A Visitor's Guide to the Poconos Mountains
Just off Pennsylvania and an hour and a half away from New York,
encapsulated here are 2,400 miles of a perfect marriage between
rich history and breathtaking scenery. No wonder World War II
soldiers chose to rest there before leaving for battle.
The Pocono Mountains are not only a vacation spot -- for some
it's actually a place to call home since several people bought
property there so they can enjoy all that the Poconos has to
offer, year-round. The Poconos attraction began with a lone
boarding house hotel built in 1829 in the Delaware Water Gap
area.
Fast forward to 1857 and the hotel has revolutionized into a
burgeoning resort industry. As the story goes, vacationers from
neighboring Philadelphia and New York chose the resort as an
escape from the humid summer weather in 1900. In 1927, the
Monroe County Publicity Bureau advertised the Pocono Mountains
as "Pennsylvania's Playground".
Now each year, thousands upon thousands of people flock to the
Poconos to relax and vacation. Over 200,000 of them are
honeymooners to the place that was once dubbed "The Honeymoon
Capital of the World." Visitors can either stay in a time-share
house, which consists of mountain or lakefront properties or at
one of the popular hotels or resorts. Some hotels are priced as
high as $300 and over per night, depending on how many people
per room and how long you plan to stay.
Once you've gotten a place to stay, indulge in a few activities,
including rafting, golfing, skiing, sailing and biking; the list
is endless. And if you prefer the laid-back version of the
Poconos, firing up the backyard grill for some quality time with
the family, can also be therapeutic.