- Hudson Valley Good Stuff/Vanessa Ahern
- Our Veranda Room
- Hudson Valley Good Stuff/Vanessa Ahern
The Lodge at Woodloch, a beautiful destination spa in the Poconos (Hawley, Pennsylvania) invited Hudson Valley Good Stuff for an overnight getaway. It’s about a 2 hour drive from Kingston. (Just take the NYS thurway to Newburg and then switched over to I-84 West for 60 miles). The hospitality of The Lodge hits you as soon as you surrender your car to the valet parking. When we checked in, we were offered a quick tour of the first floor. Though I thought it would be an off-weekend, the hotel was rather crowded. There were couples relaxing by the fireplace, and women walking around in plush bathrobes and slippers. I was happy we had made dinner reservations for 8pm. We settled into our room where a delicious cheese platter was waiting for us. We gobbled that up, and then headed to the indoor pool and waterfall jaccuzi. We were the only ones there so I took a few photos between dips in the pool.
The dining room is cozy and festive. The diners were couples mostly thirty-somethings and up, girlfriend gatherings, and a few larger groups. (The Lodge at Woodloch is adults only and only accepts ages 16 and up, though the sister property Pines Resort which is 2 miles away, welcomes families). A guitarist sang James Taylor songs by the fireplace while we dined. It was all lovely. The menu arrived with no prices, and I remembered that this an inclusive-deal and guests only pay extra if they have an alcoholic beverage.
I soon found out all their menu items are tailored to healthy spa lifestyle with many vegan and gluten-free dishes. (No french-fries or buffalo wings here). I started with the baby arugula salad, and Tom had the ceasar salad. The service was super-friendly and attentive, and you never have to wait for your partner’s food to arrive because 2 servers come out at the same time to each table. For my entree, I had the Jail Island Salmon, perfectly cooked over tasty parsnip puree. Tom had the grilled center cut strip steak. Dinner comes with dessert, and I had the creme brulee. He had the cobbler of the day. (Desserts are plenty, but they are “spa-sized” so I didn’t feel too guilty. After dinner we walked outside and saw a group of people sitting around a fire-pit.
Saturday morning we had a delicious healthy power breakfast around 7:45 am. In addition to the breakfast buffet that has oatmeal, fruit, and breads, you get to choose a main entree. I ordered the poached farm eggs over grilled gluten-free bread.My favorite part of the breakfast was the fresh pressed green juice (apple, celery, cucumber, kale) that was really the best I’ve tasted. Maybe the restaurants have a secret gadget or way of making it? Even my husband, an anti-juicing guy, liked it! (I got to order it again with my lunch 4 hours later). Tom had a cheddar and spinach omelet.
After breakfast we drove 2 miles down the road to tour the Pines Resort property which caters to families. (I will cover that in a separate post). We had to return to the spa at 10 am for spa services. I booked myself for a Cranberry Body Polish for 50 minutes, and Tom had the Gentleman’s Facial for 50 minutes. The women’s retreat (locker room) is beautifully done with all the amenities including a steam room, a whirlpool, a spacious dry sauna, and fancy showers. The Cranberry Body Polish was fantastic. The massage therapist applied a mixture made of cranberries, honey crystals and spices to exfoliating the body. Afterwards, you rinse off in a hot shower, towel off, and return to the table for a 20 minute massage and moisturizing treatment with vanilla cream. I left with very soft skin and smelling like a cupcake.
Downstairs from the women’s retreat, I found the Whisper Lounge, a quiet comfy co-ed oasis overlooking the woods. I relaxed and had a copy of Mighty Leaf tea by myself. After a few minutes, I got a little lonely and went to find Tom who was swimming laps in the pool.
For lunch, I had a rosemary and thyme crusted tofu with quinoa with drizzled maple syrup. Tom had the spa black bean burger, which was really a wrap, which was very good. Smoothies are also available at extra charge, but the lunch was very filling so I just enjoyed my green juice drink. We left around 1pm, but not before a little retail therapy at the gift shop. There is also a fitness center, and fitness classes to choose from. I didn’t take advantage of the fitness center, but I just wanted to relax, and we were there just for one night, but it’s nice to have that option. I saw quite a few guests power walking along the trails and the lake too. The time went by all too fast, and it was an invigorating and relaxing Friday night getaway. I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a couples getaway or a getaway with friends, or mother/daughter spa weekend in the Poconos, a 2-hour drive from Kingston. See The Lodge at Woodloch website for the prices and special spa package deals. I will post more photos from our trip on the Hudson Valley Good Stuff Facebook Page.
Vanessa Geneva Ahern writes about the Hudson Valley and beyond at HudsonValleyGoodStuff.com.
This article appears in November 2013.
