Weekending at Woodloch

It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since the world turned upside down. Navigating through these uncertain times has been challenging to put it mildly. While our family wants to remain safe and cautious, we also felt it was time to slowly start spreading our wings. Our recent trip to Woodloch Resort in the northern Poconos was exactly what our family needed as a reassurance that we can do this!

Arriving to our “Happy Place” just in time for the last dinner sitting gave us all a reason to exhale and just be grateful! After all, it’s been such a year of loss and ups and downs….sometimes you just need a minute to reflect what’s still right in front of you. Our gracious waiter greeted us and believe it or not, he has waited on us before in past years. Seeing people again at Woodloch is truly like seeing family and no one can deny the warm fuzzies you get when arriving.

After our incredibly delicious meal arrived, our youngest child with the biggest personality got up from her seat and started to HUG each family member. I felt as if I had been transported witnessing this event, but it really happened. I guess even a five year old can sense the warmness and hospitality of their environment and I will never forget this moment as long as I live!

If you have never visited Woodloch, you have no clue what’s in store for your family. There are endless activities and it was be impossible to do everything during one stay. After dinner, we headed over to the main theater and had the best time listening to a terrific band. With songs from almost every era, everyone was entertained and my girls had a chance to really dance to their hearts desire!

Although the reasons are endless why we love Woodloch so much, the accommodations rank high for us. As a family of five that lives in a NYC apartment, having space for everyone to spread out is so nice! My kids love to claim their beds and unpack their belongings immediately. My youngest daughter bounced on the bed and fell into a cozy spot right away.

It’s always nice to relax on a vacation, but at the same time it’s important not to miss out on anything! Meals at Woodloch are not to be missed. You will have the same table in the dining room for all meals and family style sides are placed around for everyone to share. I’m still dreaming about the crumb cake and even my picky eaters were up to trying new things! (btw, this is just one of many things served every morning at breakfast!) As we gazed out the window to the lake, we made our plans for the day.

Of course Woodloch is still the same in so many ways, but because of the Covid-19 situation, many new rules and safety procedures have been put into place. One really exciting thing is the Woodloch App that was created. To prevent overcrowding in any given location, families must sign up in advance for activities. However, the staff is very accomodating and helped up navigate things when we ran into a little issue at the Go Carts. Everything always works out and no one is every turned away.  Face masks are required throughout and hand sanitizer stations are conventinely placed around. We never felt unsafe and appreciated staff members speaking up to those in question. Safety comes first!

After our hearty breakfast we made our way to the snow tubes. We lucked out visiting on one of the last weekends for the tubing. We all went down and despite chilly weather, our kids wanted to ride over and over. This was so much fun and I’m really glad we got to do it! The run was even open at night and my daughters went again (with Dad ha) and it was also the very last thing they did before leaving.

There are plenty of activities for every age at Woodloch and it’s surprising how many are “one size fit’s all”. My twelve year old son had just as much fun as his little sister and I love how they can have these bonding experiences to look back on. Capacity was limited for the bumper cars and sanitized in between each guest.

My kids are always on a mission to do as many activities as possible. It seems like yesterday, our little one was crawling in the toddler area, and this time she was climbing to the top of the indoor play area with her sister. They had the best time in here and I love it because it’s one place I can sit back and relax haha.

There really isn’t much downtime if you want to do it all like our family, but mealtime is moment to just relax and enjoy. My kids laughed, joked, and really smiled more than they have in awhile.  Dessert is served at every meal and our waiter came to predict what my kids ( & parents)  preferences were. It’s not everyday, you get to choose which flavor ice cream or yummy dessert to have, so just sit back, relax and take it all in!

Horse Racing at Woodloch is EPIC! This is a not to missed activity and my kids go bananas. There are no actual horses used but there  is money to be won! We stayed over 2 hours until the bitter end and I will admit the energy of the room is incredible! The girls were big winners and had the time of their life!

This was a first this year that my girls got to experience the Go-Karts. There are 2 different sizes and depending on age will determine the Jr. or Regular ones. I’m personally not a Go-Cart fan, so lucky for me big bro and Dad stepped in.  Fun was had by all!

Catching a magical sunset over the lake was a highlight and it was important to me, we all took some time to reflect. After all, it’s been a really trying year and to have some normalcy once again was so wonderful. There is truly an indescribable  element at Woodloch that brings peace and solitude. With such natural beauty surrounding the resort, it’s hard to leave! We are so thankful for our family memories at Woodloch and cherish each and every one of them.

The amazing staff is just another reason Woodloch is so special. They always aim to please and know exactly what makes little ones smile! The light up drinks are alway a big hit and my girls keep the fun going long after we’re gone with their souvenirs. Also, I’ll mention how fresh and locally grown the food is. There are lots of splurge worthy choices, but also plenty of healthy things as well! I personally partake in both!

Woodloch has an awesome indoor water area that is open. I took the  girls one night while the boys attended BINGO, and they had so much fun. If asked, they would tell you this was their favorite part. The splash pad water area was so cute and the girls played for a long time! There is also a water slide my 7 year old went down and neither one of them could get enough! There’s a full size pool and hot tub area as well. Getting to swim indoor with cold temperatures outside is a treat!

Eating our last meal at Woodloch was bitter sweet, because this time without visiting with extended family, we made new friends which were our table neighbors. We had so much in common and the kids even did their last activity by theirselves while us parents chatted in the dining room.

Thank you Woodloch for your everlasting hospitality and charm. We enjoy each visit more and this time our gratitude is even bigger. With Spring in the air, I know there will be so many amazing Spring and Summer activities in store, and how special it will be for families to keep making memories at Woodloch Resort.

XOXO,
Suzanne