Something old, something new...in the Poconos!

Ah the Poconos. For some that conjures visions of champagne shaped tubs, for others Dirty Dancing (though that was really the Catskills), or as an English friend of mine called it, the coconuts?!  If you're unfamiliar, the Poconos are a mountainous region, about an hour and a half from NYC, in northeastern Pennsylvania that borders the Delaware River. It's filled with hiking trails,  ski "resorts", waterfalls, antique shops, and great inexpensive house rentals, hotels, and restaurants. A super cheap fun and close weekend getaway. Okay, okay, I'm a little partial, having grown up near there and having purchased a three bedroom little house in the mountains two years ago (which by the by, I'm thinking of selling if anyone is interested. Just don't get out there enough with the shop here in Brooklyn. That said, loooove hosting friends and family there.) This past MLK weekend six girlfriends and I spent a weekend dining, hiking and antiquing.  Here are a few of our great finds for a weekend: After the jump...

Day 1: Hiking in George Childs National Park in Dingmans Ferry.  This beautiful park has tons of cascading waterfalls and is surrounded by clearly marked trails and steps around the falls and forest area.  In the summer, when it's warm brave cliff jumpers line the rocks and swimmers fill the wading pools. But now in  winter, the falls run fast and heavy and icicles drip from the rocks. It's breathtaking and a little precarious (especially with Oscar pulling me towards the water!)

Next stop, Hotel Fouchere, located in Milford, PA, just down the road from Dingmans  Ferry and super near to all the antique shops. This recently renovated 19th century hotel was originally founded in 1852 by Delmonico’s master chef, Louis Fauchère, and run by his descendants until closing in 1976.  The hotel reopened in 2006 after a five-year impressive restoration. There are two restaurants, the Delmonico Room, which I've always skipped, a bit too fancy when we're out hiking and shopping all day, and Bar Louis, the more laid back bistro downstairs that I always bring my friends too. Great food and service, not to mention -a giant photograph of Andy Warhol kissing  John Lennon above the bar (Milford is very gay-friendly). I've been to the hotel's sitting rooms as well. Serious sense of style. It's as if Kelly Wearstler visited the Poconos (though I kind of doubt that!)

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Day 2: Antiquing in the Poconos. My favorite one stop antiquing (yes, I use it as a verb!) venue is the Old Lumberyard Antiques. Formerly a working lumberyard, the two buildings span over 10,000 square feet and over 40 antique dealers crowd the space (but not so much that you have to dig or ever feel overwhelmed) with "18th, 19th and early to mid 20th century furniture, paintings, glass, pottery, linens, rugs,  jewelry, advertising and so much more." You're not likely to find any mid century furniture or strike gold with a Picasso here but it certainly has many great finds that you'd swear were taken from the shelves of anthropologie or ABC Carpet & Home.  Things are really reasonably priced (my 1940s lamp below was $30) Here are a few of my purchases...(well not the Bozo...):

So skip the imagery of Caesar's Palace honeymoon resorts of old and head to the Poconos for a little weekend of getting back to nature and if you need, a little shopping and pampering as well.  As the resident expert (on the blog anyway!) happy to answer any and all Poconos queries!