Week In The Poconos

I'd also recommend going horseback riding at the Fernwood Stables, which is part of the resort. We had friends come out and stay with us when we went and it was really nice. The horses were very well-taken care of and well-behaved. That was important to me because I had a terrible experience on a horse before. I am 100% a beginner when it comes to horses. There is a guide that takes you through the trail.

Also, try to visit one of the candle shops they have in the area. My favorites were Pocono Candle and the Country Kettle, which are both off 209. If you're a candle lover then you can't miss these shops. Be prepared for rows of different candles. It's almost impossible to walk out of there with only one scent. These shops are also very big on crafts, so if you're into anything crafty then this is perfect for you.

Because of the time of year we went we didn't get to use all that the resort had to offer. They have an outdoor pool we didn't use. They also have an indoor pool that was openj, but we didn't take the time to use. They have paddle and bumper boats on the resort grounds, which is perfect for kids. They also have a Game Zone, which is located in the Event Center on the hotel grounds. There's also canoeing, rafting, and kayaking you can go on weather permitting. So I guess you can say there's things in the area to keep kids busy. For the adults there's a trip to the Franklin Hill Winery you can take. That's something I'd like to do the next time we're in the area.

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Our three-bedroom unit was huge. It had three bedrooms and a loft, and the bedrooms were all a nice size. Our bedroom had a king size bed in it with its own gas fireplace, a corner Jacuzzi tub, and its own sauna. It's fantastic. The bedrooms upstairs had a double or queen bed in one room and the other room had two twin size beds in it. Each room had their own TV. The loft had two twins in it also. Then there's two full size pull out couches. This unit sleeps 12 people. The loft overlooks the living area so you wouldn't have much privacy sleeping there, so I'd say it sleeps eight privately.

The kitchen was fully equipped and spacious. It also had a deck off the back with deck furniture. Perfect for having your morning coffee and possibly catching a glimpse of a few deer. It's great, and I'm looking forward to going back.

• Unit Type: 3 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

We didn't have lunch or dinner in this restaurant, but the menu was pretty basic--burgers and sandwiches. It's not a bad place to come if you want to eat a little on the cheaper side. It's good for big families because it's quick if the service is moving and it's local. It's located right on the grounds of the Fernwood Hotel.

Maybe we went on an off night, I'm not sure. You might want to give it a try and see if it's any better for you than it was for us.

Service was terribly slow and it wasn't even busy in there at the time we were there. After waiting what seemed like hours our food arrived to us cold. Where we were seated was right underneath the air-conditioning vent, so we froze while waiting for our food.

Considering the prices were a bit on the pricey side we expected much better food and service while we were there. Even after politely complaining to the manager about our dining experience she didn't accommodate us in anyway. It was a terrible night. Thank goodness the friends we were with had a good sense of humor and made light of the whole situation. This place came highly recommended to us so it was a surprise seeing what the outcome was. Good luck if you decide to go.

The atmosphere is casual and comfortable. The prices were middle of the road. If you're interested in giving it a try, take I-80 to exit 299. Make a right off the exit ramp. Make first left onto Sullivan Trail and go one mile. www.barleycreek.com

We didn't take advantage of any of the other activities they had to offer other than the nature trail, so I can't really comment on any of them. They did have an ice cream parlor, fudge kitchen, and a snack bar open right by the picnic area. They also had a souvenir shop that was pretty nice. Just because I had a difficult time with the walk shouldn't stop you from checking it out. It really was beautiful and we got some really great pictures.

We stayed in a three-bedroom unit that was very spacious. The kitchen was open to the living room area. This unit sleeps 12 but eight privately. There were two and a half baths in this unit, a TV in each of the rooms, two gas fireplaces, your own washer and dryer, an iron and board in the room, and a deck patio off the back with deck furniture.

The setting is beautiful being in the Pocono mountains. One evening as we were coming back to the unit from dinner we seen two baby deer just wandering around outside of the complex. I loved seeing that.

For golfers there's an 18 hole golf course. The resort is really spread out so you'd pretty much need a car to get around. The resort has three restaurants that are all located in the Fernwood Hotel. That's where you check in and out at. It's not far from the resort, just down the road. They also have video rentals you can rent off the main lobby in the hotel. Just a warning: they aren't really up to date, so if you want to see something just released you can rent a movie from the local video store down Route 209.

They do have daily housekeeping available but there is a fee for that service. They also charge you everytime you pick up the phone to call anywhere other than the resort grounds. I think they even charge for calls made with your calling card.

Go horseback riding if you get the chance. I thought it was worth it. The stables are right on the resort grounds. We also went to go see Bushkill Falls, which was right off of Route 209. I'm not going to say it was the best thing to see, but it was very pretty. Don't think it's going to be a casual walk through the park because there was a lot of going uphill. It'll get even the physically in shape people's hearts pumping.

We also went to New York for the day. It's not a long drive, and I have the perfect way to go. Drive into Staten Island and take the ferry over into the city. If you need directions contact me. I kept the directions that we took to get over there. It'll definitely be the way we go next time we're in the area.

The best way to go is driving over to Staten Island and then taking the bridge over into the city. The drive took us about an hour and 40 minutes. There's a one way fee per car of $6 going over the bridge into Staten Island. Then there's a $6 parking fee for the ferry parking. If you want to park right in the ferry parking lot it's a little bit cheaper, but you'll need quarters for the machine. Then there's also a $1.15 turnpike fee each way and a $1.25 toll fee once you come back into PA's Water Gap. So I'd say it was roughly $16 to get there and back, but it's still cheaper than taking the tunnel over to NYC. We did that once before and once we got through the terribly long traffic line we had to pay $16 to go through the tunnel. Needless to say once we got there we had to find parking. It was a mess.

Going through Staten Island was much better for us. There isn't a fee for the ferry over to the city if you can believe that. It takes about half an hour to get across. I liked the ride over actually. It goes right by the Statue of Liberty which was nice to see. It was also nice to see NYC's skyline, missing the WTC, of course, which was sad. So if you decide to go this way make sure you have your camera ready.

Once we got into the city the best way to get around is on the subway. To get to upper Manhattan take subway N or R. It'll take you all the way up to Central Park. Taking the subway there's a $2 per person fee each trip. It would probably be cheaper buying a metro card while there and using it everytime using the subway. We didn't do this but will the next time we go. I'm not sure what they charge for this.

Before we got on the subway we walked over to see the WTC site. It was very emotional, sad, and upsetting to see Ground Zero and the memorial. It's still hard to believe something like that happened to all those innocent people.

We then took the subway and got off and on several times to see places like Madison Square Gardens, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building. We went up to the observatory of the Empire State Building. The whole experience wasn't as exciting as I thought it was going to be. Maybe it's been hyped up so much from all the movies I've seen but it was almost like a letdown once I got up there. Who knows? Maybe I was expecting to see Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks when I was there. You do get a great view of the city below, but that didn't thrill me. I don't think I'd ever go again. I think it's worth it to go into the city to see everything that we did though.

If you'd like to go, try these directions: 80E to 280E to 95S to 278E. This'll take you over the bridge. Continue on 278E to Van Duzer-turn left. Go all the way down to the ferry. Very simple. Have fun!!