The last time we graced the Pocono Mountains, PA was last Fall. Enjoy my Northeast Places to Catch Fall Foliage post here. They say: A family that plays together, stays together”! So this time around, my whole family, came out for a little adventurous retreat!
We checked into our rooms at the Kalahari Resorts. I had heard so many great things about this place but nothing can really prepare you for what you are about to walk into…until you arrive! The attention to detail from their floors, attractions, rooms, you name it they spared no time at all making you feel “Welcome”.
Fun fact: You can enjoy their water park the day of your check-in….even before your room is ready! We decided to take them up on that and started out in the Water park! They have adult slides, kiddie areas, pools you name it! Not ready to take a dip? Grab a fun drink at one of the open bars and watch others attempt the surfing classes. Trust me it takes “people watching” to another level in all the best ways!
On one of our 1st family vacations with my Mom (Grandma) and my son we made a tie dye shirt together. They continued the tradition at one of Kalahari Resorts Adventure Club activities! Activities run all day long from cookie decorating to crafts.
On this particular trip, I would say, we mixed adventure with a little bit of facing our fears. Mac is fearful of two things in life: spiders and heights. He wants to overcome both so we headed to the Gorilla Grove Treetops (conveniently located on the Kalahari Resort grounds).
We had never done a ropes course before so here are a few tips from us newbies.
1. Arrive early! They have to give you harnesses that take time to get into. You need to have a safety briefing which includes how to handle all the gear they hook you up too.
2. Do not be overwhelmed. After hearing all the instructions I wanted to walk out convinced I would never remember a word they just said. Once you are up in the air and ready to actually do the course something clicks. We were walking through the course without any issues in no time.
Best part? You will want to do the courses again and again. Challenging yourself to see what you can accomplish. Mac overcame his fear and has been bugging us to take him back for another go around. Family WIN!
We ended our day at Sortino’s Italian Kitchen. I have been to several establishments that claim to be Italian but this one right here… Magnifico! As soon as you walk in, the aromas fill your nose with all the tasty dishes they have cooking. I swear for a few moments, I felt like I was walking into my Moms kitchen at home! Truly the perfect way to end a fun filled day with loved one’s.
The excitement you get when Pocono Outdoor Adventure Tours hands you the keys to one of these Polaris Off-Road beauties (pictured above) is off the charts!! We took a morning UTV tour and let me tell you, WORTH EVERY MINUTE!!
Seriously convinced every morning should start with a muddin’ trip! When we visited it had rained the night before so mud was all over the trails. If you do this…I encourage you to wear closed toed shoes and anything you don’t mind getting “dirty”.
I am from the deep back country so we purposely went through the puddles trying to get muddy. If you take the trail slow, chances are you won’t get muddy. If you take one of these tours though, I assume you want to live on the wild side ;). While on the trails we also saw a hawk nesting in a tree rather close to the trial. Hands down one of the BEST experiences of our trip. We had perma-grins all day afterwards. It was family friendly but easily could be a fun couples activity as well.
After your adventures make sure to replenish yourself!! We stopped at so many great places to eat that I have to include a few!! The Jubilee Restaurant for example has a rather famous “Wing night”. Of course I had to order other things to see just how good their food was…. Three words my friends: The Chalet burger—PERFECTION ( I ordered mine with a sunny side up egg on it #YUM)!!
Another great place to stop for some snacks, roadside markets! We found several along our destination route and had to stop for some goodies.
If you have been around this website lately, you know we enjoy sporting events. That includes NASCAR, Indy Cars you name it really! While in town we caught a race at the Pocono Raceway and let me tell you this track was fun!!
The layout is easy to walk, great for families and they offer deals that make it affordable for any budget!
When family vacations come to an end I think we can all agree it’s too soon. No one wants to go back to work..or school for that matter.
If you are thinking of visiting the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania I could not recommend some of these places enough. From start to finish we enjoyed our time and are already planning a return trip!
If you know the area we would love more places to visit just comment them below!!
Have you ever been to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania??
