A Fall Weekend With Six Couples at Schoonmaker Retreat in High Falls

A group of 12 people, made up of six couples, spent a weekend at Schoonmaker Retreat in High Falls, according to Condé Nast Traveler. They visited in October, during a weekend with good fall foliage, which is the colorful change of leaves in autumn.

Schoonmaker Retreat is located in Ulster County, which straddles the towns of Rosendale and Marbletown. The property has two historic buildings: the Schoonmaker House and the Coach House. The Coach House was the property's original base and was used as a fort during the Revolutionary War.

The grounds include a rushing creek, a sauna, and a cedar barrel hot tub beside the water. The property also has two fire pits. The group made s'mores at the smaller one near the main house. The main house has two long dining tables, each seating six people.

The group arrived on a Friday and had dinner at Ollie's Pizza in High Falls. On Saturday, they hiked Joppenbergh Mountain in Rosendale. They then had lunch at Creekside Bar and Bistro and visited Westwind Orchard in Accord.

Dinner on Saturday was at Accord Social, about a 15-minute drive away. Sunday brought the only rain of the weekend. Some group members drove to Kingston, about 20 minutes away, that day.

On Sunday, the writer and their partner visited Clubhouse Vintage, Postmark Books, and Soiled Dove. The retreat is dog-friendly with no added fee.