When you own a two-year old, family vacation is an oxymoron. More realistically, it should be called keeping the kids happy, entertained, fed, and rested with minimal meltdowns in a remote location. That's when a family resort like Woodloch Pines
more +in Hawley, PA comes to the rescue.
Woodloch does everything right, and it doesn't claim to be anything more than a place for families. There are going to be hundreds of other kids around, so you can relax. When your child has to be carried out of the pool kicking and screaming, no one will bat an eyelash.
And on that note...there are big, clean, and modern pools, both outdoors and in. With extra waterpark-ish features like splash pads, water cannons, and slides. There's also a small beach area on the lake.
There are activities all day, every day, for all age groups. Scavenger hunts, sport contests, arts & crafts, magic shows, movies and more will keep them entertained. Maybe even enough for you to sit and watch with a coffee in hand. Certainly enough to ensure a good night's sleep!
There are other attractions on the property when all of the above still isn't enough. Like playgrounds, mini-golf courses, shuffleboard and tennis courts, indoor arcades and gaming rooms, and go-karts.
The "all-inclusive" plan means the cost of your meals is included in the price. In terms of convenience and value, this wins me over every time. So when my pre-schooler eats just two bites of her chicken tenders, I'm not fretting over the waste of an $8.00 meal.
They have - and I believe this to be the sweetest word in the English language - babysitters. They are available with a day's notice, completely reliable and vetted. If the kids let you, you can enjoy a night of adult entertainment in the lounge or nightclub.
If you live anywhere in the northeast U.S., you can get there by car, in just a few hours. Do you want to start your trip with seven+ hours of 'are we there yet?' & 'he's on my side' & and 'I'm going to be sick...'? No, me neither.
With places like Woodloch Pines around, I no longer fear the family vacation.
Date of Stay: 03/28/2010
Children in Party: 2
Accommodations Dining Kids Play Area Money Value Pool & Water Fun Staff
Every family needs something special to look forward to...and for us, it has always been our annual trip to Disney. For the past 10 summers, we have treated our 2 kids, Eva (5) and Drew (12) to the magical world of Disney, staying in the same
more +resort and generally following the same agenda...it seemed like our second home. But for us, this year is different. With the economy in the state that it is in, we simply could not afford the expenses that go along with our traditional Disney trip. Bummed and discouraged, we began searching for alternatives within driving distance of our house in NJ. We searched and searched but simply could not find something that fit all of our criteria...nor that offered activities that even compared to what we are used to in Disney for the kids. Then one of our friends told us about a resort in the Poconos that they had just returned from. They claimed that Woodloch was 'even better than Disney.' In desperation, I checked it out and it looked great, so I booked it. Admittedly, I had hesitations due to my image of the Poconos...the whole trip up, all I could picture was your typical 'heart-shaped tub.' Needless to say, I could not have been further off...
From the moment we arrived we felt like we found a new home. We were immediately greeted with smiles, from the luggage boys to the front desk staff. Slightly overwhelmed, they were able to give us the 'lay of the land' and explained the daily activity sheet that we could refer to to give us all of the information we need on the activities that they offered (which, by the way, were endless and appropriate for all ages). The room that we stayed in was a decent size, clean, and overlooked the lake, which is beautiful. And there are no words for the food...it is DELICIOUS...and so much of it (I think I gained 10 lbs in 4 days!!!). They were even able to accommodate Eva's food allergy to nuts...plenty of alternatives for all of us. Each night, they offered different nightly entertainment options, ranging from magic shows to live music to, my favorite, the Theme Show, which made us feel like we slipped into Broadway.
Just when we thought we had seen it all, we found out about the golf course and destination spa, both only minutes from the resort. My husband took a morning to golf and, as part of the deal, I took an afternoon at the spa which was absolutely magnificent. We both came back floating on air...
Among all of the wonderful things we can say about Woodloch, I think the thing we loved the most was the energy and enthusiasm of the staff...they really made us feel like family and that is, in my mind, what sets Woodloch apart from any other vacation that we have been on. It was a perfect fit for us and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a new family vacation spot. We are already planning our next trip...this time maybe in the winter (we heard it is beautiful in the snow!). Now our only challenge is explaining to Eva and Drew why we can't 'move to Woodloch...'!!!
Date of Stay: 06/20/2009
Children in Party: 2
Kids (3-6) Tweens (10-12) Accommodations Dining Kids Play Area Money Value Pool & Water Fun Staff
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Woodloch Pines
