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Woodloch Pines - Part 1
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
Despite a blizzard, Woodloch Pines turns out to be a great inclusive family resort, run by the same family for almost fifty years.
Woodloch Pines
Recently, my husband Donald and I managed to escape New York City before a blizzard arrived, but where were we heading to? The snowy mountains of Pennsylvania -- Woodloch Pines to be exact. At first I feared being snowbound, but there is no better place to be snowbound than at Woodloch Pines. In fact, after spending a weekend there, I imagine this is a great place to enjoy, no matter what the season or the weather.
Woodloch Pines-- a large family run resort, on a lake in the Pocono Mountains-- is a throwback to another era. It has a feel similar to the resort of "Dirty Dancing" fame, yet it's still a modern and full service facility. After driving interminably through Friday rush hour traffic (not something I would recommend), and finally maneuvering down winding country roads, we came upon Woodloch Pines, where we were welcomed and quickly ushered into the dining room. After being the only car on the road for the last hour of our journey, we were surprised to see a dining room or I should say three dining rooms, filled with about 600 guests. After sitting down and sizing up the situation, we quickly saw that families with children outnumbered couples. So, we were in a distinct minority. This didn’t hinder our fun, but only made us yearn to return with our own family or group of friends. We weren't sitting long when we were again greeted by a staff member, but this time it was the so
n of one of the owners. We chatted a little about his grandparents, who bought this property back in 1958, and about the rich family legacy of hospitality he inherited and seemingly has passed on to all of his staff. Three meals a day are included on the American plan and on the weekend that includes Friday night dinner through Sunday lunch. All the meals are family style with many choices; including wonderful homemade soups, salads, breads and baked goods.
The organized activities at Woodloch Pines are so varied that I felt as if we were on a cruise-- but just happened not to be on a ship. A printed daily schedule was left at our dinner table. So we could choose from all the seasonal sports and activities one could imagine, as well as indoor games, movies, bingo, Karaoke, shows and more. This luxury of choice makes it an especially great destination for families, since everyone from little ones to grandparents can choose their own thing and always end up meeting at meal times.
After dinner we tried our hand at "Horse Racing," but unfortunately had no luck. Then it was off to watch everyone test their singing skills at Karaoke. I was glad that our room was in the Main Lodge, because we were connected by many passageways to lounges, the sports bar, a nightclub, a movie room, the dining room and the highly important gift shop. There is a trolley bus that runs constantly to take guests to all the other buildings, but since the snow was now coming down quite heavily, I was more than happy to remain snug and warm.
The next morning, after enjoying breakfast, we ventured out on the bus to get a full view of the grounds. We were awed at the massive growth that took place here, considering this all began with a simple little cabin and a dream-- an American Dream. Harry and Mary Kiesendahl were married in 1944 and began their ordinary lives together on Long Island. Harry ran a luncheonette as his first business, but he dreamed for something more for him and his growing family. To make a wonderful love story short -- they bought this land and the cabin on top of it in 1958 and began a lifelong adventure building up the property and the business to what it is today-- a first class, year round resort.
The twelve inches of newly fallen snow was quickly turning this into a Winter Wonderland, and there were no signs of stopping. Before it got too bad, Don and I enjoyed walking around and taking in the breathtaking scenery and the brisk air. People were everywhere-- enjoying ice skating, sledding and snowmobiling.
Before we knew it, it was time for lunch. Not only are the multi-activities like that of a cruise, but so is the eating schedule and the abundance of good food. The food was not high cuisine, but more like food your mother used to make. In this case, it is literally like food the owner's parents used to make, when they were first serving a total of six or eight guests, during their humble beginnings.
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Woodloch Pines in the Snow | |
During lunch a musician went from table to table, inviting guests to a Drumming Circle. Now this was certainly something different and not your standard resort activity. Since the snow was now at blizzard conditions, Don and I had no desire to brave the elements for a snowmobile or snow tube, so we checked out the Drumming Circle. Yes, there were plenty of drums and yes we were in a large circle, as the name suggests. Our leader introduced us to the various percussion instruments, their unique sounds and the rules of "following the leader"-- he being the leader. It felt like everyone's inner child came out as people banged, tapped and explored the sounds of their instruments, both alone and in unison. In a surprising way, it was great fun.
Next, in honor of my mother, we checked out Bingo. My mom is not known for her winning abilities. In fact, in Brooklyn, where she attends a weekly Bingo game, she is famous for never winning. Unfortunately, I follow in her footsteps. For once though, bad luck actually paid off. Here they played the regular Bingo, four corners, full card, etc., then they played Loser's Bingo, and I finally had a chance. Everyone stood and as numbers were called, you sat down if one of yours was announced. Thus the last person standing would have a card with no numbers called. Guess who won? Mom would be proud, and so was I. Now that I was $15 richer, I treated Don to hot cocoa, and we sat and read the rest of the afternoon away by a roaring fire. This is my idea of a perfect winter day. We watched as the red cheeked, snow bunnies came in from their icy cold, winter activities. That's one of the best things about this place- there truly is something for everyone!
Part 1
Part 2
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