It turns out the secret to planning a mother-son getaway with a brand-new teenager is simple: Bring his best friend—and make sure his best friend’s mom happens to be one of your closest mom friends.
That’s how the four of us ended up at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, for a long weekend celebrating my son’s 13th birthday. We arrived early on a Sunday morning, ready to squeeze every possible minute out of the trip. By 11 a.m., we had settled in, eaten a big, satisfying lunch and set off on our first adventure.
Within hours, I was clipped into a harness, standing at the edge of an aerial bridge and seriously questioning every life choice that had brought me there.
The Boys Dared Me to Do It
Our first big activity was the Pinnacle Ledge Tour, a guided walking and rock-scramble adventure along Mohonk’s Sky Top ridge. The tour is for guests ages 13 and up, making it a particularly fitting first challenge for this birthday trip. We wore helmets and harnesses and clipped our lanyards into safety cables as we made our way across rocky ledges and cliffside terrain. Then we reached the aerial bridge, suspended high above the ground.
The boys took one look at it and breezed right ahead. I froze.
Then I heard my son's buddy say, “No way Mrs. Murphy’s doing that.”
Well, that was all I needed.
I stepped onto the bridge. I did NOT look down. I thought I might pass out, throw up or cry—possibly all three. Instead, I stared straight ahead and repeated the same thing to myself over and over: “You do hard things. You do hard things.”
When I finally reached the other side, my legs were shaking. I was also ridiculously proud. For the rest of the hike, I felt like I had already won the weekend.
The boys fearlessly crossed the aerial bridge on Mohonk’s Pinnacle Ledge Tour. Me? Slightly less fearless.
The Scenery Feels Like Another Country
Mohonk Mountain House is only about 90 miles north of New York City, but it felt much farther away. The Victorian castle resort sits beside a glacial lake in the Shawangunk Mountains, surrounded by rocky cliffs, dense forest and sweeping views. Little wooden and stone summerhouses dot the trails, giving you places to stop and take it all in.
The boys kept saying, “I feel like we’re in another country.” I knew exactly what they meant. Mohonk is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. On a clear day, you can reportedly see six states from the observation deck at Sky Top Tower.
A peek through the stone tower window at Mohonk Mountain House reveals the gorgeous Hudson Valley beyond.
The sense of history adds to that transported feeling. The Smiley family has owned and operated Mohonk since Albert Smiley purchased the property in 1869. The guest rooms, hallways and old-fashioned parlors don’t feel like a cookie-cutter hotel; they feel like you have stepped into another era.
The Best Way to Bond With Teen Boys? Keep Moving
Once we returned from our cliffside adventure, we headed for the lake—and barely stopped moving for the rest of the trip.
We aimed, paddled, and reeled our way through a very full day at Mohonk. 🎯🎣🏄♀️
Between us, we swam, jumped into the lake, tried stand-up paddleboarding, pedaled a boat, canoed and kayaked. The boys took boats out to fish whenever they could. (Good to know: They traveled with their own poles, but you can borrow gear at the dock.) We also played a mother-son pickleball match. The boys won, but the moms made them work for it.
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We tried family archery, too, and had tomahawk throwing on our wish list, but the boys were far too busy fishing to fit it in. That’s one of the best things about Mohonk: You can make the trip as scheduled or as spontaneous as you want. Some signature adventures cost extra, but there are also plenty of activities included with an overnight stay, from hiking and boating to archery, tennis, pickleball and swimming.
There’s also a gorgeous indoor pool with huge mountain views. We didn’t need a rainy-day backup during our visit, but it was nice to know we had one.
Nobody Went Hungry—Including Me
The overnight rate includes meals and nonalcoholic drinks, which makes a busy family trip much easier. During our stay, breakfast and lunch were served buffet-style, so everyone could find exactly what they wanted before racing off to the next activity. Dinner in the Main Dining Room felt more special: We got a little dressed up and sat down to a multi-course meal with very good desserts.
I have celiac disease, and the gluten-free accommodations were fabulous. I had plenty of safe, delicious choices and never felt as though I was piecing together a meal from side dishes.
After a very full day outdoors, dinner at Mohonk tasted especially good. 🍽️
Evenings Had an Old-School Kind of Magic
The fun didn’t end when the sun went down. One night, we roasted s’mores around a campfire while listening to live music. Another night, we saw Sweet Megg, a New York-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter, perform in an old-fashioned parlor-style theater. She was as much a storyteller as a singer, and the whole evening felt intimate, warm and completely transporting.
After days spent hiking, paddling, fishing and competing on the pickleball court, nobody needed to be convinced to put down a phone. We were happily exhausted.
What I’d Pack Next Time
Mohonk is an active vacation, so pack accordingly. My essentials would be:
- Water shoes for the lake
- A sturdy hiking or running shoe
- Long pants or leggings for horseback riding and harnessed activities
- Layers for changing mountain temperatures
- Sunscreen, bug spray and a small water bottle—there are water refill stations
- A slightly nicer—but still comfortable—outfit for dinner
Mohonk supplied the helmet, harness and lanyard required for our guided adventure. We were also able to borrow shoes, but I would call ahead rather than assume footwear will always be available.
The one thing I did not make time for was the spa, and I regret it. It looked incredible. Next time, the boys can fish while the moms disappear for a few hours.
The Real Gift of the Weekend
Planning dedicated time with older kids can be tricky. They want independence, but they still want you nearby—even if they would never phrase it that way. Mohonk gave the boys room to roam and try new things, while giving the moms plenty of ways to join the fun.
One of us was thrilled to have conquered the Pinnacle Ledge Tour. The other never doubted he would.
Sometimes bonding with a teenager doesn’t look like a long heart-to-heart. Sometimes it looks like getting heckled onto a terrifying bridge, losing to him at pickleball and listening while he tells you, for the fifth time, about the fish he almost caught.
I went to Mohonk to celebrate my son doing the hard thing of becoming a teenager. I came home proud that I had done a hard thing, too.
Looking for your next great getaway? Find more of my Wish You Were Here travel stories in the print edition of Woman’s Day. And for more adventures, life lessons, and everyday YAY, subscribe to my Substack, The Fully Charged Minute—new posts arrive Mondays at 8:37 a.m. ⚡️
Woman's Day editor-in-chief Meaghan B Murphy is known for her high-energy, upbeat personality and YAY lifestyle. She is a certified fitness expert, hack master, Penguin-Random House author, editor, podcaster, holiday celebrity and mama of 3 (plus a fur baby!).
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