Not so Rockin' Roxbury

As the mildest winter in my East Coast history apparently comes to an end (please don't jinx me with a Nor'easter next week!), we took the February long weekend to escape for 48 hours up to the Catskill Mountains. The boy was very excited about a place he booked through Tablet Hotels, which covers a wide variety of unique, boutique & luxury hotels.

Being the creepy googler that I am, I did my pre-trip research to ensure we packed in the most adventure on our escapade. I'll admit, most of the area activities (especially in winter) are relegated to the area ski slopes, but I was enthralled by the idea of tubing since it was such a blast in 2011! I thought I'd have more trouble identifying our hotel (without cheating and asking), but there was only one hotel in Roxbury on Tablet so I had no doubts. No doubts that we were staying in a motel. A themed motel. Albeit with lime green painted doors and black shutters and an apparently "B&B" style hospitality. Yet still a motel. With a themed room. I quickly adjusted my expectations. Apparently the boy did not.

*From our 2011 Tubing Trip...the Plattekill hill is MUCH longer. But we didn't bring a camera so you'll have to use your imagination!

The drive was lovely. We cruised up to the Roxbury Motel in the late afternoon, just in time for an evening cocktail and then the whole night ahead of us. At check-in, we were given the lay of the land by the hostess. Guests could borrow DVD's, games, and grab snacks from the "lobby" area, and each room had it's own refrigerator with chilled wine for our enjoyment ($20/bottle - no real up-charge - ok, things are looking up..) Also, the restaurant next door, Public Lounge, was open for dinner (and purportedly quite good.) We inquired about other restaurants. "Oh, there is this fabulous one, the Peekamoose Restaurant, but it's about a 25 minute drive." Next. The only other place in town was a pizza joint. This creepy googler had already pre-approved Public Lounge's menu anyway. Phew!

"So would you like to see Fred's Lair?" our gracious host asked? Hmm? It turns out (big shocker here) that we all have preconceived notions about pop culture references. The boy heard "Fred's Lair" and obviously thought Fred Schneider of the B-52's (Kate Pierson, also of the B-52's has a B&B in the Catskills, which he mistakenly thought was the Roxbury Motel.) I, on the other hand, thought Flintstone. I wish he'd been right. A pebbled foyer beckoned us into Room #12. As we ventured in, we were transported to cavemen times in our room replete with brown, mottled "boulders" adorning the walls, zebra/lion/tiger textiles, fuzzy animal print lampshades, and well, you get the picture. Ok, it's kitschy. We were impressed with the extent to which the owners had taken this theme. It really was Fred's Lair. Go big or go home, right?

So we did! We threw on our snow pants, headed to Public Lounge for a hot toddy, and headed up to Plattekill Mountain for some night tubing! It was terribly cold and the snow blowers were right on top of us while we waited 25 minutes for our run, but it was one wonderful, jump on your chest giggle-filled ride!!!! I envied the kids who waited in line over an over for another shot at a run down the mountain. Our patience isn't up to snuff for those conditions and a warm meal was waiting us back at Public Lounge. And dinner was really excellent with an entertaining and engaging waitstaff, great food, and wonderful company so the abbreviated tubing was just enough. 

The close out the evening and walk off our dinner, we ventured for a jaunt around town. Jaunt might imply a lengthier venture than we were afforded. Besides the pizza parlor and the gas station/convenience store, there was just a smattering of homes and some previously occupied retail spaces. Similar to the landscape of the rest of the area, it appears that the Catskills were pretty hard hit by the effects of Hurricane Irene in August of 2011. In that respect, I'm glad we were supporting the community.

Departing the next morning, we were happy to turn over the keys to the Lair. Sleep was fitful at best for both of us with uncomfortable linens, pillows, and a loud, and inconsistent, window air conditioning unit. Several coffees later we attempted to shake off the grumpy's and simply enjoy the ride back through the country to our great city and our own comfy lairs. Another travel stop checked off the list.