I spend a lot of time these days trying to make the effort to enjoy things like walks. It wasn’t that long ago that I was terrified to even leave my apartment. 2020 was a challenging year for many, and even rougher for others. It’s something I’ve come to refer to as “the year that wasn’t”- so many birthdays celebrated through Zoom calls and text messaging; weddings, graduations and other special occasions either scaled down drastically or postponed altogether, and travel traditions either altered or flat out cancelled. It was a rough year, and comparatively most of us got off easy.

However, as we dawn upon the beginning of June, my mind takes me back to the reopening of Woodloch on June 5^th, 2020. It was uncharted waters for all of us but certainly worth a little walk down memory lane.

THE SHUTDOWN

On March 17th, 2020, Woodloch made the difficult decision to, for the first time ever, close our doors. At the time, we of course were optimistic that by April 1st, we would be able to reopen. This, of course, was incorrect. As quarantine dates were extended and areas were designated with “color zones,” the immediate future was looking bleaker and bleaker. Not only that, fear was a real thing. 

Everybody was at least a little bit scared. Scared of illness, scared for loved ones, scared for groceries and food, scared for jobs. All of it hit at once- it was a lot to take in. 

We were all confined indoors, with very little to do. That’s when we decided to start bringing a little Woodloch to everyone’s living rooms with our #WoodlochAtHome program. From craft projects, to do-it-yourself Olympics, our famous trivia games and Scavenger Hunts as well as our fan-favorite Horse Races, we did a little bit of everything to hopefully bring some smiles and normalcy to our guests and friends that needed it. The entire Woodloch community even came together for two nights of “Concerts From The Couch,” featuring highlighted Woodloch entertainers and some of our talented guests and staff, live to living rooms via the magic of the world-wide web.

REOPENING

Woodloch was finally given the go-ahead by the state of Pennsylvania to reopen on June 5th, 2020 to just 25% occupancy. Things were certainly different all around- temperature checks for both guests and staff, no indoor dining availability at all (just takeout and outdoor picnic tables), and the trademark Woodloch smiles covered by cloth masks. Things were certainly different, but at least we were able to open.

Perhaps the strangest part of the “2020 Woodloch Experience” was our activities program. So much about what made Woodloch special were our events, amenities and entertainment, and EVERYTHING had to be retooled. For the first time ever, every event required advanced registration (via our new mobile app) – quite a shift in protocol from the usual loosey goosey nature of “activity surfing” we’ve enjoyed for so many years. Scheduling every individual group allowed for proper sterilization of equipment in between bookings, as well as contact tracing, in case it was ever needed. Even popular indoor trivia games were moved to a makeshift stage outside our North Lodge so all of our favorite games wouldn’t be missed.

With only 25% occupancy allowed in our famous Night club, evening entertainment had to be reconfigured as well. Our famous Broadway-style Theme Show had to be sidelined for a bit, but we were still able to book great live bands, magicians, comedians and more. To accommodate demand, tickets were issued to 2 showings of every night’s featured acts. Even our late night dance parties were able to carry on our outdoor patio with our “Silent DJs!” 

As summer drew to a close, our state saw some dropping in cases and easing of some restrictions. We were delighted to have our indoor dining capacity jump to 50%, just as temperatures were starting to chill a bit for outdoor picnicking. A new challenge had presented itself- our traditional Haunted Hayrides as we knew them wouldn’t be feasible this season. With that in mind, our activities staff worked diligently with our COVID task force to create a Haunted Walk that was both socially distant and terrifying- a challenge, but we pulled it off!

THE SHOW GOES ON

We gained more and more confidence and pride in the product that we were delivering, but were thrown yet another curveball. Right before Thanksgiving, new travel restrictions (including required negative Covid tests for travelers), stay-at-home advisories and a weekend shutdown of bars and restaurants became an obstacle. Usually one of our busiest times of the year, our resort crowds more resembled an off season midweek than that holiday weekend. But we were here, we were happy, and we celebrated with our traditional holiday kickoff Festival of Lights and Yule Log Hunt!

New Years arrived with a lot of question marks. Our annual big-time bashes were out of the question. How could we possibly capture that spirit without any indoor gatherings exceeding 20 people? During the Christmas break, our team put their heads together to create a “Virtual New Years Party”, featuring sets from all of our favorite house bands, highlighted entertainers, party games, and virtual DJing from all of our staff djs! Every guest had a guaranteed “Party To Go” that rivaled (and some might admit exceeded) even “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” A beautiful fireworks display over our lake ushered in hope that 2021 would turn things around.

As winter set in, the fun continued at our resort, both indoors and out. Good news of a completed vaccine left some light for us at the end of the tunnel. Not only were we able to ease some more restrictions with dining and events, but Woodloch was also able to host several vaccine clinics at our Inn and Woodloch Springs Clubhouse as vaccines were rolled out into phases. As those vaccinated were slowly but steadily able to shed their masks and mingle, optimism for the upcoming summer season started to build.

Now, as we approach the one year anniversary of our reopening, we think a lot about summers of the past, the trials and challenges of rethinking almost everything we did, and of course about the brighter days ahead. We are all very grateful that with teamwork and some ingenuity, we were still able to provide a much-needed oasis for family and friends looking to get away from life’s troubles, perhaps moreso this past year than ever before. We learned a lot about ourselves, and certainly can all appreciate newfound perspective on what is truly important in life.

As Woodloch kicks off our 64th summer in business, we look forward to reinstituting all of our favorite Woodloch experiences… and most of all, reuniting with old friends.