Our Poconos Staycation
A long weekend getaway fit for a quarantine
The Poconos are a dreamy wintertime vacation spot in the Northeast. So rent yourself a cute little a-frame mountain chalet, pack up your boots and sleds, and enjoy your time away, even if you never leave the house.
We booked a 3-night family vacation in the Poconos in February to get out of the house and enjoy some quality time together in a different surrounding. Let's face it, quarantine winter was LONG and it was nice to be together, but somewhere new for a change. The Poconos has a ton to offer, from the ski slopes, to the many indoor water parks, to the quaint bars and restaurants.
Unfortunately, shortly after we arrived, we found out we recently had been in close contact to someone with Covid-19. We were directed by the contact tracers to complete our 10 days of quarantine when we arrived back to NY, and of course followed the same guidelines for our time in Pennsylvania. This meant that our weekend getaway quickly turned into a quarantine staycation! (We all tested negative upon returning home, by the way). Here's a list of ways to make the Poconos the perfect spot for a family staycation.
1. Find a Photo-Worthy Rental Home
For years we'd dreamed of the quintessential cozy winter wonderland retreat equipped with a-frame snow views, evenings relaxing in the hot tub, and fireplace to cozy up to. We researched countless mountain towns throughout New York and Pennsylvania, and never found the perfect combination of price and quality. Insert Poconos here!
The Poconos has a huge inventory of rental homes at great prices. Many of them are privately owned, and are located within communities. We found our rental on Airbnb - check out the link here. For around $400 a night we comfortably slept 5 adults and 5 children including two living spaces and a huge outdoor area - with hot tub, of course!
2. Book in Advance
If for no other reason - book far in advance because it's always nice to have something on the calendar. Seasonal retreats like this book up fast, and you have the best shot of finding your dream spot if you search at least 6 months out.
With that said, this area has a lot to offer all year round, and rental prices are nearly halved in the spring!
3. Bring Your Groceries (Don't Forget the Wine!)
This area can be somewhat rural. If you prefer not to do your grocery shopping at a gas station or mini mart, or driving 30+ minutes for dinner, I'd recommend packing everything you need in a cooler for the drive. Don't forget the wine for hot tub nights!
We planned our meals in advance to make packing easier. We had taco, steak, and pizza nights, and just had to run to the corner store for the few items we forgot to pack. We also brought wayyy too much wine, which lets be honest is better than the alternative!
4. Pack Two Sets of Winter Gear Per Person
Mountain snow can be WET! With so much time spent outside sledding, building snowmen, and wandering through the woods, we were happy to have two pairs of everything for our toddlers. That means double the snow pants, double the footwear, and double the mittens and gloves (and then triple those numbers, if you have triplets like us!)
The rest is simple: take a hiatus from social media, take lots of photos, and stay in your jammies all day if you want. Recharge, regroup, and enjoy this time away with your family.
Traveling with three toddlers and additional family members can be tough. It wasn't all smiles, but it was completely worth the memories. Planning a staycation before any other type of widescale family travel is the perfect way to get your feet wet for future trips!
Did you miss our last blog? Catch up here:
Comments