Last weekend when the Pope was in Philly I headed out of town to the Poconos. I went there for a blog conference but I was excited to take my mom along because it was here first time up the mountains. I used to visit the Poconos every year with my cousin as a kid. I was also excited to see what had changed in the 17 years since I'd last visited (other than a ski trip bus trip). My mom liked it a lot. As did I. We will likely go there again for a close to home get away. I was surprised by how much I remembered about the area. I was able to show my mom many of the attractions I used to visit with my cousin. I was also shocked by how many people of color I saw. As a kid I remember my cousin and I always being the only black kids. The diversity was awesome!!!!
Like I said, we will be going back. However, going to the Poconos as an adult is very different than going as a kid so I am putting together a few tips to make sure I have a Joyful time the next time we go.
- Go in the summer (Unless you are going to for the skiing) - I know the Poconos are known for skiing but there is a lot to do there in the summer. The mountains are beautiful. There are nature trails and places to go horseback riding and outdoor adventure trials. You are in the mountains, the temperature is cooler than other places during the summer months.
- Avoid driving at night. OK this tip is supper important for city folks like me. It gets really really dark at night in the Poconos. There are not many street lights when compared to what I am used to in the city. Combine the dark roads with mountain hills and unfamiliarity it can be a dangerous situation.
- Take the deer crossing signs seriously. There is lots of wildlife in the Poconos. As a kid we saw deer almost every time we visited. This time we did not see deer but we saw wild turkey and a chipmunk. We saw them when they ran right out into the road in front of my car. Good think I was driving slowly.
- Use the day time for site seeing. If you go in the summer take advantage of the longer days to take advantage of all of the attractions site seeing and gambling at the casino.
- Take advantage of your hotel's amenities at night. The Poconos is one place to visit where you want to invest in a hotel with nice amenities. We stayed at Camelback Aquatopia. They had four restaurants, a bar, a couple gift shops, a large arcade, and a really cool indoor water park. There were plenty of things for us to do in the evening after the sun set.
- Put your concierge to work. This is probably good advice for any hotel stay. I'd never really made use of the concierge before my Poconos trip. The concierge was great. He was an older man who was able to help me find a tourist attraction that I could only describe from my memory. It was a Christmas Shop that also had a doll collection and doll house collectibles. He was able to figure out what I was talking about contact them and get me their contact info. Concierges are great!
*** Bonus*** Bring your Claritin or Alegra. Mixed in with the clean crisp mountain air will be pollen from plants that you may not be used to. Be prepared.
Living in Philly the Poconos is not too far from me. With these tips I will make visiting a much more frequent and Joyful Summer getaway.
Have you vacationed in the Poconos or somewhere similar? What tips would you add?
Tips for Amtrak Train Travel: Do's & Don'ts for a Joyful Train ride
