Hi Friends!
This past weekend, John and I celebrated our 18th anniversary. We decided to go back to our honeymoon spot for the first time in 18 years. The beautiful mountains of the Poconos! We stayed at the same inn and hiked the same mountains. It felt so good to unplug (because most places didn’t have cell service) and have no real plans, but also get to enjoy being spur of the moment.
One of the things that I forgot about when we were looking to book the trip was that the Poconos really aren’t that far away from upstate NY! We were there in less than 3 hours. Which flew by when we were chatting. Plus, I’m a car napper so OF COURSE I needed to get an hour nap in. 😂 John may disagree, but it felt like a really quick trip.
We stayed at The French Manor just outside of the Poconos. What I love about this spot is that it has beautiful views, the rooms are decorated really traditionally, but sophisticated, and the restaurant on the property is high end. Pricey? Yes. That, too! John doesn’t ever really ask for gifts; he just loves a good meal (You remember, he went to college for culinary arts, right?) and I love beautiful designs. So it was better than gifts for both of us! 💕
The weather was perfect and we arrived just before dinner.
The next morning, we went on a horse back ride that was about 35 minutes away. I LOVE horses so this made me really happy! I use to work at a horse farm when I was a little girl and my parents let me do riding lessons as birthday presents a couple of times. It was really fun!
After that we drove to Bushkill Falls to hike the 8 waterfalls on a little over a 2 mile hike. We hiked this spot during our honeymoon, too, and it was one of the highlights.
Look at all of this beauty that God created!
While we were there, we were able to snap a picture in the same spot that we took this picture on our honeymoon.
I was so excited to be in the same spot and snap a picture. Does that make me a hopeless romantic? I’m not sure! lol!
Then we enjoyed the salt pool a the manor and headed into their restaurant for a delicious dinner. This is the view from the outside dining area!
As we drove around the town, we were surprised that a lot of the stores and larger resorts have shut down or changed hands. They didn’t look as nice as we remembered. We still recommend this trip for a quick weekend away and here’s an itinerary we think you’d enjoy.
Stay somewhere with beautiful views like The French Manor on Friday and Saturday night.
Saturday, check out the local antique shops in the morning (many of them close on the early side and aren’t open on Sundays).
Go to Bushkill Falls or a couple other local hikes to unplug and enjoy nature!
Mosey home slowly through Rhinebeck, Hudson, and the Catskills. It’s low key, beautiful and there’s just something about being unplugged and surround yourself with calm for the weekend. Do you all have any favorite go to spots in the Poconos? Share a link to it in the comments if you do!
If you need any upstate NY design help, remember… I’m your girl! If you’d like me to help with the design in your home (can be done virtually to help anyone in the US), let me know.
Thanks for being the best funcycler’s around!
Sarah Trop
