Poconos Getaway
Posted: September 7th, 2009 | Author: Kim | Filed under: Lodging, Poconos, PA, Restaurants, Travels | Tags: Antiques, Antiquing, Bed & Breakfast, Family, Milford, Old Lumberyard Antiques, PA, Pennsylvania, Poconos, PA, The Settler's Inn, Water Wheel, Where to stay | 2 Comments »I bid farewell to August with a delightful “Gilmore Girls” getaway with my mom, sister and her new baby boy back on the east coast in Pennsylvania. As if plucked straight from the Gilmore Girls set on the Warner Brothers lot, we enjoyed visions of antique shops, diners, a quaint bed and breakfast and a picturesque gazebo to boot.
My sister planned a great itinerary for the weekend fit for 3 generations of interests. On our way to the Poconos, we stopped in Milford, PA to visit Old Lumberyard Antiques (established in 1999), which turned out the be quite a treasure trove.
Old Lumberyard Antiques
Chairs for sale
Raggedy Ann and Andy
Mondale/Ferraro
After a few hours shopping, we headed down the street for lunch at the WaterWheel Cafe, which was dripping with old-fashioned charm (it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places). A great place for families and kids, it offers s self-guided tour of the restored mill, where you can watch the wheel in action. We each ordered sandwiches for lunch, but were surprised to see that the menu also included a few Vietnamese offerings, such as Cha Giò, crispy shrimp spring rolls.
The Waterwheel Cafe…
…and cookies!
After we finished lunch, we made our way to our lodging, The Settlers Inn, an Arts & Crafts style bed and breakfast located in Hawley, PA, in the Pocono Mountains. My sister was lucky enough to book the last room available that weekend. We had a spacious room that could easily accommodate a family of four, with two pullout sofas and a walk-in closet. The charm was certainly in the details–from the bedding to the small wooden desk by the window and the crackers and local cheese that greeted us upon entering. There’s also a lush garden and large yard in the back, which make it a great venue for special events as well. In fact, while we were there we saw an intimate wedding ceremony take place with no more an twenty guests.
The Settlers Inn
The Potting Shed store and garden behind the Inn
Craftsman-inspired room
Our room’s periodicals, including “This Week in the Poconos”
The Settlers Inn also offers an award-winning farm-to-table restaurant. We ate dinner there that evening, and a pianist performed for the diners in the main dining room. With a sleeping baby in tow, we opted to dine on the back patio which was more quiet and offered a breath of cool fresh air. The staff was friendly and the food was very good. We had the rack of lamb and the sea scallop entrees, but the dish that knocked our socks off was the Blooming Grove Brook Trout with a lemon garlic sauce.
Rack of lamb with summer bean cassoulet, mint gelée, braised fennel and sun gold tomatoes
After a restful evening, we awoke to find that the weather finally picked up after the rain from Hurricane Danny and we spent a gorgeous sunny Sunday enjoying the antique shops and park in Hawley.
Grand ol’ flag at the gazebo across the street from The Settlers Inn
As we left the Poconos, we walked down to the rocky beach at Lake Wallenpaupack, a must-see if you’re in the area. We spied a few other families playing, relaxing and fishing along the shore, enjoying their weekend getaways as well.
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