Poconos for Labor Day

Being a country girl and traveler at heart, I was itching to get away from NYC during the labor day weekend. My attempts to find good deals on airfare didn't go as planned - I had underestimated the reports of increased prices on tickets. Therefore, my optimism and resistance to spending gobs of money hindered my ambitions. When I was about to throw in the towel, my boyfriend very practically suggested the Poconos as an alternative. Although I was quick to scoff, (the Poconos is a well-known winter ski destination) I finally caved in after realizing that we would have to bus it to any place we would end up going. Despite my initial snobbishness (I wanted to get out of the country, after all), the trip turned out quite well. We stayed at the Mountaintop Lodge, a quaint little bed and breakfast, adjacent to the Lake Naomi Club (which is every bit as chi-chi as the name suggests). The views from the lake were nice:

The bed and breakfast had access to club amenities, so we rented kayaks for a couple of hours and paddled around (excuse my obese, flat-footed feet, only useful for competitive gymnastics, although I am happy to say I hardly ever fell off the beam):
We also toured around the town a bit in our rental car, which we got after being convinced by the innkeeper that this was NOT New York, and we cannot just walk around where we please, and no, there is no public transportation (how easily we forget)! We also attended the area's annual garlic festival, and saw The Niagara of Pennsylvania in the town of Bushkill:I was so impressed with this tree! It seems near impossible to get nutrients from where it is living, but it seems to be doing just fine...
So all in all, it was a good trip. We got some good garlic vinegar at the festival, indulged in frivolous spending via antique shops and outlet malls, and got to inhale good clean mountain air. For a ski fanatic such as myself, it will definitely be worth another trip to explore the slopes. As a summer getaway, it's a laid-back place to hang out, go hiking, and eat a lot of food.