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Archives for February 2012

30+ YEARS OF ENTERTAINING FAMILIES IN THE POCONOS! | Woodloch Resort

Woodloch’s Blog

Keep up-to-date with all things Woodloch on our blog featuring exclusive recipes, heartwarming stories, lifestyle content, contests and more.

30+ Years of Entertaining Families in the Poconos

The year was 1987. U2 had just released a little album called “The Joshua Tree,” and Michael Douglas won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. And here, in the scenic Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Woodloch Pines Resort was in the midst of the biggest expansion in its history. Time has flown, and Woodloch has been entertaining families and friends in our Heritage Nightclub for over 30 years.

Large group of women and men singing and dancing on stage.
Male comedian performing on stage.
Performers in Cuban dance outfits.
Women in 1980's clothing singing.
Juggler/acrobat balancing on hand while spinning discs with their legs.

It all started as a problem, albeit a good problem. By 1986, Woodloch had become quite popular, so popular in fact that everyone needed more space! Many of the old cabin accommodations were just a little too tight. And though we had fun staging shows in our North Lodge, things were just a little too crammed. We needed a new facility to keep up with the resort’s growth!

And thus, our Heritage Nightclub was born. Old cabins were demolished to make room for a new state-of-the-art facility for our shows and entertainment. The new building also included new accommodations. It was a labor of love, made to stand the test of time. “It was made to last,” says social staff member Randy Barnes. “NOTHING was skimped on during the construction of this facility.” It housed a significantly larger stage area as well as the latest audiovisual technology. The Heritage Club opened its doors on New Year’s Eve 1987.

Over the years, the complex has housed hundreds of magicians, comedians, jugglers, and every other act imaginable. On top of that, it has seen dozens of our Theme Shows and Staff Shows – lots of great memories made with friends! Among the most memorable? 1992’s “Discovery Night” Theme Show saw live pigeons fly through the Nightclub to roost on the mast of Christopher Columbus’s ship. The 1991 “Europeon Vacation” show featured the track “Bring Him Home” from Les Misérables, just as American troops were fighting in the Gulf War. “There wasn’t a dry eye to be found,” says Randy. And of course, who can forget the Staff Show salute to “The Wizard of Oz,” a pun-filled dialogue between two vampires and a great Night at the Roxbury? I certainly can’t!

A building is still just a building of course. Any place with the necessary means can construct a facility with all kinds of bells and whistles. But to me, what makes the Nightclub so wonderful is the memories and fun-filled nights that I’ve seen families and friends share together. That is what gives the building character and brings everyone back time after time.

Do you have a favorite memory of our Nightclub that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you!

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GETTING "SCHOOLED" IN HOSPITALITY IN THE POCONOS | Woodloch Resort

Woodloch’s Blog

Keep up-to-date with all things Woodloch on our blog featuring exclusive recipes, heartwarming stories, lifestyle content, contests and more.

Getting “Schooled” in Hospitality

~Shared by Colleen Steelman

The definition of hospitality is “the friendly reception and treatment of guests.” This is where Woodloch shines. The Kiesendahl family knows hospitality. They set a prime example for the staff, and if you’ve stayed at Woodloch, you know how great the staff is. Hospitality is so important to the Kiesendahl family that they have partnered with Lackawanna College opening The Mary and Harry Kiesendahl School of Hospitality and Tourism, at the Lake Region Center in Hawley, PA. The school’s first hospitality management class began in 2010, followed by a class of culinary majors in 2011.

I am a student in the Hospitality Management School. I enjoy classes such as Strategic Hospitality Management, Green Hospitality, Human Resource Management and Food Skills. The culinary major offers courses in American Regional Cooking Studies, Culinary Concepts of the Mediterranean, Baking Techniques for the Culinary Professional and Advanced Wine Studies. The classes and instructors are terrific; I thoroughly enjoy them.

As an adult learner, I was a little nervous about going to college, but there is a nice blend of all ages at the school.  I am attending the hospitality school because I’ve always wanted my degree in hospitality management, and I want to learn as much as I can about the industry. It’s the Kiesendahl name behind it, however, that was really the deciding factor.

The Director of the Mary & Harry Kiesendahl School of Hospitality and Tourism is Stephanie Shimkus Decker. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has been named to the Society of Fellows at the C.I.A. Additionally, she and her sisters own the Euro Cafe in Clarks Summit. Stephanie is a wonderful instructor. You can tell by the way she teaches her classes that she really loves what she does. She is an endless wealth of information and knowledge.

I am so thankful that the Kiesendahl family brought the Hospitality School to this area. For those of us who work in the industry, or for those who are looking to get into it, the school is providing a quality education backed by a name that is well-respected in the hospitality industry. It goes to show how committed the Kiesendahls are to advancing the industry and ensuring that our area will continue to have a qualified and well-educated hospitality workforce.

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Poconos Profile: Say Hello to Bob! | Woodloch Resort

Visit Woodloch, and a flock of blue shirts known as our Social Staff keep guests running and having fun. Today, I’d like you to meet Mr. Bob Filarsky, the man who supervises all of the chaos …
Please tell us the tale of how you started working for Woodloch.
I started here in June of 2003 on a Recreation Management Internship.  When that summer was over, they asked me if I wanted to stay just to help out with the Haunted Hayrides that fall … that was almost 9 years ago now!
As an activities supervisor, please tell us what your favorite activity here is and why.
Tough question.  My favorite thing to do here is drive a ski boat.  You are in the sun, out on the lake, driving a boat … don’t think I have to say anything else.  My favorite activity here is probably Double Dare. Just the fact that you have guests from 6 to 60 years old diving into chocolate sauce and begging to be squirted by a hose amazes me.  It really brings out the inner child in everyone, and I can’t imagine another place where they can do that.
What was the most rewarding/memorable experience you have had with a guest here over the years?
It was actually driving a ski boat.  It was probably about 4 years ago, and it was a beautiful quiet day in the offseason, and the lake was like glass.  I had an older gentlemen come to go skiing.  He was probably 60 or 70 years old and told me he hadn’t gone in about 10 years, so I was a little nervous, but he was in good shape and really wanted to go.  He got up on the skis no problem, did his two laps around the lake, and I dropped him back off at the dock.  When I got back to the dock to help him, he had tears in his eyes and immediately starting thanking me.  He said it was one of the best times he ever had skiing .  He said it really brought him back and that would be the last time he would ever go skiing.  He was really moved by it and to see that genuine reaction from him really reminded me of what we actually do here.
Outside of work, what is your favorite hobby / pastime?
I really enjoy watching football.  I am a huge
Vikings fan and all year long I look forward to the 16 Sundays I get to watch football.  I also really enjoy cooking.  I worked as a cook in high school and throughout college.  I didn’t want to make a career out of it, but it is a big passion of mine.
What is your favorite movie of all time, and why?
 
Another tough question.  I will give you two answers.  I am a huge Chris Farley fan so I’ve seen the movie
Tommy Boy more than any other movie in my life. I can basically recite the whole movie.  I also love the movie Fight Club.  I just thought the whole gist of the movie was genius.
I know you are a big football fan. Make a Superbowl prediction. 
 
New England Patriots win it all, with Rob Gronkowski as MVP.

Family Fun with Woodloch's Winter Olympics! | Woodloch Resort

class trips, group events

As a lifelong resident of the Pocono Mountains, I have to say that this has been one of the most bizarre winters that I can remember. It started off with a Halloween mini-blizzard which ushered in almost a foot of snow, followed by a solid two and a half months of . . . nothing. And I do mean nothing. I have always expected at least some powder on the grounds in January, but the grass is still remarkably green. 

Yet when you come to visit us here at Woodloch Pines, we find a way to bring winter, even if Mother Nature has other plans! During the few cold snaps we’ve had, we stockpiled mountains of snow for the situation. And every time temperatures permit, we make more.

Thankfully after New Years, we were able to have our first Winter Olympics by the lakefront. Events are new and unique as always. This year incorporates the use of “double-tubes,” fun with frisbees in our “Kan Jam” event, bowling in the snow, and cramming your entire team into one of our giant tubes! (Quite honestly, I’m rather envious that I am working these events while everybody around me is having an absolute blast!) As always, top teams are awarded the coveted Woodloch medals. And of course there’s always the consolation prize of hot chocolate by a warm fireplace. 

From the outside looking in, I can understand how some of our new guests may be a bit intimidated. The best advice I could give new friends is NOT to be bashful with these games. I have worked here for 14 years now and have NEVER seen anyone walk away without a smile, even if your team comes in dead last! The true “Spirit of the Woodloch Games” lies in the fact that we strengthen family bonds and meet new friends playing these crazy games, in both success and the occasional failure. Being open-minded and trying our games will bring out the best in everyone around you.

Like everything here at Woodloch, a blog article really does not do these games or the resort itself justice. This truly is a vacation, or rather an experience, that needs to be felt firsthand.