Phoenicia is a small hamlet in the Esopus Creek valley, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, and it is the point where several of the region's best roads come together. The creek, a fast, clear trout stream, runs right through the village, and in summer, tubers in inner tubes float down it by the hundreds. Hills rise steeply on all sides, thickly wooded with hemlock, maple and beech, and the highest of the Catskills, Slide Mountain, at about 1,270 metres, stands a short way to the south.
The village was once a stop on the Ulster and Delaware Railroad, which carried visitors from the Hudson River to the mountain hotels, and the old station still stands, with a heritage railway running excursions on part of the line. The area was also a centre of bluestone quarrying and leather tanning, trades that stripped the hemlock forests of their bark in the nineteenth century. The forest has regrown and is now protected as part of the Catskill Park, and the creek's water flows into the reservoirs that supply New York City with some of the best drinking water in the world.
For riders, Phoenicia is a crossroads. Route 28 follows the valley to the west toward Margaretville and Pepacton Reservoir, a gentle, flowing road with long curves beside the creek. Route 214 runs north through Stony Clove Notch, a deep, narrow gap between steep mountains, with tight turns, a steep grade and cliffs rising on either side, and it is a real mountain road. Woodstock, an artists' town famous for the music festival that was not actually held there, lies a short ride to the east and has plenty of cafes and shops.
The village has a handful of cafes, including a diner that has become a favourite stop for people driving up from the city, and a few shops. Fuel in the hamlet is limited, so it is wiser to fill the tank in Kingston or Woodstock, the larger towns to the east, or farther along Route 28. Weekends in summer and autumn bring crowds, so go early. In winter the roads can be icy and the notch is slow to clear. In October the colours on the surrounding hills are startling, a deep red and gold that fills the whole valley.