They can be seen from the highway. Off in the distance, the mountains appear as sleeping polar bears with wavy ski trails cascading down their sides like crimped hair.
This is Poconos country, where a keen sense of adventure or an immediate need for relaxation guides the visitor to the front door of the resort’s many hotels and lodges.
For thrill seekers, nature lovers and snow bunnies, the following facts will serve as an enticing come-on: The Pocono Mountains, located in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania, encompass 2,400 square miles of mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and woodlands. Roughly eight million people visit each year to enjoy the area’s 150 lakes, nine state parks, two national parks, 126 hiking trails, 35 golf courses and, naturally, seven major ski areas, all of them offering alpine skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing. There is ice skating, if the weather cooperates, snowmobiling and — can it be? — dog sledding.
But what of that desperate need to relax, that all-consuming desire to relieve holiday stress with a get-away weekend?
“We cater to a mix of groups and individuals, with excellent guest services as our goal,” said Denise Quarmley, event coordinator for The Inn at Pocono Manor. “At the Inn, my job is to arrange per the [guests’] requests, so that when they arrive, all of the details have been taken care of.”
The Inn at Pocono Manor is the resort’s grand-daddy of luxury lodges. Opened in 1902, it is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Its 250 quest rooms — with outstanding American stonework throughout — offer panoramic views of the breathtaking landscape and ample nooks and crannies to leisurely explore.
Several of the resort’s many hotels and lodges offer girlfriend get-away weekends complete with everything from spa services to information on nearby outlets and small town shopping, entertainment, antiquing, dining and museums.
“Nearly anything someone would like to see and do can be found in the Pocono Mountains,” said Carl Wilgus, president and CEO of the Pocono Mountain Visitor Bureau. “This is especially true this time of year if you are a winter outdoor recreation enthusiast.”
Wilgus points out that the indoor relaxer might want to take advantage of the casino gaming and the “more than an appropriate number of eating and drinking establishments.”
So there it is — your stress-away get-away, whether out on the slopes or enjoying a good book in front of a roaring fire in the great room of an iconic, historic lodge.
If you go
Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania
» Distance: 190 miles from Baltimore, 230 miles from D.C.
» Info: Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau at 1-800-762-6667
» On the Net: www.800poconos.com; www.theinnatpoconomanor.com; www.poconos.org
