It’s not often that a home makes you audibly ooh and aah, but when I opened the door to this wood-paneled Phoenicia treehouse (after a slow and steady, somewhat treacherous reverse down the driveway, mind you), my eyes went wide. The wraparound living room windows pulled me in, connecting the large open-plan living room and kitchen with the equally spacious back deck. For a Manhattanite, this kind of space and proximity to nature is king.

I was visiting the area with my mom on her first trip to upstate New York, and was thrilled to find the home to be just a few minutes’ drive from Phoenicia Diner—an old-school diner people line up for on weekends and buy merch from to wear back home. On a Thursday morning, it was busy but without a wait—a pro for heading Upstate midweek.

The well-decorated two-bedroom home fits up to four comfortably, so we had plenty of elbow room for the two of us. The rooms are fairly equally sized, but one has a king bed, en suite bathroom with a standalone tub, and a wall of windows overlooking the woods surrounding the house—making it worth a friendly fight over. There’s a fully equipped kitchen, should you want to bring groceries and cook meals, and a washer and dryer in the second bathroom.

During our stay, I found myself particularly drawn to the chaise tucked into the corner of the living room, as it was the perfect place to work and read while gazing out the windows at the tall trees and slow-moving creek down below. The cool, curved couch isn’t as comfortable by comparison, but is perfectly fine for sitting and chatting, and is positioned next to a deep, sink-into-it armchair. Of note, there’s no TV in the home—if you’re looking to get away in nature but still keep up with your shows, bring a laptop or tablet.

The cabin would make a lovely spot for a reading retreat or a couple’s weekend. If you come as a group, there are plenty of ways to stay entertained nearby or at home; a few classic board games sit on a shelf in the living room, and out back, you can grill meals, sit around the table with a deck of cards, or make s’mores by the campfire. Without exaggeration, there are a half dozen different seating options out back, from the hammock strung between two sky-high trees to the cushy loungers on the deck to the camp chairs positioned in front of the second firepit.

Outside of the gorgeous home, Phoenicia is a small town with a cute little Main Street to roam and dine at. From here, you’ve got easy access to a range of hiking trails in the surrounding Catskills Mountains as well as the nearby towns of Woodstock (we had a great meal at Silvia), Mt. Tremper, and Hunter. It’s right by the Rail Explorers starting point too—we were there during a rainy week, but next time I visit, it’s on my list; guided groups can cruise through the woods on a railroad-turned-pedal track. Or I’ll just return to my corner spot inside the Muddy Creek cabin—either sounds good to me.

---

More of our editors’ favorite Airbnb stays:

With a colloquial name like chicken riggies (short for rigatoni), this regionally famous pasta dish is the epitome of “if you know, you know.” But in case you don’t: It’s as if a creamy tomato vodka sauce had a spunkier cousin, boosted by the zing of pickled hot cherry peppers.

It’s an Italian American hybrid dish with origins in the “Littler” Italys of central and upstate New York. In the early 20th century, small Rust Belt cities like Utica and Rome were home to a large wave of immigrants who created new-age renditions of familiar dishes such as chicken riggies, Utica greens, and tomato pie in their homes and restaurants.

Today the pasta is a comforting regional favorite for serving at everything from festivals to funerals in the upper stretch of New York State. The obsession is real: At the annual Riggies Run in Utica, runners are challenged to stop mid-race and scarf down a serving.

This recipe sticks with a blend of fresh mini sweet peppers and jarred hot cherry peppers (look for jars labeled “hot cherry peppers” from brands like Cento, Mezzetta, B&G, or Jeff’s Garden; if sliced are unavailable, use whole and slice them yourself), but feel free to take after some upstate New Yorkers and add sautéed mushrooms or olives to the mix.

As the temperatures begin to cool, the leaves start to change colors, and the smell of crisp apples and pumpkin spice lattes hits the air, New Yorkers begin gearing up for another cozy fall. Every year at the end of summer, I lock in my plans to visit upstate New York to take advantage of all the activities going on there during my favorite season, whether that be day-tripping to Sleepy Hollow, booking tickets to The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, paranormal investigating at the Shanley Hotel in the Catskills, or sipping hot apple cider at the pumpkin patch. As a lover of scary movies, haunted houses, and Halloween activities, this is the season I wait for all year long, and New York State has plenty of incredible activities worth traveling for (many that are even reachable without a car, for my fellow New York City dwellers).

Every year, the season seems to get shorter and shorter, so it’s best to plan your activities far in advance to ensure you can fit everything in. For those determined to hit all the stops before October 31, I’ve compiled a guide to doing Halloween season in upstate New York right. Read on for where to eat, stay, and play in the area for a ghostly good time.

FAQ:

The dining room at Goosefeather

Courtesy Goosefeather

Where to eat and drink

Upstate New York has plenty of places to dine with haunted histories or Halloween-themed decor and food. When I find myself in Sleepy Hollow, I head to the Bridge View Tavern, which serves casual pub food (albeit to patrons wearing witchy outfits), with a rotating selection of craft beers (including some pumpkin options).

For something a bit more eerie (but still delicious), nearby Goosefeather in Tarrytown (about a 15-minute drive away) serves up exceptional Cantonese fare from a James Beard–nominated chef. While the food itself is worth a visit, the restaurant also has a creepy twist. Located in The King Mansion at the Tarrytown House Estate, it’s said to be occupied by the ghost of Sybil Harris, who passed away near room 293 (which has since been updated). According to the staff, fans of the paranormal will request this room specifically when staying at the property. While I personally didn’t hear any disembodied footsteps while I was visiting this year, there are many guests who have reported unexplainable phenomena like mysterious noises, shadows, and apparitions in white.

Much further upstate, in Northville, head to the Timeless Tavern for a classic, old-timey tavern experience that will feel pulled directly from one of your favorite ghost stories. Guests and staff at the restaurant, which is also home to an overnight inn, have reported a variety of supernatural activities in the vicinity, from ghost apparitions to strange occurrences like lights turning on and off unexpectedly. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the otherworldly over your French onion soup and prime rib.

One of the guest rooms in the Shanley Hotel

Steve Shoemaker/AmityPhotos/Shanley Hotel

Where to stay

Staying overnight at a haunted hotel is not for the weak of heart (or the scared solo traveler), so be sure to grab a few friends and a flashlight or two before you hunker down at one of these top picks.laser grid

If you’re looking to be shaking in your boots, I suggest heading to the Shanley Hotel in the Catskills. Book a Public Overnight Investigation (accommodations are included in the price), where you’ll spend four hours with highly experienced staff as they lead you through different ways to make contact with the paranormal in the house, from the attic to the basement. You’ll use a whole array of equipment, from movement detectors to spirit boxes that use radio frequencies, to give ghostly presences a way to interact with you from the beyond. (By the time paranormal investigations were wrapped up when I visited, I all but sprinted to the parking lot since I knew I would not be getting a wink of sleep inside, surrounded by the ghosts that call this place home.) If you don’t believe in the paranormal right now, this might just be the place to convince you.