The Catskill region of New York State, located 90 miles north of New York City, is an area rich with natural beauty, including more than 700,000 acres of preserved land.  The mountain setting allows for magnificent views from high peaks, and the varied terrain of low valleys, forests, and meadows makes for a playful environment.  Distinctive villages and small towns with antique shops are sprinkled throughout the vast landscape.  Inspired by  scenic Greene County, Washington Irving wrote “Rip Van Winkle” about the famous character’s fictional snooze atop its highest peak.

In the summer, family-camp type “resorts” in the Catskills provide endless family fun at inexpensive, all-inclusive prices.  You’ll know what to expect if you can recall Kellerman’s family camp from the movie Dirty Dancing, where Frances “Baby” Houseman and her family stayed for the summer.  Accommodations are in a cabin or a few motel-like rooms in a small cottage; dining is usually communal in a dining hall with each family at their own table; and most activities are on site and family-oriented.

Most of the following resort camps are open only during the summer season and many require a week-long or minimum few nights’ stay.  Upon leaving each year, most families make their reservations for the following summer.  Be sure to book as early as possible; the resorts are often at full capacity throughout the season.

The Country Place Resort
(800/888-3586)
This resort is great for families because with your stay, you also get free access to the Zoom Flume water park, one of the Catskills’ biggest family attractions, located right on the East Durham property.  Accommodations have AC, cable TV and refrigerators, and the first child under 12 gets to stay free except for a minimal meal charge.  Country Place serves breakfast and dinner daily, and they offer four basic packages for the 2006 season.  The week-long package, for instance, includes the above plus tickets to Speedway go-karts, located nearby, and one complimentary admission per person to his/her choice of the following: Howe Caverns, the Baseball Hall of Fame, horseback riding, Catskills Game Farm, or 18 holes of golf.  All activities and evening family activities at the resort are included.  Evening activities include Karaoke, pony rides for children, a bonfire and marshmallow roast, and a band playing for entertainment.  The Country Place has family suites, and in 2005 added new two-bedroom suites.  They also offer special group rates---great for family reunions.

Crystal Brook Resort
(800/999-7376)
Located in Round Top, owned by a German family, Crystal Brook has spacious rooms with a motel-like feel, private baths, cable TV, AC; many have balconies.  Three meals are served daily, and all-inclusive rates range from $66-$73/D pp with discounts for children; rates are reduced even further for mid-week summer getaways.  The property's Mountain Brauhaus is especially cool, with dark wood furniture and German décor.  There are a variety of German beers on tap, a jukebox entirely of German music, and they have live bands on the weekend playing traditional German and American dance music; so be prepared to learn a new jig.  On site there is a tennis court, swimming pool, and various marked trails leading to the Catskill Mountain State Park.  Also, the resort is open from May-February.  In the winter they are known for their weekend parties; guests can do cross-country skiing nearby or drive a short while to either the Hunter or Windham ski areas.

Blackthorne Resort
(518/634-2541)
Blackthorne, located in East Durham, is a family owned and operated Irish resort.  The property features a tennis court and swimming pool, putting green, an indoor recreation room and rooms with AC, cable TV, and little patios.  They also have an RV and campground area with electric, waste, and water, as well as tent sites with electric and water.  Family activities on the property and daily breakfast and dinner are included with your stay.  The nightly activities change depending on the day of the week.  Once a week, the family puts on a fireworks show.  The kids can go night swimming in the pool while the adults can have a drink at the adjacent tiki bar and listen to live music.  Of the many fireworks spectacles I’ve witnessed, this was definitely one of the best. Other night activities include a haunted house tour and Karaoke.

Pollace’s Family Resort
(518/943-3710)
Pollace's, like many of the family resorts, has its own cultural base--- in this case, Italian.  As is typical of Italian residences, you won’t ever starve here.  Hearty meals are served three times a day, often with snacks scheduled  in between.  The Catskill property has 50 rooms, all with AC, cable TV, and private baths; a swimming pool; mini golf; historic trolley rides; a playground; an indoor recreation room, and a private pond with paddle boats for fishing.  The many activities offered include wall climbing on Tuesday nights, Bingo by the pool on Thursday afternoons, and a skating rink trip on Friday nights.

Sunny Hill Resort
(518/634-7642)
Sunny Hill has the advantage of having an 18-hole golf course and driving range on its property, in addition to the typical recreation amenities at family camps. The Greenville resort has been in existence since the 1920s and continues to welcome families every year. Accommodations are motel-like units with AC, private baths and cable TV. Two-room suites are also available, with a living room, pullout couch, and a kitchenette. On site facilities include an entertainment center with ping-pong, video games, and miniature golf; a lake for paddle-boating, tennis courts, a basketball court, a swimming pool, an exercise room, and a volleyball court. Three meals are served each day in the dining hall. During the summer, there is a children’s camp on weekday mornings to give adults a break. Evening activities include softball, live music, paddle boat races, and “just for fun” rides in any of the resort’s famous vehicles.

Gia interned for Family Travel Forum while an English major at New York University.  She now works for True Romance Magazine. She likes to read, write, sing, golf, and of course, travel. One of her favorite places is Rome, and she hopes to live there for at least part of her adult life.