48 Hours in the Pocono Mountains

Correspondent Andrea Williams enjoyed a weekend full of fun in the Pocono Mountains with the DC Travel Blogger Crew. Read about her jam-packed weekend including whitewater rafting, beer tasting and amazing cuisine.

Last weekend, the Pocono Mountain tourism board hosted the DC Travel Blogger crew for a FAM tour of their lovely region.  I’ll admit, I was only vaguely familiar with the Poconos after hearing a few of my pals from New York & New Jersey talk about frequenting the area for quick weekend getaways.  I couldn’t wait to go so I could see for myself what the Pocono Mountains had to offer.  I must say, even through the rain, it exceeded my expectations!

The Pocono Mountains

The Pocono Mountains region spans 2,400 square miles of land throughout four counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. It’s located less than 90 miles from New York City and Philadelphia, but is easily accessible from pretty much any major city in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The demographic of tourists is largely made up of families and active explorers. However, don’t let that deter you if you are neither!  The array of activities offered are endless.  Whether recreational activities like kayaking, hiking, and skiing are your thing, or relaxing activities like spa treatments, dining, and yoga meditation, there’s something for everyone in every season.   The mountainous terrain, stunning bodies of water, and expansive woodlands make for an extraordinary backdrop to nature’s promised land.

Friday

The weekend started on Friday evening with us checking into our hotel rooms at Chateau Resort and Conference Center, located in a town called Tannersville.  Our rooms were lofted suites with a view of a beautiful lake, surrounded by miles of verdant land.
 

No sooner than we put the key in our doors, it was time to meet up with our tourism guide to head out for a site visit.  The first property to welcome us was the Camelback Lodge Resort, also located in Tannersville.

The massive hotel just opened this past April, housing 453 rooms, three restaurants, a sizable kiddie arcade, and a partridge in a pear tree.  The hotel also touts itself as having “the biggest” in quite a few of their attractions:  the biggest snow tubing course in the country (they double as a ski lodge in the winter), the longest uphill water coaster in North America, and two of the biggest indoor AND outdoor waterparks in the Northeast.  After touring their indoor waterpark, I became a believer.

Thirteen mammoth waterslides envelop the building (some even expanding outside), while the rest of the park includes a wave pool, kiddie pool, indoor cabanas, and plentiful seating. The waterpark is heated at 84 degrees year-round and is covered by a special glass that allows the natural sunlight to permeate the park for an extra beach feel.

We ended our tour with a buffet dinner at Camelback’s Hemisphere’s restaurant.  Everything was delicious, but nothing compares to their crab stuffed lobster.  YUMMMM!

Saturday

Our next adventure was a whitewater rafting excursion with Whitewater Challengers.  My aversion to all things aquatic and the aforementioned downpour notwithstanding, the rafting activity proved to be quite an experience!

Whitewater Challengers’ campground-style quarters gave off a vibe reminiscent of day camp.  After a buffet breakfast (replete with all of our favorite cereals from childhood), we were issued wet suits and given safety tips before setting off to Lehigh River via yellow school bus.

Overall, the dam was calm with a few rapids to break up the monotony.  The tranquil tide afforded us the opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery along the stream.  Thanks to our wonderful guide (hi Scott!), we made it through the 9-mile course without getting stuck on rocks or more importantly, falling from the raft.

You can only imagine after a day of intense (not really) upper-body activity, we’d worked up quite the appetite.  Our dinner on this particular night was special because it involved a drink presentation. And as you who’s reading this very blog knows, we here at Will Drink For Travel love a good drink!

We dined in the taproom of Shawnee Craft Brewery, which is housed on the grounds of The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.  The property, built in 1911, is nestled along the banks of the Delaware River on 250 acres of private property.  The land includes a farm, where fresh produce is grown exclusively for use in their restaurants, and a 24-hole golf course that sits on its very own island in the Delaware River.  If that isn’t enough, the abovementioned brewery is used to produce handmade beers with organic, locally sourced ingredients.  Their motto: “Beer from here, food from near.”

Our 4-course dinner was immaculately prepared and matched with one of their specially-crafted beers. It was a cool twist on a wine tasting.

My personal fave of the 4 beers was the Berliner Weisse, which had a splash of raspberry added to sweeten the tartness of the brew.  It gave the beer more of a fruity taste instead of the usual bite.

We were then offered tours of the brewing facilities to see how their beer is made.  Once the beer is ready to manifest, the liquid is fermented in one of the many fermentation tanks on hand.  A “beer cow” is used to bottle the contents, and the beer is then packaged. Finally, the beer undergoes a bottled fermentation that provides natural carbonation.

Kudos to the staff at Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort for a lovely evening!

Sunday

Our last day in the Poconos was very low-key after such an action-packed Saturday. We were given a tour of the Kalahari Resorts and Convention Center, which just opened July 1st, located in Pocono Manor, PA.

Another sprawling property, it includes 457 guest rooms, 65,000 sq ft of meeting space, 100,000 sq ft of indoor waterpark (an outdoor park is open seasonally), 30,000 sq ft of a Family Entertainment Complex (complete with miniature golfing, bowling, and an arcade), and three full-service restaurants – and this is all in the first phase.  A second phase, to be completed in 2017, will include 515 additional guest rooms, 100,000 sq ft of additional indoor waterpark space, and an expansion of the outdoor waterpark by 2-3 more acres.  Are you having number fatigue like me?

The coolest part of the resort was the rich African theme.  The owners took a 26-day sojourn to 6 different African countries to purchase original artwork and décor for the hotel.  They traveled along with a videographer to capture moving and still photography of their journey that is displayed all throughout the hotel.  I loved to see the immersion of African culture so genuinely exhibited!

The last stop on our whirlwind trip was to Desaki, a Japanese restaurant that specializes in Hibachi and fresh sushi.  According to the owner, Desaki is the largest family-owned restaurant in the area.  The building was inspiredby Japanese architecture, with high-ceilings and wood panels.

The staff is extremely customer service oriented, providing a bus that picks up families from the surrounding hotels.  They also have multiple activities to keep kids occupied in the event of long waits, including small flat-screen TVs with Xbox set-ups, rickshaw rides in the restaurant parking lot, and a large dance floor to dance the time (or food) away.

Speaking of food, it was outstanding (and plentiful)! We tried a range of appetizers, from bacon-covered scallops to various styles of sushi.  Our meals were then preparedby a wonderful chef named A.J.  Let’s just say we all left with enough food to eat for dinner that night.

All in all, I give our weekend a solid 10!  For those looking for a break from city life and want to be one with nature, I highly recommend heading to the Pocono Mountains.  There are a host of activities, whether relaxing or robust, to ensure a proper getaway is had by all.  Log onto PoconoMountains.com for more information.  Tell them we sent you!

Photo Credit: Andrea Williams and Travelaine.com

*While this was a press trip sponsored by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, all opinions expressed are those of the author.

U.S. Edition: What Cocktail Best Describes Your Favorite City’s Persona?

While U.S. cities share similarities in terms of size, history and culture, there are also many distinct differences.  Our contributing writer, Noori Chishti, describes each city’s persona and the cocktails and beers that best fit them.

One of my favorite authors, Jack Kerouac, wrote, “Paris is a woman but London is an independent man puffing his pipe in a pub.” One can’t help but wonder, what would Paris’ favorite drink be? What would London be drinking as he puffs on his pipe in a pub?

I thought the same of American cities.  From New York’s quick pace to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, U.S. cities are so culturally distinct.   I’ve looked at many major metropolitan cities across the U.S. and here is what I think each city’s persona’s favorite drink would be.

New York is a woman who wastes no time as she walks into the bar, promptly and effortlessly ordering herself a martini. She’s dressed in sleek, all black. Like her drink of choice, she is classic and timeless, but always trendy.

Los Angeles is a woman sipping on a flute of champagne as she runs her manicured finger through her perfectly styled hair. Some may call her high maintenance, but she thinks there’s nothing wrong with having high standards. She is classic, decadent, and always ready for some glitz and glamour.

Chicago is a man who is tall and blonde. He’s a friendly mama’s boy who probably has never left the good old Midwest. He walks into a bar and orders himself a gin & tonic. It’s no nonsense and to the point, just like he is. He won’t let the wind stop him from having a good time, especially if there’s a football game.

Dallas is a woman wearing a pair of glitzy cowboy boots. With her big curly blonde hair and even bigger personality, of course she has an oversized margarita to match. Hey, it’s Texas…go big or go home!

Philadelphia is a man drinking hard apple cider with a group of rowdy friends, all die-hard Eagles fans, of course. They’re shouting and probably swearing.  No one can deny that these boys are having a good time.

Houston is a man in his mid twenties sipping on a bottle of Stella Artois. He looks like your typical all-American boy, but he likes to think he’s a bit more sophisticated and worldly than that. He’s charming and friendly, but don’t ask him how he feels about the Dallas Cowboys.

Washington D.C. is a male politician who just got home from a long day at work. He sits down in his den, and pours himself a nice glass of scotch, and gazes out the window, pondering all that he has to do before he can finally let himself go to bed.

Miami is a pretty boy. He walks into a bar, perfectly tanned skin and highlighted, coifed hair. He orders himself a mojito, impatiently waiting for it to arrive. It doesn’t matter that it’s difficult and time consuming for the bartender to make. This drink is low calorie and easy on the eyes. In order words, this is what he needs.

Atlanta is a woman in a bar drinking a rum and coke. Living in the Coca Cola capital of the world, she can’t pass up on one of America’s favorite drinks. She’s laid back, fun, and just getting her night started.

Boston is a man in his mid twenties. You can find him in a sports pub, watching a Pats game as he drinks his Sam Adams Boston lager. Of course he’s wearing his Tom Brady jersey and having a wicked good time. You can bet he’ll start a U-S-A chant at some point during the night.

San Francisco is a man sipping on a glass of Pinot Noir. This is his favorite wine; of course he found it while wine tasting at his favorite vineyard in Napa. He’s ahead of the curve, but still classic and holds a rugged sort of sophistication.

Detroit is a rugged, blue-collar man drinking Hennessy. He is a classic in his own way – though rough around the edges, underneath he is a lot warmer than you’d think.

Baltimore is a college aged man sitting in a crowded bar, ordering a pitcher of natty light with a group of his friends. He’s all about having a good time!

Charleston is a pretty blonde sipping on a mint julep. She’s charming and classic. Flipping her pretty blonde curls as she politely has her drink brought to her by her southern gentleman of a waiter.

Portland is a hipster. He sips on his Pabst Blue Ribbon while wearing his favorite flannel. He has his headphones in, but don’t bother asking what he’s listening to…you wouldn’t know it.

New Orleans is a girl drinking a sazerac. Proud of her city through and through. She’s energetic, fun, and loves to party. The night is young, and so is she! She hits all of her favorite places on Bourbon Street – New Orleans is her world, and what a wonderful world to live in!

Denver is a girl curled up, taking a ski break. She’s drinking a white Russian. There’s nothing like some Kahlua between the slopes. No better way to relax on a scenic winter day.

Las Vegas is a gambler on a winning streak. He takes shot after shot of tequila while he plays black jack. Not only has he lost count of his drinks, but don’t even try to ask him what time it is. He’s having the time of his life. Let’s see how much he’ll remember in the morning.

Nashville is a man drinking bourbon while he attempts to write what he believes to be the next hit country song… about bourbon of course! And how much he loves Nashville, his truck, girls….and bourbon.

Seattle is a girl drinking a Moscow mule, staying true to the Washington love of beer with this ginger beer cocktail. She shows that she loves the western atmosphere of Seattle, but she’s still trendy and cosmopolitan. Laid back, smooth, and refreshing – she and her drink show everything that you could fall in love with in Seattle.

How’d I do? You agree or disagree? Share your thoughts below!