The Majestic Pocono Mountains

Summer may be long gone but in the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania the fun is just beginning. One of the biggest assets of the destination is that the fun is year round. The summer beauty of course is astounding with its mountains and lakes all merging together to create a paradise for families, lovers, fishermen, boaters, hikers, golfers, and adventurers. There’s treetop aerial courses, ziplining, segway tours, mountain biking, horseback riding, golf courses and white water rafting for all levels. For the really brave, there’s Pennsylvania’s only Mountain Coaster at Camelback Mountain Resort in Tannersville. Did you ever hear of “Skirmish” which encompasses 700 acres of Paintball where you can attack the Tippmann Castle, your friends or your enemies? It’s enough to bring your teenagers into a live video game experience. As far as water parks the Pocono’s have the best of them, indoor and outdoor, surrounded by the beauty of nature that you won’t easily forget. For race fans there’s the Nascar famous Pocono Raceway where you can live your dream by driving a real racecar or just watch the races. We recently took our grandchildren to a real Pocono Rodeo complete with barbecue and live music. This is just the tip of the iceberg and all less than a 2 hour drive from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Years ago I was introduced to the Pocono Mountains on my honeymoon and fell in love with the majestic mountains and lakes. The mountains in those days were known as the Honeymoon Capital of the World with honeymoon resorts galore, some elegant and some, well not so elegant. We spent our honeymoon at Mt. Airy Lodge with over 890 rooms on 1000 acres. Every amenity was available and if you wished there was a full schedule of activities. We stayed in a suite overlooking the resort in an age when you dressed for dinner in a classy dining room. In the evening we enjoyed the Crystal Ballroom for first class entertainment and dancing. Big name entertainers had graced this stage like Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, and Paul Anka to name a few. We rode horses on honeymoon matched horses and toured the area complete with picnic lunches prepared by Mount Airy to enjoy the beauty of Bushkill Falls or the huge Lake Wallenpaupack.

Eventually we bought a second home there and watched the area change. At first it seemed to go into a little downslide but fortunately it came back around and revitalized and today the Poconos are once again first class. Many of the honeymoon resorts are gone but Mount Airy Lodge was rebuilt as the Mount Airy Casino Resort. The casino resort has 188 hotel rooms, a 62,000 sq ft casino with over 2,000 slot machines and table games, five restaurants, a 16,000 sq. ft. spa, salon and exercise facility and headline entertainment at Gypsies Nightclub. It also houses a banquet and conference center, a nightclub and an 18-hole golf course. Mount Airy Casino and Resort is the only AAA 4 Diamond casino resort in Pennsylvania. If that’s not enough, they’ve just broken ground on a $5 million luxury indoor/ outdoor swimming pool project that will let guests swim continuously from indoors to outdoors to a sophisticated poolside bar and lounge area with private luxury cabanas. There will be a 5,600 sq. ft outdoor deck area with tableside fire pits overlooking the resort’s lake and golf course. What more could you want?

Well, maybe the most gorgeous fall foliage everywhere with fall fests galore. Summer, spring, fall or winter there’s something for everyone. Split Rock Lodge has its own indoor waterpark nestled in the Big Boulder Ski Resort and there’s Jack Frost Ski Resort and the Jack Frost National Golf Course. Then there’s the famous Camelback Ski Resort with every winter sport imaginable from skiing to snowboarding. And don’t let me forget the perfect family outing at Great Wolf Lodge which was previously featured in TravelSquire’s FAMILY column.

If you’re looking for a casual weekend getaway with loads of activities, the Pocono Mountains really has all the bases covered.