When the stress of the world has got you down and you don”™t want anyone else around, Quiet Mountain Sanctuary may be the place to add to your itinerary.
“We tell people as soon as they look at our web site (quietmountainsanctuary.com) that we are at the top of a mountain but you have to drive up on a dirt road,” said Jahnavi Foster, who owns the bed and breakfast in Ulster County”™s Kerhonkson. “If they want to be five minutes, not 45 minutes, from New Paltz, this is definitely not for them. When people get up to the top of the mountain, it”™s truly a place to be immersed in nature.”
Foster isn”™t exaggerating. The two suites offered at Quiet Mountain offer every amenity, including breathtaking views of the Catskills and Shawangunks. Surrounded on three sides by the Catskill Park, “You”™re going to see forests, mountains and trees and hear nothing but birds,” said Foster. “The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, and every room is filled with windows to enjoy the scenery and the solitude.”
Foster”™s husband Al Pinto purchased the 12-acre parcel in 2001. When he and Foster met and married, they often talked of doing something special with the property. They”™ve painstakingly made those dreams come true, building two 600-square-foot suites, complete with flat screen television and Wi-Fi for those who feel the need to connect even in the midst of the mountains. Hiking trails that Pinto carved out himself on the property make for a relaxing vacation or weekend visit.
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“We”™ve had people come and stay all week,” said Foster. “Though we are technically a bed and breakfast, there are a few places around that deliver food. Some people just feel the need to get away for more than a weekend and we want them to feel like they have the option.”
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Foster, a trained yoga instructor and massage therapist, offers both services at Quiet Mountain and maintains a separate yoga studio. “We wanted to do something special for guests who wanted a spa-type experience without having to go to a huge hotel to get those amenities. So in addition to offering yoga and massage, both suites have steam showers and Jacuzzis surrounded by windows. No one can see you, but you can see the majesty of the mountains and forests all around you.
“The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular,” she said. “The air is crisp and clean. And it”™s secluded. You can really get away from it all, but you have to be willing to take that mile ride up the dirt road to get here. That may turn some people off, but others are excited at the prospect of something different but high quality. We”™ve had a lot of visitors say our web site doesn”™t do us justice, which is a lot nicer than hearing the web site was misleading. If anything, we underestimate ourselves.”
Breakfast is included, too, and you can have it with or without companionship. “There are some people who just want to have breakfast and not make small talk, and we respect that,” said Foster.
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“Others enjoy meeting us and we get to know each other. We really leave it up to our guests to decide how much interaction they want. That”™s why we called it a sanctuary. It truly is a peaceful place and we”™ve been fortunate to be able to make our dream a reality. And we haven”™t forgotten that, even though the summer hasn”™t been the greatest, people like the option of being able to swim, so we have an in-ground pool on the property.”
Foster and Pinto opened Quiet Mountain Sanctuary in June, 2008, “so we”™re into our second year, and despite the economy, we are booked on the weekends. Our rates are reasonable ”“ $219 a night ”“ and we also offer a yoga/massage package. Most of our guests come from New York City ”“ a place where quiet and seclusion are hard, if not impossible, to come by.”
