Hubby and I are considering the Poconos for our annual anniversary trip. We love the mountains. For the past two years, we’ve gone to Gatlinburg, which, aside from the cheesy commercialism, has a lovely national park. (Last time, we even saw a bear in the wild!)
We usually rent a cabin, one which is at least semi-isolated and has lovely scenic views. Through my brief searching tonight on the 'Net, it doesn’t seem like mountain views are much “played up.” In fact, I didn’t see one picture of the mountains themselves, which concerns me a bit.
What are the Poconos really like? Did you enjoy your trip? Where did you stay? Is the area another Gatlinburg, or is it relatively unspoiled? Anything which is a “must-see?”
Make note of when the NASCAR Winston Cup Series is going to be at Pocono Raceway (one weekend in June, another in July). Avoid going to the area during those weeks at all costs.
I’ve never been there for any reason other than the races. My father’s family is from nearby, as well, so we’ve never had a reason to stay at an inn or resort because we could stay with a great-aunt. Therefore I’m not very useful in this threat, other than to give that warning.
It’s not another Gatlinburg, at least I can tell you that much. Not as touristy.
I agree with raicinchikki, if you want to come to the Poconos, avoid doing it during the weekends of June 22 & July 27 this year. Not only will you be hard pressed for a hotel room, rental cars will be tough to come by, and traffic will be miserable.
If you can, come during the autumn. Late September to early August offer some of the most spectacular foliage you’ll ever see.
If you like shopping, give the Crossings at Tannersville a try. Delaware Water Gap is beautiful, you are maybe an hour outside of NYC, about 2 hours from Philly, Gettysburg is I think 90 minutes away. The area as a whole is very laid back with many shops to browse through. If you come during the winter, the Poconos has several excellent skiing resorts to choose from.
You will certainly not regret coming to the Poconos. Chalk it up to being jaded that the mountains are not played up, I suppose. The Appalacian Trail runs through the Poconos. I’ve been fortunate enough to cross it several times…sideways, not longways, but I still count it…
We would be going in late May, so it looks like we’d avoid the NASCAR races. We’d also be driving, so no need for a rental car.
Considering it’s the mountains, I’m sure it will be rather cool in the evenings, but otherwise, the weather should be nice, right?
The only wildlife viewing reference I saw was to eagle-watching. No disrespect to the birds, but are there any other interesting creatures about? Bears, for example?
My mom recently retired and moved up there. Her sister has lived there for many years, and our family used to go up every year or so when I was growing up. I’ve also been to Gatlinburg, and as has been said, the Poconos are much less touristy, but also, in my opinion, not as scenic. It’s a nice area for sure, but if you’re mainly into the idea of mountains, the mountains there are not very…er, mountainous.
If I may be permitted a bit of coastal chauvinism, if you want to see some real mountains, you need to head west.
Mucho deer and, according to my husband, bears as well. (He tells a story of seeing them on his community college campus, so I assume they must also be in the woods?)
Can’t offer much in the way of advice as I go up to the area to visit my in-laws, not as a tourist/vacationer. In terms of outdoor stuff, I’ve only been to Hickory Run.
I live way up in the Poconos. We’ve got bears, they hang out around my house all the time. They are fun to watch, but also kinda scary. Deer, eagles, snakes, big ugly buggies, and also some nice little critters like, bunnies, squirrles and racoons.
If you’re looking for a nice place to stay, I recommend Woodloch Pines . I worked there years ago, and it’s a very nice place.
My SO and I went to the Poconos this past November for four days. I agree with Ferrous that if you want to see beautiful mountains you should head to the west coast. It was nice to get away for a few days, but the Poconos are NOTHING like the mountains in Utah!
Hey me too! Back in the 1980’s when all the staff wore green shirts, I was a kitchen/pantry guy. Great place - you have to trust a place where the guests get kitchen tours.
Acadia National Park in Maine offers a wonderful combination of mountains, lakes, rocky coast, and even a fjord. The mountains are very accessible for hiking, and in late May you would not have any crowds there. Not to mention all the great seafood…
I live in Stroudsburg. The views aren’t all that great and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to do here. (I just moved to the area about six weeks ago.) Certainly, there are resorts that would set you up for things to do and all that, but this place is definitely past its prime as a vacation destination. IMHO, of course–I’d never in a million years choose this as a place to spend my vacations.
