If You Know, You Know

from The Mountains - Spring Issue 2023

You Wanna Dance With

Presenting a small sample of what’s hot and happening in the mountains, many of them, dare I say, better than raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens. I know, I know…

Howland House

Roughly 15 minutes outside of Woodstock, Howland House is an inn steps away from world-class hiking and shing, and it’s on the New York City bus line—so you can escape from New York sans auto and just relax into the mountainside. Close to all the ski mountains and a bevy of succulent farm-totable restaurants (including the soon-to-open Oliver’s tavern on property), Howland nestles right into the “new” Catskills. Note: this is our “Then AND Now” as Howland House is the next incarnation of the venerable La Duchesse Anne (circa 1978)—gone but not forgotten! 1564 Wittenberg Road, Mount Tremper, NY HowlandHouseNY.com

Lfesavr

In limited stores, but those who’ve sipped already have swooned.This is how new LFESAVR is: The website andInstagram are still works in progress. But, if you’re lucky, you can pick up this electrolyteboosted avored seltzer (with zero calories, vitamin C, potassium, calcium and prebiotic ber) at select stores in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Hudson, Albany and Great Barrington, as well as a smattering of shops downstate. Inspired by sauerkraut brine and pickle juice, think of LFESAVR as an all-natural Gatorade with the dry crispness of prosecco. Husband and wife Stroo and Julia Despot-Olofsson created the beverage in London as a sort of “hair of the dog” elixir. A er a move to Hudson (where the couple is now based, operating their

Hairclubbing

Parlour by appointment only), they turned it into a seltzer beverage and found the wonderdrink soothed any number of dehydrationcaused symptoms—from post-gym aches to keto and intermittent fasting cramping issues.

LFESAVR.com

Overlook Mountain Herbs

Inspired by her autistic son’s sensitivity to smells and textures, Hudson Valley’s Kristine Gentile-Smith creates natural products that embrace simplicity. Via her online shop, Overlook Mountain Herbs o ers skincare for humans (and pets), along with her ever-popular beeswax candles. Lately, she reports that Warmth, a cayenne and ginger salve with CBD oil, is a brisk seller, and we love her wild ower cuticle oil, as well as Head, a balm for “heads without hair.” As small batch as can be, Kristine also creates fully customizable formulas, so you can make her herbaceous bounty your own.

OverlookMountainHerbs.com

Honky Tonk Wednesdays

Like the poster promises: dancing, cold beer and hot pickin’! This brand new o ering features guest stars including the legendary Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar, this homegrown country and western stomp is sure to be foot-tappin’ room only.

Rice Hall VFW Post 1386 708 East Chester Street, Kingston

Welcome To Night Vale

Newbies to the mountains as well as oldtimers know—if you live here, you’re bound to spend a lot of time in your car listening to podcasts. So, why not listen to a local option?

Welcome To Night Vale is the brainchild of authors Joseph Fink and Je rey Cranor, both Hudson Valley residents. The twice-monthly podcast, in the style of “community updates” for a small ctional desert town, has more than a touch of noir in the mix—the show’s slogan is “Turn on your radio and hide.” The New York Times raves, “With its uncanny blend of the macabre and the mundane, the news out of Night Vale sounds like what might occur if Stephen King or David Lynch was a guest producer at your local public radio station.” Additionally, Fink and Cranor tour with a live show around the country. We’re so hooked. WelcomeToNightVale.com

The Catskills Borscht Belt Museum

Soon to make its home in the historic Ellenville National Bank building—a 1928 Beaux-Arts gem with strong links to the community as one of the few nancial institutions willing to lend to the region’s Jewish hoteliers and bungalow colony owners in the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s—The Borscht Belt Museum will be dedicated to preserving the legacy of the famed resort era and its history as a refuge from bigotry, the cradle of stand-up comedy and a cultural catalyst that le deep imprints on mainstream America. While we await a summer 2025 opening, visitors can get a taste of what the museum will o er at a pop-up museum this summer in Ellenville, which will coincide with the new Borscht Belt Fest (we hear the proposed lineup for the Fest rivals anything happening on the hip streets of Brooklyn or the East Village).

THE CATSKILLS BORSCHTBELT MUSEUM Ellenville, NY BorschtBeltMuseum.org event planners