New York - May 21, 2008

Get Out of Town

Weekend in the Catskills

All you want is a B&B experience free of doilies, curfews, awkward socializing, and egg-and-cheese casseroles.

Zip two hours north to the Catskills for that plus more at Breathe Inn (1739 Route 214, Lanesville; 845-688-7516), a modern country house run by a relaxed Fort Greene couple (555 Soul founder; private chef for hip-hop moguls) who created a refuge for their NYC pals.

Nothing much goes on in Lanesville, and that’s the point. Nineteen woodland acres supply hushed sounds of summer. Seven bedrooms, bamboo yoga studio, basketball court, sauna, pool, hammocks, and gardens make for an ideal summer retreat, as do holistic weekend workshops.

Scrambled tofu with spices and fresh juices await at the Danish breakfast table, as do toddler Kaleo and Luna the dog. Spacious communal rooms are part Morocco and part midcentury modern. John Robshaw bedding, Malin+Goetz products, and graffiti art (from friends like Banksy) show city roots.

A ten-minute cruise takes you to Hunter Mountain; it’s 25 to Woodstock, where the Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the must-see (the Dalai Lama visits when he’s in New York). Pick up a loaf of organic French sourdough bread and the local paper at Bread Alone (22 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock; 845-679-2108). Drive another twenty minutes to the Old Town Stockade Farmers Market (Wall Street, at John Street, Kingston; 845-338-3468) for a handful of ranunculus, potted herbs, and Hudson Valley cheese.

Have dinner at Peekamoose, an eclectic restaurant and romper room filled with funky tree trunk chandeliers, swing chairs, and farm-fresh dishes like local beet tartare with caper berries, Hudson Valley shad roe with fava beans and smoked bacon, and slow-braised short ribs with salsify. Move over to the tap room for fondue and beer before bed (8373 Route 28, Big Indian; 845-254-6500).

You’re sleeping in tomorrow.

  Wellness