Beating the Winter Blues With a Fun-Filled Weekend Family Getaway

Winter can often be filled with stuck-inside boredom where every day feels the same. How our family getaway helped break the cycle.

Kids walking while carrying skis.

Camelback Resort

Winter break came and went. It was busier than expected. All good things. All fun things and family time.

But now here we are in the humdrum cycle of the winter blues brought on by cold temperatures with little daylight, plugging through school and work. We've returned to extracurricular activities, the rat race and never-ending cycle of being a parent Uber, and weekends filled with dance rehearsals, soccer practices and games, and other scheduled activities.

Thankfully, I found one key way to beat those blues—a winter getaway! I've written in the past about the importance of traveling with your nuclear family. That travel includes both long, extended vacations, as well as weekend getaways.

A Winter Getaway Works Just Fine

Most people beat the winter blues by traveling somewhere warm where the sun is shining. They want to escape the cold temperatures that cover a large part of the country in the winter. But sometimes you can have both winter fun and summer warmth in the same weekend getaway.

My family recently visited Camelback Resort in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It's a ski area that's celebrating 60 years with the 2023-2024 winter ski and snowboard season. And wow—it has changed so much since I used to visit in high school for day trips to ski with friends and family.

The biggest change for me was the Camelback Lodge, which opened in 2015, with the Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark, Arcadia Adventures (arcade), and multiple dining options. One of the restaurants, Trails End Pub & Grille literally sits at the base of a ski trail and just steps from one of the chair lifts, giving Vermont or Western ski village vibes.

Trail's End Pub at Camelback Mountain

Camelback Resort

We stayed at the resort for two nights, enjoying all of the amenities and experiencing both winter fun (skiing and snow tubing!) and the waterpark. It was truly a family experience from start to finish.

We are avid skiers, and it was fun to take the kids and experience a new mountain together. Mother Nature threw us some weather curveballs. I swear, we skied in spring, fall, and eventually winter. We saw rain, sun, and snow as the temperatures dropped from 49 degrees when we started, down into the 30s by lunch. Although it was not what we expected, we dressed appropriately and rolled with the punches, even the kids. (Camelback's one-year-old six-person high-speed chairlift with a "bubble" certainly helped!)

Despite the weather challenges, and it being a holiday weekend during our visit—we felt like there was plenty of terrain open to ski and the lift lines weren't crowded.

Family photo out skiing

Sari Hitchins

Indoor Waterparks for the Win

Once the temperatures really started to tumble, we decided it was time to warm up at Aquatopia, Camelback Resort's indoor waterpark. Indoor waterparks seem to be growing in popularity across the United States. According to a 2021 report from Hotel & Leisure Advisors, there were almost 275 indoor waterpark resorts or standalone indoor water parks in the U.S. and Canada.

So, we headed back to our room for a quick change and down to the waterpark we eagerly went. This is where I saw my big kids become excited little kids once again. They wanted to ride all the slides and try (almost) everything. But I think the biggest kid of all was my husband. I think he did ride everything! And they even got me on some rides I didn't think I would go on.

Aquatopia at Camelback Resort in Pennsylvania

Camelback Resort

Aquatopia boasts North America's largest Texlon transparent roof and 14 water slides for kids of all ages. For the parents, there's also the highly recommended 21 and over swim-up bar. What's cool about this is there's a counter so the kids can sit on the outside and grab a bite, while the parents are on the inside, in the water, grabbing a drink. (By the way, they also have an outdoor waterpark for the summer too!)

It was really fun to experience a winter activity and a summer activity on the same day! In fact, my husband went back to winter to experience Camelback's night skiing under the lights. We were all exhausted after the full day, but it couldn't end without what was our second trip to the arcade.

A Family Resort With Activities Is a Must

During dinner on our first night at Trails End, a magician visited our table with card tricks that not only blew our kids' minds but also ours. I mean, he figured out my mother-in-law's name ... and transferred my one daughter's signature to a playing card that had my other daughter's signature on the other side!

There are events scheduled throughout the day including donut decorating, a silent disco, and balloon animals, just to name a few. Although we took part in a few of the activities (donuts, yum!), seeing the smiles on the faces of the little kids taking part made me nostalgic for the days when my kids were younger. They would have danced like no one was watching during the silent disco. Now my teen and tween are in their fully embarrassed by their parents phase.

Kids playing at an arcade.

Sari Hitchins

At night, Arcadia Adventures heats up. It honestly looks like a casino for kids! On the lower level, there are more than 100 games for kids to play and win tickets, save up, and then go "shop" for a prize. Upstairs, there's a ropes course, rock-climbing wall, laser tag, and VR experiences.

If skiing or riding isn't your thing, snow tubing is a great way to still get outside during the winter. Camelback has 40 snow tubing lanes and is open day and night. You can ride by yourself in a single tube, or grab a friend or family member to ride double.

This was the last thing we did before we had to leave to get to a soccer game, because of course no weekend is truly free. But we wish we had more time!

Family at snow tubing park

Sari Hitchins

Our little weekend getaway was a blast. We made core memories with our kids and it took us out of the norm of our day-to-day. Plus, we love being able to ski close to home!

Were there squabbles? Was the early alarm tough for the kids to get up to even do something fun on "days off?" Yes. But in the end, it was quality time well spent together.

Now, excuse me while I take my one daughter to soccer, and my husband does dance drop-off.

Camelback Resort: The Details

Location: The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, approximately 90 minutes from New York City and two hours from Philadelphia.


Camelback Lodge: Features 453 guest rooms ranging from standard hotel rooms to multi-bedroom suites including fireplaces and full kitchens. There are several restaurants and counter-service eateries throughout, as well as two shops. As a bonus, they allow dogs (for a fee). The Aquatopia Waterpark and Arcadia are just an elevator ride away. Admission to the waterpark is included with your stay. Rates start at $199 a night for a standard room but can go to almost $1,400 a night for the larger, multi-level, three-bedroom condos. The rates are higher during peak seasons and holidays and will vary depending on the type of room, demand, and availability.


Camelback Mountain: The ski area has 39 trails and nine chairlifts, plus several magic carpets servicing beginner terrain. The rental operation is quick and efficient offering skis, boards, boots, and helmets. There is also the Camelback Ski & Ride Academy for those who want lessons beginning at age 4. The mountain is open for night skiing and your lift ticket is good all day. Lift tickets range from $65 during the week to more than $100 for holiday weekends. Rates are based on time of year, demand, and availability.


Tubing: The tubing park features 40 lanes, and is open day and night. You can book online for a two-hour session. Tickets range from $59-$75 based on time of year, demand, and availability.


Parking: It's important to note, that unlike many of its Poconos competitors, Camelback does charge for parking whether you are just skiing for the day, tubing, or even staying at the lodge.

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