Whether you’re the kind of person who’s constantly thinking about the next trip or the type who’s listening to a podcast in the passenger seat, planning for fun and relaxation is often neither fun, nor relaxing.
But since you’re reading this, odds are that you are the cruise director in your crew or maybe you’re texting this blog link to said director. Either way, you’re in the right spot.
The “what should we do?” problem gets old fast. There’s nothing worse than feeling exhausted from your vacation before going on vacation. Let’s figure it out in the Sullivan Catskills, where the right pace is always the one that feels like joy.
Each of the following 10 summer activity ideas have their own peculiar pace, soundtrack and feel. Chances are one, or all of them, will make you smile. Naturally, let’s get started with the most important thing for any successful summer adventure, food.
1. Explore a Market
In the Sullivan Catskills, farmers markets aren’t just a place to pick up a glistening red heirloom for tonight’s BLTs. They’re a place to pet a puppy while reconnecting with a friend you saw just last week yet already have “so much to catch up on.” The tomato may very well be the grocery goal, but what you place in your basket is a relationship with place. One that makes both you and the grower feel good about supporting each other, and the community that brought you together.
From Callicoon to Wurtsboro and over a dozen other honest communities in between, there’s at least one farmers market open every day of the week. Each with growers, artisans and a unique sprig of whimsy that can only come from the lush and wholesome land that is the Sullivan Catskills. Sure, the fresh smell of sourdough from Double D Sourdough in Jeffersonville will pull you in but it’s the unexpected kick from the kimchi you just bought from a converted school bus that will bring you back.
2. See a Play
Theater is thriving in the heart of the Catskills thanks to the Forestburgh Playhouse. Founded in 1947, it is the oldest continuously operating summer theater in New York. While it may only have 270 seats, this historic theater is known to astound visitors with the quality of its productions, creativity of its sets and costumes, and the incredible talent of those who own the stage. Past productions include shows you already love, like Newsies and Young Frankenstein. But they will also include a sidesplitting screwball comedy you’ve never heard of. At the Forestburgh Playhouse, intermission is often welcomed as a much-needed break. From laughing.
Of course, if you want to do No. 2 of the Top 10 properly, your evening will either start or finish next door at the Forestburgh Tavern, which serves local libations and hosts cabaret nights during the summer and fall. And yes, it’s the kind of place where you can see Rocky Horror and meatloaf is also on the menu.
3. Get Wet!
Now that you’ve dipped your toes into the cool pool that is the Sullivan Catskills, it’s time to dive in. The Upper Delaware River, and the storied outfitters who work the water, can help you get wet in a way that suits your comfort. Rafting, tubing, canoeing and kayaking, it’s all there, bad guide jokes and all.
Q: What did the fish say when it swam into a wall?
A: Dam.
Not the Upper Delaware, though. While there are reservoirs on its tributaries, the Upper D is flowing-free. So, no dam. Get it?
Whether you’re spending a river day with friends, making memories with family or bumping boats with someone new, the soft riffles and stony shores of the Delaware make you feel 200 miles from anywhere, even though you’re two hours from Times Square.
4. Go Fishing
You can also fish the East, West and Main branches of the Delaware, but may want to cast a line into one of the deep pools of the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Neversink, Callicoon or Mongaup Creek. The Sullivan Catskills are a destination to seek solitude and crisp air along with fish stories. Of which, there are plenty, both on the river and at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in Livingston Manor.
No stream is the same on any day or temperature and a local guide can help you eddy out where the brookies are biting. They’ll also share the leathered history of a place that began luring outdoorsmen as far back as the 1800s.
5. Catch a Show
It’s not hard to imagine yourself at the iconic Woodstock Music and Arts Festival when visiting Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the site of the 1969 American phenomenon. The state-of-the-art music pavilion is notably not a mud and hippie filled field, but the vibe is still there thanks to masterful acoustics where the sound soaks into your soul.
Some of the artists, however, are still there. Including Neil Young, whose 1969 set at 3:30 a.m. with Crosby, Stills and Nash served as his debut to the legendary quartet. This year, he takes the stage on August 25.
How Bazaar, a special exhibit at the Museum at Bethel Woods, will help you feel the earthy strings a bit deeper by exploring the lesser-known side of Woodstock. Specifically, the mud and how the Bindy Bazaar marketplace and on-site camping of the original Woodstock has shaped music festivals ever since.
6. Join a Festival
Whenever you visit the Sullivan Catskills, there will be a festival happening somewhere in the county and like Woodstock, the spirit of each is decidedly different. For example, Narrowsburg’s annual Riverfest celebrates art, music and ecology. But they do it by featuring dogs decked out on parade. In nearby Grahamsville, the Little World’s Fair is the longest running independent fair in New York and celebrates three days of old-fashioned family fun. Think a watermelon eating contest, bingo and of course, racing pigs.
Livingston Manor hosts an annual Trout Parade where the community always gets goofy with a new trout theme every June. This year’s theme? Saturday Trout Fever—yes, disco trout are a thing. And if fish can get funky, then tractors can fandango. Which is exactly what goes down at the annual Tractor Parade in Callicoon where the yearly event t-shirt always sells out. You’ll see why.
7. Slip & Slide
Admittedly, it’s not always 82 and blue in the Sullivan Catskills, but it is always 84 and summertime year-round at the Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark. It’s also the most modern indoor waterpark in America with slides and rides for all ages, plus a connected 324-room, state-of-the art lodge. You know, in case someone (dad) needs a nap. And yes, you can do the Time Warp again and again at Kartrite. It’s a waterslide.
8. Dine Al Fresco
Food simply tastes better when you can see, feel and smell the landscape where it was grown. It also tastes better when you can hear the story of that meal directly from the person who harvested or prepared it. If it isn’t the same person, they definitely know each other. The Sullivan Catskills is like that and brings the same honest and rooted welcome into the farm-to-table dining experience. Whether you’re more of a grass-fed burger on the patio person or an “oh, I have an outfit for this” type, you’ll dine it here – outdoors.
9. Take a Hike
There is a trail for you in the Sullivan Catskills. Each with a character as interesting and complex as your latest group chat. You never really know where the conversation is going to go, you just know it’s going to be fun. When it comes to hiking, our favorite topics are the Frick Pond Loop, Walnut Mountain, the Sullivan O&W Trail and Tusten Mountain. A local outfitter will know exactly which is appropriate for everyone involved in your conversation, whether they’re participating or just hanging on to see what happens.
10. Go for a Stroll
If you’re a bookstore and bakery kind of person, the historic Main Streets of the Sullivan Catskills will have both. They will also have vintage turquoise typewriters, aromatic coffee roasted on site, artisan homewares and gourmet cheese. Each as lovely as the character of the locally owned shop you found it in. In Livingston Manor, Narrowsburg and Callicoon, you don’t need to worry about announcing yourself when entering a shop. The creaky floorboard will do that for you unless the owner, who either lives upstairs or around the corner, says hello first.
That’s life in the Sullivan Catskills. Let’s “get around” to things together this summer and do it at the speed that makes you smile the most. The only question is, what should we do first?
