Karmel takes a vacation from our problems at a cozy cabin in the Poconos

Before we headed to the Poconos for a few days, Lauren approached me and said, “What’s the itinerary?” Her question was a valid one because I didn’t have one and I always have one, even if it’s a loose itinerary. When we traveled to England and Italy I had a strict itinerary with each day planned out. Even when Alan and I go to a National Park, extensive research is done and some kind of plan is usually put together. On occasion we go rogue but that’s rare. So when my answer to Lauren was, “I don’t have one. This is a vacation not a trip.” She looked at me like I was crazy.

A trip has a planned agenda and a vacation does not. Disney is a trip not a vacation. Staying at a beach resort is a vacation not a trip. Get it?

Last December I booked an Airbnb in the Poconos for a short getaway to regroup and have some peace and quiet. I know what we portray on social media and in our stories that all we do is travel but just like everyone else, we have families we take care of and manage, along with jobs and deadlines and the chaos and stress of life in general. Anyway…I booked a cabin in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania and the pictures were beautiful and it looked so cozy and there were great reviews and it was only two hours from home. Well it was better than we expected. 

The house (named the Bear Chalet) was in a gated community with a lake and surrounded by trees. Entering through a small mudroom brings you into the living room which was decorated for the holidays in a rustic and cozy way complete with colored lights and garland on the fireplace’s mantle. We stood in awe. The pictures didn’t do it justice. Although it has three bedrooms and is pet-friendly, it was just the two of us. This place was stocked with every convenience you could think of. Because it was the winter, we couldn’t take full advantage of the large deck and grill or the fire pit. We had a cozy few days there enjoying the quiet and the fireplace and vowed to come back in the summer.

And we did!

The hosts, Lukas and Monika, were kind enough to open the booking for us six months in advance through Airbnb and we returned again in June. This trip we brought Lauren and her friend Maja. They both took off from their summer jobs and were so excited to be spending this vacation with us. They had the entire upstairs to themselves and took walks and watched movies and played games. Alan and I enjoyed morning and afternoon walks as well. There were so many deer around that they would come right up to the deck and you would have to walk around them out on the street. We were all loving the interaction with the wildlife. We made S’mores in the fire pit and Alan grilled us dinner on the deck. It was a wonderful and relaxing few days.

As a matter of fact, we were there less than 24 hours when Lauren came to me and asked, “Can we come back in the fall?” So that’s the plan. When I told the hosts they quickly responded and told us they’d block the days for us once we decided on dates.

I have to say that I have a nostalgic connection with the Poconos. My grandparents had a second home in Bartonsville. While growing up I spent a lot of time there. I remember my brother and I picking berries and catching orange newts. I remember swimming in Laurel Lake. I also remember my grandfather throwing my brother in the lake to teach him how to swim and sitting on my dad’s lap to drive the car on the gravel roads. I loved the trips to American Candle (which we still go to for the candy, of course). I have so many positive and loving memories of that house and the family that filled it that I don’t even have to close my eyes and I can see the 70’s decor or the white birch logs for show next to the fireplace. I even have a picture of the house on my fridge. I’ve been taking road trips with my children to Bartonsville almost annually to take pictures in front of the lake and drive past the house, which doesn’t look the same anymore. So going to the Bear Chalet makes me feel connected to that part of my childhood…it makes me happy.

If you’ve read our story about the horrible Airbnb experience in Sedona, this is the complete opposite. We all thoroughly enjoyed this vacation (not a trip) and we’re looking forward to returning again in the fall.