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Horseback Riding in the Poconos: Giddy Up! | Woodloch Resort

Woodloch’s Blog

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Giddy-Up! Horseback Riding in the Poconos

We’re not the least bit shy to let the world know that we’re proud Pennsylvanians. After all, Pennsylvania is the birthplace of “The Great American Chocolate Bar” as well as the greatest quarterback in NFL history. On top of that, we cannot speak highly enough of the state’s natural beauty. Clean lakes, bubbling streams, lush forests, and even open fields provide an excellent landscape for almost every outdoor activity imaginable . . . including horseback riding. While horseback riding in the Poconos isn’t quite as popular as hiking, fishing, and skiing, nothing surpasses a scenic, two-hour tour atop a majestic, well-trained horse.

Once Upon a Time: Pocono Horse Riding at Woodloch

Many moons ago, Woodloch Resort actually offered horseback riding in the Poconos right here on our expansive, 300-acre property. The horses were leased for the summer season and boarded right on campus. One of Woodloch’s owners, Steve Kiesendahl, who was just a young whipper-snapper at the time, taught our guests how to ride and led them all around the property on his pet horse, “Trigger.” Many great times were had, but the riding ended when Woodloch started to expand rapidly. Naturally, guests have inquired about the prospects of riding once again amidst the region’s sprawling mountain range.

Horseback Riding in the Poconos: A Special Experience

Our all-inclusive packages include an overnight accommodations, family-style dining, nightly live entertainment, and, of course, over 30 homegrown activities. But that shouldn’t deter you from taking a detour to Triple W Riding Stable before or after your stay for some of the most breathtaking horseback riding in the Poconos so that you can explore the glorious Pocono Mountains atop a beautiful horse this winter.

Horse Stables near Me: Triple W Riding Stable

The folks at Triple W Riding Stable have been guiding travelers and animal lovers through the serene Pocono Mountains for decades. With so much experience under their belts, they now offer three different types of tours that vary in length and location. Guided trips through dense forestry, wide-open hillsides, and secluded waterways range from one to two hours long. Although horseback riding in PA is strictly geared for ages seven and up, Triple W offers pony rides for little cowboys and girls. The accessibility from the resort makes it easy to include a stop at Triple W during your vacation, regardless of the season. So fasten your chaps, lace-up your boots, and be ready to explore the wild of Pennsylvania, the old-fashioned way! Of course, when you’re not on horseback in the Poconos, we recommend spending as much time as possible right here at our historic family resort.

Woodloch’s Petting Zoo and Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

If you were to search online for “riding stables near me” during your next visit to the top-rated family resort in the U.S., you’d likely stumble upon Triple W. But don’t forget that we also provide a petting zoo and horse-drawn carriage rides right here at Woodloch Resort. To learn more about horseback trail riding in PA or our countless on-site amenities, please give us a call today at 1-800-966-3562.

Filed Under: Summer, Uncategorized Tagged With: surrounding area

Tastes like FUN: Woodloch Recipes! | Woodloch Resort

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Tastes Like FUN: Woodloch Recipes!

Do you think about Woodloch’s yummy food after you’ve gone home? Now you can make some of those delicious treats at home until your next visit to Woodloch! Let’s start off with one of the most talked about breakfasts’ Woodloch has to offer: Scandinavian Pancakes.

Before you begin, you will need: a griddle set to 325°, Pam spray, a measuring cup, mixing bowl, spatula and ladle.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup milk

4 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl, crack four eggs (be sure that there are no shells), and beat the eggs well. Next add sugar, salt, flour, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Add milk slowly as you mix the batter. Set the mixture close to your griddle, and spray your griddle with Pam. Spread your batter onto your griddle with a small ladle into an oval shape. Cook on each side for 30 seconds. Woodloch puts butter in the middle and rolls them up. This recipe makes about 12 pancakes depending on the size!

And now for our Broccoli Salad! Start by cutting florets off of one head of broccoli and add:

½ cup chopped bacon bits

1 cup raisins (you can substitute dried cranberries)

½ cup shredded mozzerella (optional)

½ small red onion diced

Place all into a mixing bowl, and in a separate bowl mix the dressing:

1 cup mayo

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Mix all together well and place covered in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Time for everyone’s’ favorite part of any meal . . . dessert!! One of my favorites is Woodloch’s Maple Raspberry Bread Pudding:

1 ¼ cups eggs

10 oz sugar

1 tbs. Vanilla

1 tbs maple extract

1 cup apple juice

1 cup heavy cream

1 loaf of bread (cubed)

1 cup of raspberries (frozen)

Mix the eggs and the sugar for 3-4 minutes (low speed). Add both the extracts, apple juice and heavy cream. Mix for an additional 3 minutes (low speed). Add the cubed bread, and let it soak for 15 minutes.

Butter the bottom of a 9 x 13” baking dish. Pour the mixture into the pan and top with the raspberries.

Bake in a water bath at 365° for approximately 45-60 minutes or until set.

For more delicious recipes, stop in our gift shops on your next visit to Woodloch to purchase our cookbook loaded with all your favorites, and bring a taste of Woodloch home with you. Happy cooking!

~Shared by Mariann Crandall

Filed Under: food, Uncategorized Tagged With: food, Recipes

Living the Teenage Dream at Woodloch! | 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.

We were so eager to share this great email and these beautiful pictures which we received from one of our teen guests . . . proving yet again that Woodloch is where it’s at!

Hi my name is Kelly Vino. I’m 14 years old, and I’m from Fairfield, CT. I just vacationed to Woodloch this week (April 16-19) and was able to take some great pictures on the lake at sunset. I also wanted to tell you about the experience I had in Woodloch this year.

I am writing to tell you that my trip this week, and all my other trips to Woodloch, have changed my life. Since coming here for the last 10-12 years of my life, I have learned and gained so much. The hospitality, generosity, and kindness of the staff is truly amazing. I have learned to let go, especially at Woodloch, and take advantage of what is around me. Even though ten years is just a fraction of the amount that other guests have been coming to Woodloch, I have seen a lot change and watched the resort grow.

The staff at Woodloch are at a whole other level. Even the people who don’t seem to get enough credit from the guests, they change and improve the Woodloch experience too. On this trip I was also able to meet a lot of new staff, who really improved my vacation, and I hope they are recognized too. These staff members I have never really met before but are people I ended up seeing a lot throughout my stay. Hip Hip Jorge, Brandon and Eric definitely made the experience a lot of fun and a lot less nerve racking with their great sense of humor. Then with Brandon at so many of the games, he added his humor and fun traits too. I only come up about every couple years, so when I do come it is a really memorable experience, and a time that I am grateful for.

My trips to Woodloch are always life changing and memorable, for me and my family. I used to leave Woodloch crying like my sisters, afraid we would never be back; but now I leave in silence with a tear in my eye, trying not to show my sadness. There are no words to describe the feelings and fun times that I have at Woodloch. I hope you keep the traditions going, and the fun times rolling for a really long time. I hope I am back at Woodloch really soon, because I just left yesterday, and I can’t believe that our 2012 trip is already over.

I heard that Eric is leaving soon, so I wish him good luck in his new job at the Shore. I know this email is very long, but there is just so much to say about Woodloch itself, and the people who keep it running. Even the little things like mints in the dining room, and the daily events that go on, every aspect of Woodloch really sticks with you forever. I just want to thank you and the Woodloch family and staff for making each time I come such a life changing and memorable event.

I hope to see you all again soon!

Sincerely,

Kelly Vino

Our First Visit to Woodloch: A Long Island Mom Tells All | Woodloch Resort

First-time guest Liz Goldklang of Long Island, NY shares the details of her recent trip to Woodloch with her family!

We had no idea what to expect when we drove up to Woodloch Pines in Pennsylvania for a family vacation over Spring Break. The idea behind the trip was that our kids and their cousins could spend some time together. I wasn’t very clear on what we would be doing when we got there, but everyone I mentioned it to raved about their experience.

We checked into the hotel and were handed the itinerary for the day. We noticed that a basketball tournament for my sons age group was just about to start so we headed over to the gymnasium (which was in a separate building but practically attached). Next door was a jungle gym where my daughter jumped right in and made a new friend. After the basketball game, my husband and son headed to the bumper cars, and I stayed with my daughter since I couldn’t pry her from her now growing posse. Our family had arrived earlier in the day, and they decided to spend the afternoon at the indoor pool.

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We all met up for dinner where you are assigned a table for the duration. It is a bevy of options such as: steak tenderloins, salmon or chicken with tortellini. The children had just as many options from which to choose. The food just keeps on coming . . . appetizers, bread, main course, desserts! After dinner, there was a magic show for the kids and a separate adult Broadway-style show. They had movies playing in another area of the hotel as well.

A new itinerary is available at breakfast, which is another feast! We decided to take the kids for “zombie bowling” where the adults and kids could play together. We all became human pins! We headed over afterward to go to the petting zoo where the kids were hands on with the animals and could go on pony rides. We had lunch at the sports bar on premises. The kids had an Easter egg hunt with tons of candy and prizes. We then decided to go swimming. Are you exhausted yet? We even hit the nightclub with the kids late night where apparently all kids at the hotel were staying up late!

The wonderful thing was that even though we were checking out, the hotel doesn’t kick you out. People will spend the entire day into the night before leaving because there is so much to do! Since we had great weather, we all took a boat ride and then headed over to the go karts, bumper boats and batting cages. There were other activities such as arts and crafts, goofy golf and a bocce board contest!

There’s this feeling of nostalgia of those days in the Catskills or of being a camper. With so many activities to keep your family busy the entire day, there isn’t a chance your children will have a bored moment! I never expected to like Woodloch Pines as much as I did. Ok, let’s be honest no one was more surprised that I loved it than my own husband! We were already planning our next visit before we left!

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~Shared by Mariann Crandall

Many times guests will ask me, “did you all drink the Kool-Aid?” It’s hard for people to understand how we can all be so happy and friendly all of the time, which got me thinking: what is the secret to the hospitality that we exude here at Woodloch?

To me it starts with the Kiesendahl family, the owners of Woodloch Resort. They have a mission statement, “to treat each and every guest as though they are family in their very own home.” They not only treat their guests that way, but they also treat their staff that way. You will always find them around the resort helping out, pouring coffee, refilling food, shaking hands with every guest that walks through the dining room, and remembering guests year after year. On top of that, they know the names of the 900 staff members employed here, and they happily greet us throughout each day.

I asked the owner of Woodloch, John Kiesendahl, how he thought the spirit of hospitality lodging, romantic getaways originated. He answered, “the spirit of Woodloch’s hospitality started with my mom, Mary Kiesendahl. My dad, Harry Kiesendahl, was the business man, but my mom was the heart and soul of Woodloch. She was the out-front face of Woodloch, and she loved every one of our guests. In the beginning when there would only be 30 or 40 people staying at the boarding house, you would always see her out with the guests, making sure that everyone was happy. Her spirit of sincere concern for others’ happiness was contagious to all of Woodloch’s staff and genuinely appreciated by our guests. Mom’s kindness, friendliness, enthusiasm and personalized hospitality are the foundation of Woodloch’s tradition of warm hospitality. For the past 54 years, her loving example has been the cornerstone of our mission statement.”

I also talked to Alexa Peregrim, who just started at Woodloch in January 2012, working in reservations and the dining room. She says, “Woodloch is such a fun place to work! Co-workers, managers and owners are so kind and make me feel like I’ve known them for years. It really allows me to feel comfortable and excited to go into work. Everyone at Woodloch was very welcoming towards me when I started working. The people I have met have already become great friends and colleagues even though I’ve only been here for a short time!”

I’ve worked here for nearly 16 years, and I don’t feel like an employee; I feel like family. I think that’s how most of the employees feel, and that emotion gets passed on to our guests. I’m not sure that its something you can teach. It’s something that you have to experience. Hospitality is infectious, and a smile goes a long way.