- 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.
