Hit The Slopes and 12 Others Ways to Enjoy The Poconos This Winter

From socially distant chairlifts to outdoor breweries.

By marielle mondon

Published on 25/11/2020 at 05:16 PM

Considering we’ve all been in hibernation mode since March, the approaching winter may not lift your spirits. For a wintery city escape to snowier, more placid pastures, consider a drive up to the Pocono Mountains, where lots of fresh air awaits, along with even more COVID-compliant activities. Whether you’re in the mood to ski, snowboard, hit up a brewery, or do very little, the two-hour drive will satisfy the winter adventurer and the lazy vacationer alike.
Check out amazing Airbnbs in the Poconos

Sample the region’s craft beer

A place known best for its forests is also home to a burgeoning collection of beermakers, and the Poconos does not disappoint for those in need for a drink. The aptly named Pocono Brewing Company is currently open for sit-down service on the outdoor deck (reservations recommended), where you can try the spot’s signature Wally Wilson American IPA, or a winter pilsner inspired by the Pocono pine trees. Even better, you can order artisanal pies and handmade pasta alongside your beer flights, as well as wine from local vineyards. Barley Creek Brewing Company is another go-to option, where you’ll find socially distant outdoor dining in a heated tent, as well as indoor options. You’ll also find a collection of housemade brews as well as regionally made guest taps.

Don’t skip out on the wineries, either

The Radical Wine Company specializes in creating small batches of special edition wines using grapes from around the world, and you can get your own with indoor/outdoor dining or carryout options. Sorrenti Family Estate is another great stop because, in addition to serving wines inspired by founder Dominic Sorrenti’s Italian upbringing alongside brick oven pizza and wine-infused dishes, the spot offers hyper-seasonal specialties in wine and beyond, because sometimes entire weekend of food and drink centered on cranberry is exactly what you need to forget the realities of 2020. Both wineries are part of the greater Pocono Wine Trail, filled with worthwhile stops throughout the area.

Hit the slopes

COVID-19 has many of the area’s favorite snowy destinations rethinking how to welcome guests safely. Jack Frost Big Boulder Pocono Resort is one option with new safety protocols in place to make welcoming guests safer, with everything from socially distant chair lifts to cashless transactions and relaxed cancellation charges. Once you have the logistics sorted out, day tickets usually go for around $50-$60, or you can stay overnight.

Explore the borough of Jim Thorpe

For any lifelong city dweller, Jim Thorpe looks about as foreign as a cattle farm. A small mountain town in every sense of the word, Jim Thorpe is nestled in the mountains with commercial real estate huddled around its main strip. In the colder months, it’s an idyllic winter wonderland. With COVID-19, this year’s traditions may look a little different, but the town will still be turning out winter wonderland ambiance like nobody else.
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Go for the ultimate winter escape at Skytop

Pack your bags and forget the foibles of city life at Skytop Lodge, where winter is in full swing and you can luxuriate all day in your room to a cozy snowy view — or even venture outside to take advantage of the outdoor adventures still available on site. 5,500 acres of land seems like the perfect place to spread out for a while.

Take a more active approach to the snow hills

If you’re more in the mood for outdoor skating, snowshoeing, or other winter-friendly outdoor adventures that get your blood pumping, limited outdoor reservations are available at some of the region’s state parks, including Hickory Run State Park and Promised Land State Park.

Splurge on a dinner from one of the Poconos’ great hidden chefs

Urban food snobs may not want to admit there’s an explosion of culinary masterpieces going on in the Pennsylvania mountains, but their loss is your gain. For starters, the Delmonico Room at Hotel Fauchere plates high-end American fare inspired by the chef’s long history working in French and European kitchens-the lobster Newburg is truly not to be missed, available for on-site dining with a new COVID-19 safety protocol in place. For a slightly more casual atmosphere, head over to the Hotel Belvidere for retro-tinged American dishes at The Ridge Restaurant, including baked clams and grilled rack of lamb, available for onsite dining and takeout.

Catch some jazz at The Deer Head Inn

The Deer Head Inn calls itself the home of jazz in the Poconos, and with good reason: Stop in on the weekends for inexpensive shows featuring jazz groups, with free shows on Thursdays. In light of Covid-19, The Deer Head Inn recommends reservations for one of the two weekend night seatings that will allow you to enjoy the music during your dinner.

Go antiquing, BYOB-style

If you like to search for buried treasure, look no further than Der Jaeger, a hybrid antique store and BYOB restaurant that ensures you’ll never go hungry in your hunt for a valuable find. You can still visit during Covid times with required reservations for outdoor dining reservations and shopping. Outside you’ll find the year-round BBQ pit, serving grilled classics-pork ribs, burgers, bratwurst-fresh from the grill, no matter the weather.

Taste the Poconos, one farmers market at a time

Mask up and explore the Poconos’ huge volume of farm-made delicacies, available year-round throughout the region’s numerous markets. The Monroe Farmers Market and The Cooperage Project offer weekly chances to get fresh produce and other items, even when it’s icy outside. Also, don’t skip the Pocono Bazaar Flea Market, where you can get truly exceptional funnel cake from Sho-Nuff Delights (which also has fried Oreos, Snickers, and Twinkies on the menu).

Newberry's Yard of Ale — Newberry’s Yard of Ale

Take in the small-town charm in downtown Stroudsburg

Stroudsburg has a cute Main Street filled with historic architecture, all just a stone’s throw from any-pace hiking and bike trails. Though some of its small businesses may not be able to fully serve during the pandemic, you can still find The Hideaway Cocktail Bar at Newberry’s Yard of Ale, acting as the “speakeasy” of this craft beer destination. Show some love to the Pocono Cinema & Cultural Center, the town’s indie movie theater that has implemented COVID-friendly seating restrictions to stay open yet safe.
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Bundle up for a dog sled tour

Friendly and adorable (and rescued!) Alaskan and Siberian huskies will be happy to meet you at Pocono Manor Resort & Spa, where you can learn to mush the dog sled and have the pups take you on a tour of the snowy landscape. You can also choose to either stand on the sled or sit in the basket, whatever suits your pace best. For COVID-19 compliance, guests are required to wear masks and have their temperatures taken. Tours have a six-person maximum, and everyone must be from the same group/family.Sign up here for our daily Philly email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun in town.

Marielle Mondon is a writer from Philadelphia. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MarielleMondon.

Philadelphia

Museum Exhibits in Philly to Check Out Before They Disappear

Get in some culture (and selfies) at the best art exhibits in Philadelphia.

By allie volpe

Published on 06/03/2023 at 07:22

From the historical to the artistic, Philadelphia is jam packed with museums. Art aficionados of all ages can get lost inside the likes of tourist-friendly museums like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Museum of the American Revolution or feast their eyes on unique exhibitions at institutions like the Fabric Workshop and Museum and the Museum for Art In Wood.

Between big-ticket exhibitions honouring the House of Mouse to collections showcasing the legacy of a prominent Black family in early America, there’s plenty of material to dig into. After you’ve planned a date night and rounded up friends to explore the city, here are the most exciting museum exhibits in Philly right now-before they’re gone for good.

The Franklin Institute

Exhibition: Disney 100: The Exhibition
Mickey Mouse, you look good for your age. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney is a retrospective exhibition, which got its world premiere right here in Philly. Between rarely-seen artworks and artifacts, costumes and props, and interactive installations where you can listen to hit Disney songs, the exhibit is a Disney lover’s wish-upon-a-star-come-true.
Dates: Until August 27, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Monday through Sunday. Tickets are available online and at the door.

Academy of Natural Sciences

Exhibition: Conversations With Birds
No, not an allusion to the Eagles, this exhibition is dedicated to actual birds, their migration patterns, and humans’ relationship with avian creatures. Expect avian photography and video by local birders and wildlife photographers along with an interactive exhibit showing five migratory birds that pass through the Philadelphia region on their seasonal passage between North and South America.
Dates: Until May 21, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets are available online or at the door.

The Barnes Foundation

Exhibition: Sue Williamson & Lebohang Kganye: Tell Me What You Remember
The work of two contemporary South African artists-Sue Williamson and Lebohang Kganye-are shown side by side, offering a cross-generational dialogue. Both artists utilize video installations, photographs, sculptural installations, and textiles “to consider how the stories our elders tell us shape family narratives and personal identities.”
Dates: Until May 21, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Thursday through Monday. Advanced tickets are recommended.

Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Exhibition: The Future Will Follow the Past: An Exhibition by Jonathan Horowitz
Exploring the rapid change of societal issues in America since 2020-antisemitism, racial violence, immigration, women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights-Jonathan Horowitz designed installations inspired by recent occurrences. His works explore specific events like the infamous far-right rally from white supremacists in Charlottesville as well as recent themes in American history, like attacks on those within the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Dates: Until July 4, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Friday through Sunday. Admission is available online and at the door.

The Museum for Art In Wood

Exhibition: The Mashrabiya Project
The newly renamed Museum for Art in Wood (formerly The Center for Art In Wood) celebrates the rebrand with a brand new project. Focusing on mashrabiya, the traditional Islamic architectural design, The Mashrabiya Project is a first of its kind effort in the U.S. to examine this aesthetic. As a part of the larger mission, a new exhibition Seeing Through Space features newly-commissioned, never-before-seen works by six female-identifying artists.
Dates: Until July 23, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets are not required.

Fabric Workshop and Museum

Exhibition: Henry Taylor: Nothing Change, Nothing Strange
Combining painting and sculpture, Henry Taylor utilized recycled objects in this exhibition, the product of an 18-month residency. The entire second floor of the museum houses the large scale assemblages, tapestries, and textiles. Think: 30-foot billowing canvases and towering totems created from compressed blocks of paint buckets, vinyl home siding, and black plastic planters.
Dates: Until July 23, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Walk up admission is available but advanced registration is encouraged.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Exhibition: Judith Joy Ross
More than 200 photographs from renowned portrait photographer Judith Joy Ross will be on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, chronicling her career from the 1980s to today. Her black-and-white portraits are intimate reflections of everyday Americans, and this show features work from all her major projects, plus, never-before-seen images.
Dates: April 24 to August 6, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Thursday through Monday. Advanced tickets are recommended.

American Swedish Historical Museum

Exhibition: Radically Marimekko
Famous for their bright and bold fabrics, Finnish textiles, clothing, and home furnishings, the company Marimekko is showcased at this special exhibit. Drawing attention to Finnish design, the collection traces the brand’s path from industrial art house to fashion icon.
Dates: March 30 to September 24, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Walk up admission is available.

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and African American Museum in Philadelphia

Exhibition: Rising Sun: Artists in an Uncertain America
A collaboration between the African American Museum in Philadelphia and PAFA, Rising Sun showcases new work from 20 artists examining the question of Is the sun rising or setting on the experiment of American democracy? With pieces shown in both museums, visitors can reflect on, challenge, and expand their view of democracy through art.
Dates: March 23 to October 8, 2023
How to visit: The African American Museum in Philadelphia is open Thursday through Sunday; admission is available online and at the door. PAFA is open Thursday through Sunday; admission can be purchased in advance or at the door.

Museum of the American Revolution

Exhibition: Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia
James Forten may not be a familiar name within early American history, but this new exhibit at the Museum of the American Revolution is looking to change that. Telling the story of Forten and his family through 100 historical artifacts, Black Founders explores the Forten family’s roles in the Revolutionary War, business in Philadelphia, and the abolitionist movement.
Dates: Until November 26, 2023
How to visit: The museum is open daily. Admission is available online and at the door.

National Constitution Center

Exhibition: The 19th Amendment: How Women Won The Vote
That lofty document known as the Constitution and its values, interpretations, and amendments are explored in great detail at the National Constitution Center, naturally. This semi-permanent exhibit examines the 19th Amendment-the one which granted women the right to vote-and the road to its ratification. Out of the near 100 artifacts, expect to see a rare printing of the Declaration of Sentiments from the first women’s convention at Seneca Falls, a ballot box used to collect women’s votes in the late 1800s, Pennsylvania’s ratification copy of the 19th Amendment, and various “Votes for Women” ephemera.
Dates: Semi-permanent, no end date announced
How to visit: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday. Advanced tickets are recommended.

Mütter Museum

Exhibition: Spit Spreads Death
Eerily topical, the Mütter’s latest special exhibit, Spit Spreads Death, an exhibit about the 1918 flu pandemic, opened in the fall of 2019, less than six months before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The exhibit traces the disease’s spread throughout Philadelphia neighbourhoods a century ago and how the pandemic impacted the city with artifacts like photos, newspaper clippings, and more.
Dates: Now through 2024
How to visit: The museum is open Wednesday through Monday. Advanced tickets are required.

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Allie Volpe is a writer based in Philadelphia. She hasn’t slept in days. Follow her on Twitter: @allieevolpe.