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THINGS
TO DO
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See more info on activities and businesses
If traveling by Adirondack
Trailways bus, you'll be let off at Morne Imports on Main Street.
The entire business district
is located on about four blocks of Main Street, with various residences scattered
around. You'll discover that the town of Phoenicia has pretty much anything you
might need during your visit here. And the best part of it is that everything is
within a few block's walk.
Shop for antiques at
Country Gallery and Acorn Antique's Craftsman's Gallery on Route 214
off Main Street.
Need to get outfitted
for your outdoor activities? Morne Imports has almost everything you could
think of. They have supplies for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping (including cooking)
and swimming.
Between Kirk's Corner
Market and the Nest Egg Country Store, you can stock up on edible supplies,
for a snack or a week-long camping excursion. Choose from a wide selection of wines,
and everything else at Phoenicia Wines & Liquors.
 But really,
Phoenicia is about exploring the great outdoors. Tubing is the most popular activity
in town. The Esopus Creek follows Route 28 and winds through the bottom of town.
There's a quiet, calm section for family fun and a relaxing view, and a wilder section
with rapids and whitewater for the more adventurous tubers, for a total of five
miles of tubing pleasure. Each section takes about two hours to tube.
The Town Tinker tube rental in central Phoenicia (on Bridge Street off
Main--look for the barn with red and white trim) is open daily during season (May
15 to September 30). Rates are $12/day for inner tubes, $3 for life jackets, and
$5 per trip for the Tube Taxi which will drop you off and pick you up from the creek.
Worried about cold water? Rent a wetsuit for $15/day. A $25/day package includes
inner tube with seat, life jacket, and wetsuit.
Horseback riding Indian
paths and old logging trails in the beautiful Catskill Forest Preserve is
also a pleasant past time. The Saddle up Ranch, on Kinsey Street off Route
28, offers year-round riding daily. They have a shop selling tack and western wear,
including boots and hats. They also sell American made jewelry, dream catchers,
and leather goods. Sign up for riding lessons or day camps, or go snowmobiling in
the winter.
The Catskill Forest Preserve
is 300,000 acres of unspoiled woods, which the New York State constitution has deemed
"Forever Wild," never to be commercially developed. And hiking is a great way to
see this countryside. Follow the numerous trails, maps of which are available at
the Phoenicia Hotel.
The flyfishing is good
in Phoenicia! The Esopus Creek is noted for its rainbow trout in the spring and
its native brown trout in the fall. There's even a flyfishing tournament in May
(visit Kirk's Corner Market for details). For those of you who have always
wanted to try flyfishing, a local guide gives lessons at Morne's Imports
on Main.
In the wintertime, you
can go snowtubing or skiing. Tubers should head to Romer Mt. Park, off Route
28, about a mile south of downtown.
The closest place to ski is Belleayre Mountain, the highest skiing peak in
the Catskills. Ski and snowboard rentals are available from the Belleayre Ski Shop.
Adult ski passes are $39 on weekends and holidays, and $30 all other times.
Two-day packages, group rates, season tickets and specials are available too. Hunter Mountain is a close fifteen minutes
away from Phoenicia.
 The Catskill Mountain Railroad
offers a 45-minute scenic rail ride along the Esopus Creek on weekends and holidays
during summer. One of the train's stops is the Empire State Railway Museum,
located in the 1899 Ulster & Delaware railroad station, where you can catch a glimpse
of the rich history of the railroad.
If driving, stop at
Catskill Corners, just three or four minutes south of Phoenicia on Route 28.
In addition to numerous gift shops, two restaurants and a tourist information center,
Catskill Corners is home to the world's largest kaleidoscope.
Don't miss this kaleidoscope
made of a sixty-foot tall hall of mirrors. Enjoy everything kaleidoscope, from historical
lessons in the art to modern light sculpting. When you finish touring the exhibits,
drop into the Kaleidostore, which sells thousands of kaleidoscopes, from
inexpensive models to works of art worth literally thousands of dollars, all displayed
on open shelves and available for your viewing pleasure. In fact, the only kaleidoscope
you're not allowed to look through is the world's smallest, which is OK because
it's too small to see much through anyway.
Shop at Wild Things,
which caters to the kids, and sells merchandise guaranteed to stimulate your children's
minds with games, books, puzzles, puppets, costumes and musical instruments for
starters. Look for interesting gifts at Enchantments, which also hosts a
cigar bar and a wide array of world music. Into the Woods is a science and
nature store, great for gardeners, bird watchers and anyone who wants to enhance
their visit to the Catskills. Pick from a variety of candles and fragrances at
Scentsations, then grab a bite to eat at Catskills a la Cart, which
features an old-time soda and ice cream fountain.
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The weather's
warming up, you miss the great outdoors, you're ready to spend some time in nature.
Where do you go? You could head to a crowded, overrated and overpriced mountain
resort. But why, when you could go to Phoenicia, New York, a relatively unknown
town in the Catskills small enough to feel like you're right in the middle of nature,
but big enough to have exactly what you need in the way of rest and relaxation.
Catskill Corners
has two restaurants, The Spotted Dog, and The Catamount Cafe. The
Dog (pictured left) is a theme restaurant for the whole family, celebrating
firefighters, and showcasing memorabilia related to firefighting ranging from aged
equipment to booths made from fire trucks. The Cat is a fine-dining establishment
with an extensive wine list.
