Hi everyone!! I am here to share some info about my local travels to NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT (NOT to be confused with Nemacolin, PA) LOL. A little over a month ago I took a trip down to the Bachelor-famous Nemacolin with a group of friends to celebrate our friend Gannon’s bday! With a large group, the best option for staying at the resort was the largest of the estate properties, Arden Estates. We headed down Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday late afternoon. As we began our trek there, I kept thinking “wow this is so much closer to Pittsburgh than I thought!” DO NOT BE LIKE ME. If it seems wrong, it probably is LOL. After driving for about an hour and a half, we were set to arrive in approximately 15 minutes, but we were scheduled to arrive in Nemacolin, PA. This is actually a 45-minute drive from Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. We ended up getting on the correct route and arrived at Arden Estates right as the sun was setting. The property was STUNNING and had a ring of chairs and fire pit for warmer days as well as a picturesque gazebo out front.
Our first night there, we relaxed by soaking in the two in-ground hot tubs on the lower deck area. They were incredible and the complimentary robes in each room made it perfect for getting to and from the hot tubs. After soaking for a while, we made our way inside to play games at the poker table in the lower level of the estate, next to the downstairs bar area. Some fun games that we played were Telestrations and Unstable Unicorns. We also did a DIY wine tasting where everyone brought a bottle of wine and we sampled several throughout the night. We then discussed our favorites over Margherita pizza and my friend Meg’s chicken bacon ranch and buffalo chicken dips 😍 This was the perfect way to settle in and kick off the weekend!
The next morning we headed over to The Chateau via Nemacolin transportation. On the resort, they have many large van-style vehicles to transport you around the property. We called up the transportation and they swung past Arden Estates and took us along to The Chateau! If you watched Matt James’ season of the Bachelor, The Chateau is likely a familiar view. This is the main building where the ladies arrived on night one of the season. The Chateau is the signature building most people think of when they think of Nemacolin. It is home to not only stunning suites but the famous Nemacolin bird, Pearl! When you see the Nemacolin logo, you’ll notice a little bird that sports stilettos – that is Pearl. Pictured below, she is a stunning bright orange color.
If you walk to the left after entering The Chateau, you will pass by The Pantry, a coffee shop, as well as a couple of clothing stores. The Pantry has little snacks and drinks as well as some handcrafted desserts. The best part about visiting Nemacolin in the winter is that a lot of the buildings are connected so you can get from The Chateau to PJs Ice Cream Parlor, to the Woodlands Spa all without facing the elements. Some places we passed by were The Cigar Bar, The Tavern, and the Nemacolin Shell Collection. After walking around for a bit, we decided on grabbing lunch at The Tavern because of our large group. I ordered the classic burger with fries and it hit the spot as a midday meal.
We headed back to Arden Estates and geared up for snow tubing at The Peak! A small number of people from our group skipped out on The Chateau to head to The Peak early for skiing, so we met them there around 4 pm for tubing! I skipped out on tubing so I could rest up for axe throwing that evening, but everyone said they had a blast! Nighttime rolled around and it was time to head to axe throwing at The Peak! This indoor axe throwing experience does require reservations because there are only 4 lanes with 4 people permitted to throw per lane. You can find the axe throwing in the same section as the cosmic bowling, which is fun because everything is glow in the dark! Reservations for axe throwing are by the hour and cosmic bowling is by the game. After an hour of axe throwing, we headed back to Arden Estates to sing happy birthday to our friend and eat the delicious Oakmont Bakery cake my friend brought along for the trip! Afterward, we had another chill hot tub and game night.
When we woke up on Sunday morning we packed up our things and drove over to the heated pools at The Peak. The pools and hot tub are year-round and were steamy and perfect for the February afternoon. There was a large TV screen you could see from the pool which proved perfect for Winter Olympics viewing! Our group also rented two of the heated cabanas where we enjoyed the poolside food and drink service! The two beverage faves of our group were the Hot Caramel Apple Buttered Rum and the Slopeside Iced Coffee. For lunch, we ordered a smorgasbord of food to share. My favorite was the peak chili and the peak grinder. The chili is an absolute MUST. It was seriously the best chili I’ve ever had.
A little later in the afternoon, we made our way home. We had a truly wonderful weekend filled with the perfect combo of fun and relaxation. Nemacolin is a great getaway no matter the time of year. Enjoy the skiing and snow tubing that my group did in the winter, or golf and outdoor adventure courses in the summer. We barely scraped the surface of what Nemacolin has to offer, and I can’t wait to return! During my next visit, I plan on dining at Lautrec for their incredible Sunday brunch and getting a treatment at the Woodlands Spa or Holistic Healing Center. The two treatments at the top of my list are Body Contour and Acupuncture. If you decide to take a trip to Nemacolin, whether it be with your family, significant other, or girlfriends, I’m sure you will have a fantastic time!
The 412 Franimal 