the simple ways we had relearned for the sake of keeping ourselves open to what truly matters: richness in togetherness, and peace in a slowed down life. I am happy to report that we are finding so much joy in doing so.

Head out on a romantic Getaway, and re-spark your connection in nature.

For Your Free Time

Wellness Tip: Take Care of a Houseplant

By Postcard Cabins -

For this week’s wellness tip, we want to encourage you to bring a bit of nature into your home by buying some house plants. Not only are they stylish decor that add a pop of color, but they also provide a lot of health benefits, while keeping you connected to nature. Here are a few reasons to invest in a new houseplant.

1. Can Improve Concentration and Focus

Try adding a plant to your desk to boost your mood, which will help you concentrate and focus during your workday.

2. Houseplants Purify the Air in Our Homes

NASA researchers found that some houseplants can remove up to 87% of airborne toxins in our homes in just 24 hours. 

3. Help Us Manage Stress and Anxiety 

Not only does bringing a bit of nature into your home help manage stress and anxiety, but taking care of your plants is a great way to remind yourself to take care of you too.

A Few of Our Favorite Spots to Find New Houseplants: 

Ready to surround yourself in nature? Book your Getaway today.

Campfire Cooking

Campfire Cooking: Campfire Roasted Banana

By Halle Burns and Postcard Cabins -

At the start of 2023, we escaped to Getaway Talladega Valley outside of Atlanta in Childersburg, Alabama with Halle Burns and couple of her friends. During our escape, she shared a sweet vegan campfire recipe with us. Read on to learn how to cook a Campfire Roasted Banana.

Ingredients:

  • Bananas
  • Mini Marshmallows
  • Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

Slice the banana down the middle in the peel, then split it open.

Take your marshmallows and sprinkle them into the split of the banana, and then do the same with your chocolate chips.

Roll the banana in tin foil to wrap it up, and then place it over the fire for 5-8 minutes.

After its been on the fire, unwrap it, grab a fork or spoon, dig in, and enjoy!

Chicago | Local Guides

Explore Postcard Cabins Barber Creek

By Postcard Cabins -

Located in Grand Junction, MI, Postcard Cabins Barber Creek is only 15 minutes from the bustling town of South Haven along the shores of Lake Michigan. While there’s plenty of exploring to be done around our new location, here are a few of the spots we’d recommend you check out while you’re on your escape.

Walks in the Woods

Kal-Haven Trail
Distance: 33.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Dogs allowed
This trail, which stretches from South Haven to Kalamazoo, MI, was built in place of an old railroad route. The trailhead can be accessed in nearby South Haven from the Outpost for any out-and-back hikes.

Reeds Lake Trail
Distance: 4.2 miles
Difficulty: easy
Dogs allowed
This paved trail through the woods circles the beautiful Reeds Lake, and makes for the perfect afternoon hike with with your friends and family.

Van Buren Park Dunes Trail
Distance: 1.3 mi
Difficulty: moderate
Dogs allowed
For scenic views of Lake Michigan, this loop trail is perfect for families and for a shorter adventure to explore the area around South Haven.

Sustenance and Snacks

Biggby Coffee
~16 minutes away
Enjoy some unique season coffees and lattes at Biggby Coffee, a shop hailing from Lansing, MI.

South Haven Farmer’s Market
~18 minutes away
Running 8am-2pm Saturdays from Mid-May – Mid-October, and Wednesdays June – August, head to South Haven Farmer’s Market to support local farmers and other craftspeople, try some local foods, and get the freshest ingredients for your favorite campfire meals.

Admiral Jack’s
~18 minutes away
To enjoy a great meal right on the water, head to Admiral Jack’s. With plenty of outdoor seating and views of the marina everywhere you look, you’ll feel transported to your favorite tropical paradise.

South Haven Brewpub
~18 minutes away
If you’re in the mood for a pint, South Haven Brewpub is South Haven’s first microbrewery and it’s located in historic Old Harbor Village, with outdoor seating for you to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Black River.

Chomp Gourmet Hot Dogs
~19 minutes away
Only open during summer months, but worth the unique food experience, if you’re in the area when they’re open. At Chomp Gourmet Hot Dogs, they offer classic combinations as well as the chance to try some new food combinations you’ve never thought to pair before.

Gravity Tasting Room
~18 minutes away
For our wine enthusiasts, Gravity Tasting Room is the best spot in town to enjoy an afternoon of tasting, laughing, and reconnecting with those who matter most.

Things to Do Around the Cabins

South Haven Lighthouse
~17 minutes away
The lighthouse sits at the West End of the South Pier at the Mouth of the Black River in South Haven. First lit in 1872, this historic and beautiful red lighthouse is a must-see in South Haven.

Michigan Maritime Museum
~19 minutes away
This harbor-front museum and research center is the place to go to explore exhibits that will answer all your questions about Lake Michigan, to explore historic boats — and even enjoy a boat ride or one of their many events.

South Haven Fishing Charters
~18 minutes away
For an excursion out onto Lake Michigan, head to South Haven Fishing Charters to be guided be a professional charter fisherman through a day’s catch. You may even hear some fisherman’s folklore while you’re at it.

North Beach
~21 minutes away
Enjoy a relaxing day on the shores of Lake Michigan at North Beach. This is the perfect spot for families with the waves, playgrounds, and snack bar to entertain the little ones.

South Haven Scooter Rental
~19 minutes away
To explore South Haven in style, head to South Haven Scooter Rental. Hop on some scooters and explore the main streets of South Haven and the harbor-front, and get to know the area in a way you can’t by driving.

Ready to escape the city and head into nature? Find cabins near Chicago.