A Room with a Moo

Did you ever wish there was an old country farmhouse in your family, a place handed down through the generations where you could escape from the rigors of city living or host a mini family reunion? Ellen Mann owns just such a place, a Greek Revival farmhouse in Catskill, New York, that has been in her family for nearly 200 years, and the good news for anyone who is envious is that the farmhouse is available for rent.

Ellen, who also owns River Hill Bed & Breakfast in Milton, New York, operates Cauterskill Creek Farm as a self-catering bed & breakfast. Essentially, that means you'll have the whole place—which sleeps up to eight people with three bedrooms, a futon and a cot—to yourselves.

The farm is available for rent by the week, weekend or long weekend, and the rates when we visited in the spring of 2004 started at $600 for a two-night, non-holiday weekend (rates are $700 for two nights as of 2011). My brother and I reserved the farmhouse for a small getaway to commemorate several milestone family birthdays. The rustic farmhouse provided a comfortable retreat for three generations of our family—three couples and one toddler.

Unlike some vacation rentals, which require you to tote along your own linens and other gear, we found the farmhouse in move-in condition and the bright country kitchen stocked with many basics such as tea bags and sugar. A Price Chopper grocery store just a few minutes' drive away allowed us to easily stock up on snacks and other items we wanted for the weekend including fixings for a bountiful lobster and seafood feast and a fresh flower bouquet for the wooden kitchen table.

Linens and staples were just the start, though. The farmhouse comes complete with shelves of books, a cupboard filled with rainy day games including the all important Twister, fishing poles for those who obtain a license to fish in the adjoining creek, black and white portraits of old relatives (albeit not yours, but it's fun to pretend), and even a field full of cows, who kept my one-year-old very entertained.

In addition to three bedrooms and full and half bathrooms upstairs, the first level of the farmhouse has a spacious kitchen, dining room, half bath, library, office and small television room. Our one complaint was that we couldn't get all of the major network channels on the satellite TV, so we missed the "Survivor All-Stars" finale.

Cable channels, such as ESPN, were no problem, though. If, like me, you have trouble getting away from it all even when you're vacationing at a farm, you'll be happy to know I was able to use the telephone line for Internet dial-up service (2010 update: The farmhouse now has broadband).

While quality family time together was our main objective, we also did head out for lunch and shopping in nearby Woodstock, New York, and spent a very enjoyable afternoon taking our little one to feed the animals at the Catskill Game Farm, which unfortunately closed at the end of the 2006 season.

Located about two hours from New York City and Hartford, Connecticut, and three hours from Boston, Cauterskill Creek Farm is an out-of-the-ordinary lodging choice, whether you crave a quick and restorative weekend away or a week or more of country living in this Catskills home away from home. With Hunter Mountain and Windham Mountain nearby, it's also a good choice for a New York ski getaway with friends.

Be forewarned, though. When you return home to the busy pace of everyday life, you may find yourself asking repeatedly, as my daughter did for days—"Where are the cows?"

Location: Cauterskill Creek Farm is located in Catskill, New York, just about five miles off the New York State Thruway at exit 21.

Reservations: To check availability and make reservations, call 845-795-5706 or submit your request via this online form. A 50 percent deposit and a refundable security deposit are required at the time of booking.

Pet Policy: Well behaved dogs and other pets are welcome, though only small pets are allowed in winter. An additional security deposit is required.

Smoking Policy: Smoking is not allowed inside the farmhouse.