This trip was a special one—we headed up to AMC Harriman Outdoor Center to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday and, along the way, showed off the versatility of AMC specifically and camping in general.
We kicked things off in Queens, where my nephew and mother-in-law met us before the drive. Our first stop was a birthday dinner at Mint in Tarrytown, a restaurant in the Michelin guide. We often use Tarrytown as a pit stop since it has a great bookstore, an ice cream shop, and several restaurants. Mint did not disappoint—I’d recommend the tuna.
After dinner, we drove up to Harriman and checked my mother-in-law into the Cranberry Cabin, which has its own private bathroom. From there, we shouldered our packs and hiked about half a mile to a remote tent site on the lake. The site has four tent platforms and a pit toilet, but we lucked out and had it to ourselves. Setting up camp in the dark was an adventure in itself—I don’t recommend hiking in with backpacks at night. We pretty much pitched the tent and went straight to bed.
The next morning we hiked back to the cabin for a birthday breakfast. Since it was my nephew’s very first camping trip, I handed him the spatula and let him take over the cooking. He turned out some pretty solid French toast for a rookie camper! My sister in law joined us after breakfast—she took the train up from the city, and AMC met her at the station and drove her to the campground. This is another AMC perk, you can get there without having a car.
The afternoon was all about a classic camp birthday BBQ: hamburgers and hot dogs grilled over the fire. That evening, my mother-in-law headed home, while the rest of us moved into the cabin. Going from a remote tent site in the wilderness to a cabin with its own flush toilet was a big change!
The next day we took the kayaks out on Breakneck Pond before packing up and heading back to Queens.
All in all, it was a great weekend—part birthday celebration, part first-time camping trip for my nephew, and part reminder of how flexible AMC Harriman can be. Whether you want a remote tent platform or a cabin with modern comforts, there’s something for everyone. Fun was had by all.
AMC HARRIMAN: https://www.outdoors.org/destinations/new-jersey-new-york/stephen-and-betsy-corman-amc-harriman-outdoor-center/
