Phoenicia Lodge — Attraction in Town of Shandaken

My Phoenicia Dream

Now my mind is drifting off, as I look at my screen and think of trees and log cabins. A particular cabin, a space in America, in New York State, in the Catskill Mountains, outside the small town of Phoenicia, to Phoenicia Lodge, where I stayed just two nights, in an atmosphere created post 9-11 by the innkeepers of this Catskill cabin hideaway, amid a million trees. Before the Inn, these keepers escaped from that world city, New York, up the Hudson, to the north, to set up a place to retreat to, for other, ‘part-time’, ‘holiday’ escapees to share, just a half hour from Legendary Woodstock. Artists on canvas then and now in life, they have created children and a haven in the trees. I was there a couple of years ago, passing through, when a piece of me got caught on something and it became entangled in my mind. I told them I would return, and I do repeatedly, when I feel in that restful mood, that place and those people engendered. It becomes imprinted, when you feel secure in a place so that the haven extends beyond the boundaries of yourself, out of your body into the environs beyond, you commune with the trees, the river, the road, the inhabitants. So when you feel like that again, your mind ventures again, returns to that place again. In this place of peace the innkeeper told me of his 9-11 experience, seeing but not believing it from afar, from Brooklyn just before getting on the subway to Manhattan, a train fill with reality, fighting with the unreality, he had just seen. No one else was aware but him in the carriage, clattering forward, careering into what? Then the look, the fearful look of others boarding, at other stations and from their look, he knew it was true. To work, where they watched the spectacle, from their buildings roof. Eventually they all walked home. They kept on going after that, till they found and settled in this place. They appreciate this place having known that place. Now I appreciate this place, where my mind is, having know it through them.

Brian Mac Aree,...

My partner and I stayed in a one room cabin at Phonecia Lodge for 3 nights and had an amazing time! The staff was so supportive, kind, and helpful. The cabin was clean and secure. The grounds were absolutely gorgeous, and within walking distance to fishing spots, hiking trails, the rail explorers tour, and the town center with multiple restaurants and stores. ||Our cabin had a stove and kitchen with plates and glasses we could use, a refrigerator with freezer, a tv with great service, a dvd player, good wifi, an ac unit, a couch, and a bed that was SO comfortable. From the main office, you could borrow from a wide selection of dvds, board games, and books. They also had a small complimentary breakfast in the mornings, and a small coffee/tea bar available 24/7. ||One of the highlights of staying there was the communal outdoor area. There was a fire pit with plenty of chairs and hammocks around. We didn’t get a chance to use the grill this time, but they had those available as well. We sat out by the fire pit multiple nights and used the complimentary s’more kits, and enjoyed chatting with other travelers and their dogs. ||We had a fantastic time, and definitely plan on coming back here. We wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an upstate wilderness adventure. Our only advice would be to remember it is in a small upstate NY town- there will be places in the town where your cell phone doesn’t get service, and rideshare/food delivery services like Uber and Lyft just don’t exist there. But that’s more about the town itself and not this lodge. ||If you’re looking for some time away from the big city with some beautiful scenery and a supportive, comfortable environment, Phonecia Lodge is a great place! We had an absolutely...

My partner and I stayed in a one room cabin at Phonecia Lodge for 3 nights and had an amazing time! The staff was so supportive, kind, and helpful. The cabin was clean and secure. The grounds were absolutely gorgeous, and within walking distance to fishing spots, hiking trails, the rail explorers tour, and the town center with multiple restaurants and stores.

Our cabin had a stove and kitchen with plates and glasses we could use, a refrigerator with freezer, a tv with great service, a dvd player, good wifi, an ac unit, a couch, and a bed that was SO comfortable. From the main office, you could borrow from a wide selection of dvds, board games, and books. They also had a small complimentary breakfast in the mornings, and a small coffee/tea bar available 24/7.

One of the highlights of staying there was the communal outdoor area. There was a fire pit with plenty of chairs and hammocks around. We didn’t get a chance to use the grill this time, but they had those available as well. We sat out by the fire pit multiple nights and used the complimentary s’more kits, and enjoyed chatting with other travelers and their dogs.

We had a fantastic time, and definitely plan on coming back here. We wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an upstate wilderness adventure. Our only advice would be to remember it is in a small upstate NY town- there will be places in the town where your cell phone doesn’t get service, and rideshare/food delivery services like Uber and Lyft just don’t exist there. But that’s more about the town itself and not this lodge.

If you’re looking for some time away from the big city with some beautiful scenery and a supportive, comfortable environment, Phonecia Lodge is a great place! We had an absolutely...