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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” plays on the speaker, the guitar strings fuzzy as if I’d just turned on the radio. In front of me is the perfect vegetable omelet – round and fluffy with flakes of salt and cuts of mint sprinkled about. The steam from my coffee floats into the sunbeam, and for a moment, everything feels a bit too cliché, like the start of a harrowing horror film. Could this be my Midsommar nightmare? Surely not. Here, inside the wooden main house of Hemlock Neversink, the mood is soft and tranquil, comforting, not frightening.
Nestled in the town of Neversink, New York,Hemlock Neversink is a 230-acre, all-inclusive upstate escape founded by Foster Supply Hospitality for not only New York natives but travelers from across the country. Skinny trunk trees with billowing branches line the backdrop of the property while rolling hills spill out in front. The open area – complete with 34 rooms, a spa, activity house, barn, tennis court, main hall, and restaurant – is an undisturbed playground, free of chaos and mental disruption, forcing you to unplug.
At Hemlock Neversink, stays are personalized and made to fit a guest’s needs spiritually, mentally, or physically. Guests are required to fill out a worksheet beforehand, detailing their desired objectives and activity interests for their upcoming visit. Then, upon check-in, visitors are greeted with a refined itinerary put together based on the questionnaire.
That said, when I was instructed to select classes before I arrived at Hemlock, I wasn’t too thrilled. I wanted to enjoy the retreat, not feel like I was in group therapy. But though I’ve never been one who revels in organized, pre-planned vacations, considering my weeks already follow an hour-by-hour agenda, I appreciated the grandeur of the program, and despite my fear of required attendance, nothing is mandatory at Hemlock Neversink. Like the spa therapists and the yoga instructors, the itineraries are meant to be guides, picking guests up when they may be at a loss for what to do. Of course, in my experience, the lull moments left me feeling so relaxed my napping rate surged.
Hemlock Neversink wasn’t so much an introspective experience as it was a remedial one, reigniting my love for the child-like innocence of summer camp with the extra benefit of little to no supervision. Just like when I was younger, I reluctantly took part in the group activities, thinking the tasks would be mundane, but was ultimately surprised by how simple activities, albeit youthful, can be healing.
From candle-making to goat walks, star gazing, and drum circles, Hemlock Neversink offers several opportunities that can focus the mind and let it wander. On an afternoon nature walk, the one organized activity I participated in, a small group of us explored a narrow path as a hilarious guide, a man who noted on multiple occasions that he’d made a habit out of disappearing in the woods, educated us on the surrounding organisms. If I wasn’t already “one with nature” before the 60-minute excursion, I definitely was after. We traveled from noisy low points to silent high points, stopping to munch on mini strawberries growing in the grass.
At the spa, the rustic ambiance was met with luxury comfort. Several amenties – a pool, hot tub, sauna, steam room, and relaxation room – always seemed to be untouched as if myself and my plus-one were the only two guests on the retreat. Over the course of two days, there wasn’t a single instance where we were forced to share the spa spaces with anyone else – an unexpected petit plaisir.
When I wasn’t cold plunging in the pool, baking myself in the sauna, or sweating it out in the steam room, I was enjoying breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the restaurant located inside the main cabin. Though food packages aren’t included in the room rates at Hemlock Neversink, guests are encouraged to stop by and grab a quick bite from the restaurant’s midday snack and coffee tray. Offerings such as charcuterie, fruit and cookies are available in between meals.
But even with the option to eat out, I found no reason to leave. With each meal, my taste buds sang, begging me to finish every bite. From freshly made croissants to a rich mushroom burger coated in aioli, an adobo chicken bowl, and charred greens, not only did the food satisfy in flavor, but in feeling too – I was never too full, and I never left hungry.
My two-day upstate retreat was rife with musk aromas and the soothing sound of silence. Living in the city, where I’m subjected to the singing of sirens on a daily basis, I often feel claustrophic and overwhelmed. My mind quickly exhausts, as does my energy. So though I might’ve thought a wellness retreat was similar to a cult summoning, I was majorly mistaken. Hemlock Neversink refreshed my vitality on my own terms with its serene space and supportive staff.
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