3 Newish Winter Getaways That Are All Within Driving Distance of Philly
Embrace the cold weather at these nearby destinations where you can take in the great outdoors, hit the spa, and go glamping in some gorgeous cabins.
Plan one of your mini winter getaways at a Lushna cabin at Eastwind. Photograph by Lawrence Braun
Outdoorsmen should book a waterfall ice-hiking excursion with Fishtown-based wilderness adventure outfit Valley to Summit. The full-day outings in north-central PA’s Ricketts Glen State Park tour through five miles of iced-over trail and past 17 waterfalls, including a 94-foot stunner. (Half-day sessions are also available.) Make it a day trip, or stay overnight at VTS founder David Mildenberg’s go-to spot, Rickett’s Glen Hotel.
If you prefer your powder in a more, uh, controlled environment, the spa at the Lodge at Woodloch is unveiling its new Snow Room — the first of its kind in a U.S. resort — in early 2021. Here, you’ll self-administer a dry snow massage in a room chilled to between 14 and 23 degrees Fahrenheit and designed to mimic a winter forest. (Woodloch also offers snowshoeing and ice fishing.)
Ready to go full Scando? Head to Eastwind Hotel & Bar in the Catskills, where the new glamping-style Lushna cabins, insulated for year-round use, feature panoramic window walls in the sleeping lofts and hooded Pendleton robes in the bathrooms. They’re the perfect jumping-off point for skiing and snowboarding adventures at nearby Windham Mountain.
Published as “We Get Away by Sticking Around” in “The Big Chill” guide in the January/February 2021 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
