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Autumn Resort Getaways for Active Families
By Nancy Schretter, Editor
There are very few family resorts that truly offer four seasons of adventure. Our staff discovered this firsthand when we went looking for vacation resorts that offered a wide variety of fall family adventure activities. We surveyed the market, combed through press kits, and talked to a wide variety of family travel experts. After all of this research, it quickly became clear that only twenty to thirty resorts in the U.S. are truly family friendly and active in all four seasons. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa is one of this select group.
 Situated within easy driving distance of many major East Coast cities, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is located on 3,000 acres in the Laurel Highlands Mountains of Pennsylvania. This luxurious, activity-oriented resort clearly has it all for Type A families. Adventure seekers are drawn to the Hummer Driving Club; the first-class equestrian center; one of the world's most impressive shooting facilities with 30 stations of sporting clays; and an adventure center complete with a ropes course, climbing wall, zip wire, paintball, mountain biking and hiking trails. A variety of whitewater rafting opportunities are located nearby on the Youghiogheny River. Sports lovers enjoy the 36 holes of championship golf, extensive tennis facilities, Orvis endorsed fly fishing, and a complete downhill sports program in the winter. The resort caters to families with its year-round children's and teen's programs, mini golf, and babysitting services. For those who love pampering, the highly acclaimed Woodlands Spa indulges guests with a wide variety of treatments. There's truly something for everyone here.
Nemacolin Woodlands is no ordinary family-friendly resort, as we quickly discovered on our recent visit. Shortly after driving up the tree-lined entranceway, one arrives at the impressive Chateau LaFayette, a grand European style hotel closely modeled after the Ritz Carleton Hotel in Paris. Even though the Chateau features crystal chandeliers and coffered ceilings, the hotel doesn't feel stuffy. In fact, this relaxed feeling is pervasive at Nemacolin Woodlands, something that is rare and wonderful for families to find at a grand resort. Families can choose to stay at the Chateau, the English country-inspired Lodge, the 42-room Falling Rock complex, in townhomes, or at a number of private luxury homes scattered around the property. Falling Rock, a AAA Five-Diamond boutique hotel, is an excellent choice for families seeking attentive personal service. While there is a definite feeling of luxury at Nemacolin Woodlands, the resort also manages to make families feel right at home.
We came to the property in search of adventure, and we were not disappointed. Many resorts experience "down time", a season or period in which only a limited number of activities are offered. Adventure activities are often cut back after Labor Day and resume with skiing in the winter. Such is not the case at Nemacolin Woodlands. Adventure was certainly in full swing during our visit.
Since we were only there for a long weekend, choosing from Nemacolin's many options was one of our most difficult challenges. We poured over the activity guides, and were delighted at the wide variety of choices the resort offered. After much discussion, we decided to cram a lot of activities into our short three-day stay. No one would be bored sitting in the hotel room on this trip.
 The Off-Road Driving Academy was tops on our list, so that was the first activity we wanted to experience. Early the next morning, we walked out to find a bright yellow Hummer beckoning to us like a beacon. We jumped in, and our driving instructor directed us on our way. The Off-Road Driving Academy takes guests out on challenging trails and courses through the Laurel Highlands' wooded terrain. We cantilevered the Hummer over obstacles, traversed streams, drove up steep inclines through wheel-deep mud, and learned about the vehicle's impressive off-road capabilities firsthand. The program is available to any family member with a valid driver's license, so as you can imagine, it's a real hit with older teens and their families.
 Upon driving the H2 back to the Adventure Center, we got our first view of the climbing wall, the ropes course, and the zip wire. Being a hard-core adventurer at heart, Jim got his adrenaline pumping on the climbing wall and the zip wire. Although he had never tried a resort climbing wall before, the helpful, encouraging nature of the staff certainly contributed to his willingness to experiment. Of course, the fact that we had just watched a 10-year old easily top the climbing wall under the coaching of the Adventure Center staff helped as well.
Later in the weekend, we visited the resort's Equestrian Center for a family trail ride. Having been seriously injured on a horse earlier this year, I was a bit hesitant to jump back in the saddle once again. At the same time, I knew overcoming my newfound fear of horses would be my own peak adventure experience. The facilities at the Equestrian Center were magnificent, but it was the quality of staff that persuaded me to take the next step. They were patient and reassuring, and allowed me to spend plenty of time getting comfortable with the horses. I was certainly hesitant, but our guide helped me every step of the way. Our family's trail ride through the woods was a rewarding experience, both in terms of enjoyment and personal satisfaction.
Sporting clay shooting is the fastest growing sport in the country and Nemacolin Woodlands offers one of the top sporting clay courses in the country. The Shooting Academy at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is perfect for advanced shooters and beginners like us - even first-time shooters are guaranteed to break targets. Situated on 140 acres, the academy features 30 unique shooting stations and 80 fully automatic traps to mimic every type of bird hunting situation. Although we're not hunters, we found this to be a fun family activity. Our instructor was very patient and we all improved dramatically as a result of our lessons. Instruction packages and clinics are available for day and overnight guests, and children must weigh at least 100 pounds to participate.
The supportive, friendly nature of the personnel permeates every aspect of Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, from the lodging staff to the people at the golf pro shop. It's just one of the aspects that makes Nemacolin a perfect place for families to come, relax, explore, and try out new things. The other defining characteristic of the property is the overwhelming number of activities and experiences available for guests.
Spa goers will be thrilled with the resort's full-service 32,000 square-foot Woodlands Spa. The spa includes 40 treatment rooms, a fully-loaded Fitness Center, a squash court, a mineral pool and Water Path, a cafe with healthy menu items, indoor and outdoor pools, a salon, and a boutique. A wide array of treatments is available including massages, body scrubs and wraps, hydrotherapy, facials and skin care, Ayurvedic rituals, body kurs, and manicures and pedicures.
While parents and older teens enjoy treatments at the Woodlands Spa, younger kids ages 5-15 can enjoy similar world class treatments at the resort's new Spa Voyage. This is one of the finest resort kids' spas I've seen as part of my travels. Spa Voyage's travel theme invites young guests to "visit" different parts of the world during their treatments, such as a rain forest, a major metropolitan city or a casbah. Treatment offerings include such activities as Rainforest Reflexology, Big City Braids and a Moroccan Manicure.
Kids who love wildlife will want to go where the wild things are at Nemacolin's Wildlife Academy and animal habitats. Here you'll find black bears, zebra, buffalo, tigers, hyenas, moose, wolves and more. A petting zoo complete with llamas, goats, and other critters is perfect for the little ones. The resort's entertainment complex, the WildSide, is a great spot for family visits in the evenings or on rainy days. The emporium features eight bowling lanes, 65 arcade games, pool tables, an exotic bird habitat, a huge miniature train display, an indoor climbing wall, a restaurant and sports bar, and so much more.
The WildSide's restaurant is good for casual meals and families with young children, but some of the fancier dining venues are better choices for dinners and families with older kids. Fashioned after a traditional English pub, The Tavern provides a casual venue with a menu that offers much more than burgers and wings. P.J.'s Ice Cream Parlor is located close by. Aqueous is a AAA Four Diamond restaurant known for its excellent cuts of beef. Autumn, located in The Lodge, brings the flare of Italy to Nemacolin. For a romantic parent's night out, consider Lautrec, the resort's French restaurant. This dining venue received the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award in both 2008 and 2009 and the Mobil Five Star Award in 2009, one of only fourteen restaurants in the country to do so.
Our family certainly tried out a wide variety of new things on our visit, from shooting clays to innovative teaching programs at the resort's Golf Learning Center. Although we crammed a lot into our short stay, there wasn't time to experience even half of what the property has to offer. That's one of the best features about this place - the resort keeps families coming back for more. As one New Jersey mother of three told me, "There's no way my family can get bored at this place ... and believe me, we've tried. This is our third visit and we haven't done it all yet."
Nemacolin Woodlands is a superb destination for all types of families. The resort caters to families and children of all ages - from toddlers to teens. One can see it in the details, from the children's menus to the mini-golf, from paintball to teen dance events. For those who love sports, action and adventure, the resort is unparalleled. If you're planning a family vacation this year, make sure to put this one on your "don't miss" list.
For more information on Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, visit their website at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa or call 1-800-422-2736.
If you're looking for a top family-oriented adventure-oriented resort in another geographic location, here are several good possibilities:
Smugglers' Notch Resort, Vermont: Smugglers' Notch Resort
The Equinox, Vermont: Equinox Resort
Mohonk Mountain House, New York: Mohonk Mountain House
The Homestead, Virginia: The Homestead Resort
The Greenbrier Resort, West Virginia: Greenbrier Resort
Sea Island, Georgia: Welcome to Sea Island
Hawk's Cay Resort, Florida: Hawk's Cay Resort
Gunflint Lodge, Minnesota: Gunflint Lodge
Keystone Resort, Colorado: Keystone Resort
Big Sky Resort, Montana: Big Sky Resort
Alyeska Resort, Alaska: Alyeska Resort
Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay, Hawaii: Four Seasons Resort Lana'i
Bitter End Yacht Club, British Virgin Islands: Bitter End Yacht Club
Flamingo Beach Resort, Costa Rica: Flamingo Beach Resort
Anthony's Key Resort, Honduras: Anthony's Key Resort
Club Med Ixtapa, Mexico: Club Med
Breezes Costa do Sauipe Resort, Brazil: Breezes Costa do Sauipe
Heritage Hotels, Kenya: Heritage Hotels
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