hawley pa

Our 4th Trip to Woodloch: Why This Award-Winning Family Resort Will Always Be Our Happy Place

/ realmofvibes / Leave a comment
This is a sponsored post. All opinions within are my own.

If you’ve been following Realm of Vibes for a while, you know that Woodloch Resort in Hawley, PA is one of our all-time favorite family vacation destinations. We’ve visited four times now, and every time brings new experiences and entertainment. Our most recent trip was packed with activities, relaxation, amazing food, and the kind of family memories we’ll be talking about for years.

For this stay, we checked into the Springbrook One Bedroom Suite, which is perfect for families needing extra space, easy access to activities, and a comfortable home base. It’s become our go-to room category, and if you’re planning a Woodloch trip with kids, consider this your sign.

Family Activities at Woodloch: Something for Everyone

One of the reasons we keep coming back is the huge list of family-friendly activities Woodloch offers. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a full week, you’ll never run out of things to do.

Pro tip: bring a highlighter for the daily activity sheet to prioritize what activities are important for your family

On this trip, our family enjoyed:

  • Jewelry making
  • Painting and arts & crafts
  • Storytime and reading
  • Marshmallow roasting (a must!)
  • Bumper cars — twice, because the kids insisted 😂
  • Indoor pool, hot tubs & splash area (we spent 5 hours here on Saturday!)
  • Lakeside walks
  • Mini golf
  • Outdoor and indoor playgrounds
  • Teaching the kids bocce ball
  • And yes… Mom and Dad even snuck in sauna time 🙌

If you’re looking for a Poconos family resort with nonstop activities, Woodloch is genuinely unmatched.

The Iconic Woodloch Horse Races 🐴

A highlight of this trip? The Woodloch horse races, which are a longtime resort tradition. You “bet” on wooden horses, cheer with your table, and get way more competitive than you’d expect. It quickly became a new family favorite — fun, silly, nostalgic, and uniquely Woodloch. Emilia and Nicholas loved shouting their horses number and listening to Scooter call out the dice numbers. Although we didn’t win, we had a really fun night out and the kids were thrilled to be out past bedtime.

Dining at Woodloch: Don’t Skip Dessert

Meals are included at Woodloch. Every meal is delicious, comforting, and kid approved. I always love the delicious salads, seasonal soups, homemade breads, and entrees that I wouldn’t typically make at home (i.e. pork shank). The kid’s menu is always available, and you can order your meals to go, like we did for lunch on Saturday. Eating poolside is a vibe! If you’re planning a visit, here are two must-dos:

✔️ Order the Mud Pie for dessert (even if it is not featured, they always have it!)
✔️ Order baked goods to bring home

We went home with cookies, blueberry bread, and crumb cake. Zero regrets.

If you love all-inclusive family resorts with great food, this is your place.

Why Woodloch Continues to Be Our Happy Place

Woodloch has earned countless awards for a reason. The staff, the activities, the dining, the traditions — everything is designed to help families relax, reconnect, and actually enjoy time together.

From the giggles on the bumper cars to the concentration during crafts, the peaceful moments by the lake, and the wild energy in the indoor playground… every moment feels special.

For us, Woodloch is our happy place, and it continues to deliver unforgettable family getaways year after year.

Planning Your Family Trip to Woodloch?

If you’re looking for an all-inclusive family resort in the Poconos, a place where everything is taken care of and memories practically make themselves, Woodloch is it.

👉 Ready to plan your own Woodloch getaway? Book here using code VIBES25 (applicable stays only) to get 10% off your stay! Drop a comment or send me a message — I’m happy to help you choose the best room, best time to visit, and top activities for your family!

Be sure to check out our Ambassador page and visit Woodloch on Instagram!

Woodloch Part II – Hawley, PA Couples Trip

/ realmofvibes / 2 Comments

Woodloch Pines in Hawley, PA is our happy place. We visited earlier in 2023 with our cherubs in tow, and it was absolutely amazing. As one of my friends stated, Woodloch Pines is like a cruise ship on land. It has activities that cater to everyone and anyone. The food is absolutely phenomenal. The accommodations are comfortable and cater to families with thoughtful floor plans. Woodloch staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcomed, included, and happy. Woodloch has all-inclusive options where meals can be included with your accommodations, or you can opt out of the meal plan and cook in your suite. We love Woodloch Pines.

Our most recent trip was a couples trip. Yes, we actually got away from our kids for an entire weekend. For those of you who don’t know, we were unable to go to Barbados in 2020 due to the pandemic and we had to cancel Jason’s 40th Birthday Nashville trip because both kids had strep. And, when we were up in Roscoe, NY, Nick was sick and Em had an embedded tick and spiked a fever. So, needless to say, it wasn’t very relaxing. Some luck, right?

So we needed Woodloch to reconnect — to have a hot cup of coffee, to drive over to the Woodloch Springs Sports Complex and get a workout in the full gym, sit in the steam room, and then take a dip in the pool and hot tub. I read a chapter of my book on the balcony. We ate our meals in complete silence. We saw an amazing production, California Dreamin’, and laughed heartedly at NYC Comedian Wali Collins. I got ten, uninterrupted, hours of sleep. Yes, I wrote and meant ten. We went on Go Karts, took some swings in the batting cages, and went for a leisurely walk along the water. We took a hayride to the Haunted Walk where I was totally spooked and totally screamed, but had such a fun time celebrating Halloween. I shopped until I dropped in the gift shop. Did I mention, that we love Woodloch Pines?

I got a really great question on Instagram; “What is the best time to go?”

My answer: Any time. In January, with the kids, we went to the splash pad, and the pool on the Woodloch Pines complex, explored the indoor play place, and bumper cars, and did kids’ activities. Read more about that post here. This time, we went as a couple during the fall, and there were still so many indoor and outdoor activities to see and do. My hope is that we can eventually go during the spring and summer so that we can enjoy warmer weather and be able to enjoy the lake. It is such a quick drive from NYC or Philadelphia, and truly a place where generations of families can gather to make memories year after year.

I would also tell you to plan a trip WITH your kids, and then plan a trip WITHOUT your kids. Woodloch Pines is a family resort. It is the #1 family resort in the United States of America and it truly and wholeheartedly deserves that title and recognition. I would live at Woodloch. Speaking of living at Woodloch, when we went to the Woodloch Springs Sports Complex, we were looking at real estate within the community. Jason and I always thought that we would move South when he retires in a few years. We both looked at each other and I stated, “What if we retired here?” Woodloch Springs is a few miles from Woodloch Pines and is its own community situated on a golf course with a library and on-site dining and the Sports Complex. The Lodge at Woodloch is the spa. We have yet to go, but it is on my to-travel list. Woodloch Springs has houses to purchase or rent; for our trip, we wanted to be happily situated at Woodloch Pines which was close to everything. Bring your kids and enjoy everything that Woodloch Pines has to offer, then plan a trip without your kids to do all the things that you weren’t able to do when you brought your kids… just like we did!

It was a harsh reality driving home and going back to work on Monday. Luckily, we ordered and brought home chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin bread, and banana bread to take pieces of Woodloch Pines home with us. As I dunk my cookie in the milk, I savor the time spent at Woodloch and encourage you to book a trip in the near future. You won’t regret it.

[[Side note: I want to tell you that if you aren’t following me on Instagram, make sure you head over there and check out both of my Woodloch highlight reels.]]

Book a room at Woodloch right through my link.

Though this was a hosted trip, (thank you, Woodloch), all opinions expressed within are my own. Be sure to visit Woodloch’s website and Instagram.