Upon arrival, my partner and I shed the stress of the week when we were welcomed by the quiet calm of the home's lush grounds. Carlos' place is warm and spacious with everything we needed to unwind for a long weekend, including a fully equipped open kitchen, a sauna and rain shower for an at-home spa experience, comfortable living areas and bedrooms with large windows and gorgeous views of the self-seeded fields beyond. Mornings were spent walking through its winding paths and watching birds and butterflies amongst the pollinator plants. During the day, we ventured to nearby trails within Minnewaska State Park to hike through ice caves, to the top of waterfalls, and up to Lake Awosting for a dip in the serene sky lake. Carlos shared clear instructions for our stay and was very responsive when we had questions. His home's passive house design is modern and very well executed, offering tranquility and connection to nature while being close to restaurants, farm stands, antique warehouses, and many outdoor activities - a rare find for upstate rental listings. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Carlos' home and look forward to returning on our next trip upstate!