Skytop Lodge: The Ideal Place to Get Your Kids Up and Skiing in One Weekend November 18 http://www.teampatriotsmall.com/Youth-Sh...te-Jersey/ , 2013 | Author: Barry Zeger | Posted in Recreation and Sports
Finding a way to get my children to learn how to ski exhausted me.
It was mainly the complex, multi-faceted preparationresearch process that freaked me out, like choosing a location that was easily accessible from my home in northern New Jersey. And settling on a resort that was appealing, well-reviewed, and as parent-friendly as it was kid-friendly. And ensuring that other activities were available to keep my 14 year old son (Eddie) and 11 year old child (Lee) occupied after their skiing. And finding a convenient lodging set-up where we all could nicely collapse at the end of a very long day.
My wife Sue added to my dread when she told me that getting our kids geared up for skiing would also be challenging: families would crowd the rental area in a hysteria of equipment try-onsexchanges. A mad scrum of last minute toilet stops would halt all forward momentum. Snack bar lines would be long. Patience and politeness would be tested and trampled. (She would know: she went on many ski trips with her folks, and even though she owned her own equipment, she recalled the long and grueling process that renters endured and was happy to not take part in it.) I weighed my skiing fear against my (and Sue’s) desire to give our children the chance to try it and see whether they enjoyed it. The latter won out, so I started researching options for our debut family ski journey.
We checked out several possible family winter resort destinations, including Hotel Hershey (Hershey, Pennsylvania), Woodloch Springs (Hawley, Pennsylvania), The Greerbrier (White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia), Inn at Pocono Manor (Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania), and Mohonk Mountain House (New Paltz http://www.teampatriotsmall.com/Youth-Se...te-Jersey/ , New York). Sue’s aunt suggested Skytop Lodge in Skytop, PA . While she had not actually been to Skytop herself, she had heard from friends who stayed there that it was “fabulous”. Not wanting to miss out on aunt-endorsed fabulousness, I took a peek at Skytop’s website, researched guest comments on a selection of travel review sites (there are lots of eager endorsements on Tripadvisor, Familyvacationcritic, Yelp, VirtualTourist, Orbitz, and a lot more), and presented my findings to the fam. They approved, and I got in touch with Skytop to arrange a weekend stay.
The trip to Skytop appeared to be direct: using Google Maps, the trip time was assessed at ninety minutes through Route 80, a wide interstate that travels across New Jersey and into eastern Pennsylvania. After passing through the Delaware Water Gap (the dividing line between New Jersey and Pennsylvania), we exited Rt. 80 and drove for 15 minutes on local roads to Skytop. Turning off the main local road, we pulled into Skytop’s property, and our collective (though not simultaneous) “whoa!” reactions filled the car. A never-ending panorama of smooth http://www.teampatriotsmall.com/Youth-Ry...te-Jersey/ , treeless, snow-covered country stretched across our perspective, as the entrance road climbed and curved for a quarter mile or so to the grand and majestic Skytop Lodge.
The opulent Lodge, which offers 125 guest rooms and suites, was constructed in 1927. One year later, the Lodge opened and was an escape for the well off from New York, NJ, and Philadelphia who sought the out of doors adventures that the area offered. Load-in and check-in were quick, and we wheeled our stuff up to our room, which was comfy and charming. Famished, we went downstairs to the dining room to grab some lunch.
Skytop offers an all-inclusive dining plan for their guests. We would never experienced this type of arrangement at a resort facility, so I was not expecting anything impressive. For lunch, I thought it’d be hearty, straightforward selections like soup, sandwiches, basic salads, and burgers. Nothing notable http://www.teampatriotsmall.com/Youth-Ro...te-Jersey/ , nothing grand, just “get-em-in, fill-em-up, move-em-out” type fare. I could not have been more wrong.
The menu selections were a surprise. Yes, there were soups (French onion), salads (mesclun and panzanella), and sandwiches (Angus burger, black bean burger, turkey panini, deli-style Reuben, and Philly cheesesteak). But there were also unexpected treats such as blackened mahi soft shell tacos, cornmeal encrusted trout, a frittata with fresh veggies, and chicken scallopini. Impressed and really hungry, we ordered – and we were subsequently blown away by the display and quality of each of our meals, as well as the amazing service.
(This type of impeccable cuisine, together with the outstanding professionalism and attentiveness of the Skytop servers http://www.teampatriotsmall.com/Youth-Ro...te-Jersey/ , would be consistent all though our entire stay, at all breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.)
After lunch, we took a tour of the Lodge’s indoor activities. We found a swimming pool that was packed with joyous little kids, a small yet clean exercise room that featured a range of cardiovascular and strength equipment, and a wide, open game room area. Ping pong, billiards, mini golfing, air hockey, and Guitar Hero were among the choices, and we ended up spending lots of time here in the afternoons and early evenings during our stay.
Following a succulent dinner, we had just about enough steam for some night skating in Skytop’s indoor rink, which was a 2 minute walk from the Lodge. The rink was nicely sized and moodily lit with candles and multi-colored pin spots playing off a rotating ceiling mirror ball. I laced up and did one or two laps round the ice while the children skated circles around me (literally) and had a blast squeezing out their last gusts of expendable energy before bed.
The next morning was Eddie and Lee’s first ski lesson. Convenient