Part of why I love traveling is the lessons you bring back with you after a journey, from the cultures you come to understand to natural scenes that leave you in awe, and a recent stay at the 1880s Gilded Age mansion of Spillian did just that.
Located in the Catskills, the mansion serves as an event and retreat center, but it is so much more than that, with its name giving visitors the first hint of what they can expect when entering the space.
Spillian means to play or revel, a name that co-owner Leigh Melander gave to the space she has created as a location where visitors can come to dive deep into imagination and storytelling, through conversation and through connection to the magnificent scenery of the area.
Travelers can feel the creative energy that resounds as soon as they make their way to the driveway of the mansion, a long and winding drive up the hill that Melander and her husband Mark Somerfield purposefully left unpaved to make it feel as though you’re leaving the 21st century at the bottom of the hill as you make your way up to the 33-acre space.
