New York City in the height of summer with children . Would you buy that for a dollar ? Precisely . But take your crew 90 minutes north of the Big Apple to Mohonk Mountain House in the heart of the Hudson Valley and you ’ ll not regret it for a second . It gets its name from the surrounding Mohonk Preserve , on the fringes of the monumental Shawangunk Ridge , a vast cliff band that runs down through Pennsylvania to New Jersey . It is astonishing to find such wilderness so close to the city . The hotel is a faux-gothic Victorian castle and may look too faux to European eyes , but the lake , gardens and trails are a vast adventure playground for all ages . A world away : The faux-gothic Victorian castle hotel Mohonk Mountain House enjoys a spectacular location . Perfect : Felix found the hotel , lake , gardens and trails to be an adventure playground for his young family . One afternoon , we check our two girls into the kids ’ club and climb up the Labyrinth trail ( one of eight epic scrambles ) to Lookout Tower on the high bluff above the lake . We clamber over boulders , up timber ladders and squeeze through tiny gaps in the cliff band . The 360-degree views are inspirational . The kids ’ club is the best we have experienced . Our girls make paper bag whales , cork puppets and chalk drawings , dress up and sing songs , go on pony and boat rides . We use the club as a drop-in once or twice a day , using our free time to explore the 5,000 acres of hotel grounds and the surrounding preserve . Water water everywhere : The hotel sits on the banks of Lake Mohonk in New York State 's Hudson Valley . Another afternoon , we check in to the spa ; another morning , we ride Eagle Ridge on horseback as turkey vultures , red-tailed hawks and bald eagles soar overhead . In between , we have a ball with the children . We take them out on the lake in pedalos , and walk the lakeside path following a baby deer . On the opposite side of the lake , a path down from the cliff leads to a sandy beach and swimming area . High on the cliff above is the Granary restaurant , a wonderful open-air grill that serves lunch and lobster cook-outs . Rooms are divided between the four sections of the hotel , some traditional , some contemporary . All are comfortable , a good size and most come with private balconies . There are no TVs . Splash : Guests of the hotel can enjoy a day on the lake in canoes , one of many available outdoor activities . The hotel began life as a ten-room drinking inn . Then , 145 years ago , two Quaker twins , Albert and Alfred Smiley , fell in love with its setting and bought it to use as a teetotal retreat for the great and good . It was full from their first season , has played host to five US presidents and is still owned and run by the Smiley family . But grown-ups will be pleased to know the ban on alcohol has long passed . We raise a glass to simple pleasures . British Airways ( 0844 493 0787 , www.ba.com ) flies to New York JFK from £439 return . A stay at Mohonk Mountain House ( 001 855 883 3798 , www.mohonk.com ) for a family of four starts at £868 a night full-board , including activities such as boating , golf and children ’ s programmes . Car hire with Avis ( 0808 284 5566 , www.avis.co.uk ) starts at £98 per day .
Mohonk Mountain resort is a ' castle ' retreat 90 miles from New ##town . The resort sits blissfully on the banks of Lake creek in the Hudson valley . The hotel was originally built as a drinking inn 145 years ago before Quaker twins Albert and ant Smiley made it a dry inn - the bar is now open .