Blogs

As a relative newcomer to the Pocono Mountains, I was very interested to learn about the myriad of options awaiting the paintball enthusiast in our four-county region. I decided to see what all the fuss was about. My first experience was in the vast fields of Skirmish Paintball. I was not disappointed.

My friend and I suited up, loaded our guns, and took to the legendary Tippmann Castle field. The game started and we were immediately taking fire. We scurried from bunker to bunker as paintballs whizzed by us. My first "battle wound" was in the lower right leg as I climbed a ladder in the impressive castle. Being hit resembles snapping a rubber band against the skin. With all the adrenaline pumping, the hit is more surprising than painful.  In fact, adrenaline is the name of the game. Paintball is an exciting, challenging, and altogether fun experience. I can't wait to go again!

With over 35 courses in the Pocono Mountains, wannabe golf pros like myself are presented with a good problem – Which course should I play?  Of course, the plan is to play them all eventually.  So far, I haven't found one I didn't like. Take Split Rock Resort and Golf Club, for instance.

The staff at Split Rock was extremely friendly and helpful, the course, not so much.  If you're not in the short stuff at Split Rock, you'll probably need a new ball. With blind tee shots, water hazards, and miles and miles of OB, this course is sure to make you glad you still have a few range balls in the bag.  But in my opinion, that's what makes a course worthwhile.  Bogeying a difficult hole can be just as satisfying as birdying an easy one.  I'll remember Split Rock because I lost more balls there than anywhere else. Difficult courses will always draw more attention than easy ones. As Tom Hanks says in A League of Their Own, "If it were easy everyone would do it.  It's the hard that makes it great."

I'm an angler at heart, a fly angler to be precise. I even paid my rent for two summers working as a guide in Cody, Wyoming. You could imagine my excitement when I learned I'd be moving to the Pocono Mountains. "Oh the possibilities," I thought. 

As with many outdoor activities in the Pocono Mountains, fishing has many choices. I'd love to hear from you about some of your favorite fishing stories. I'm not asking you to tell me where, as I know anglers will rarely give up their honeyhole. But tell me about an experience you had. What have you noticed about the fishing in the Pocono Mountains in general? Out of all outdoor stories, "Me n' Joe" fishing stories are always the most entertaining. Perhaps because there the most fictional! Let's find out who's got the best.

Much of what I have spoken about in these blogs to date is about what I have been doing over the nine months that I have been here. Now I’d like to turn the tables and ask you (visitor and resident alike) for your help. The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is currently in the process of developing a Strategic Vision for the agency and the tourism industry in the Pocono Mountains. One of the important processes of that Strategic Vision is to understand the future trends that will drive our industry. If we correctly evaluate what is coming and properly prepare for it, we stand in a better position to be successful.

Below is a link to a twenty question survey of tourism trends developed by the Destination Marketing Association International. I’d like your assistance in prioritizing these trends. By rating each statement on a 1 to 5 scale you will help the visitor’s bureau to determine the most important trends to which we need to pay the most attention. Several of the questions will refer to DMO’s (destination marketing organizations), that is what the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is referred to in the industry. Thank you in advance for filling out the survey. I’d be pleased to hear any other comments you’d like to make about what we should be doing in the future. Thank you. Participate in survey.