GPS: 41°45'N 74°05'W
Gilded Age meets Gore-Tex Era at Mohonk Mountain House, which has been in the business of turning people on to the outdoors for 139 years. All turrets, towers, and gables, and clinging to a rock outcrop directly above crystal-blue Lake Mohonk, the Victorian hotel could pass for Bavaria’s photogenic Neuschwanstein Castle. Despite room rates that might astound a Carnegie (peak room price: $2,500), the vibe is relaxed. A rich portfolio of hiking (85 miles/137 kilometers total) has something to do with it.
Vitals: $320, including meals; www.mohonk.com
Originally published in the April 2008 edition of National Geographic Adventure
