Ahh, Vacation!

Memories and ideas to enjoy your time in the Pocono mountains

  • Ahh, Vacation!

    First Season

    Our first season, in the Spring/Summer 2023, is going well. We are so grateful of the great guests we have had so far, and very appreciative of how they all seem to have enjoyed our Cabin!

    No matter how hard some areas and communities in the Country are reacting to Short Term Rental, the original AirBnB spirit, the one of enjoying sharing your property with respectful guests, and for guests, to explore the care that every host puts in their property to make them feel welcome and to share the joy of vacation, is still alive and well.

    Here are some quotes from Reviews left by guests:

    Our family loves staying at this place. perfect location inside the hideout close to the lake and the recreational center as well as the pool. The house is extremely cozy and has everything you need for a great weekend. Thank you! – Dainel

    The house itself was perfect—I spent the whole day there Saturday—very comfy, great sunlight through the skylights, birdsong. The place was clean, the kitchen well-equipped, and it’s a short walk to the lake. Would like to return and check out the lake in warmer weather. I recommend the Tall Hill Lake House for a restful getaway! – Keith

    We had a great time. Love the big cozy couch. Lots of pots and pans, dishes, coffee maker, gas stove and modern microwave! Games, big TV, nice neighbor said hello. Extras like clean towels and coffee! Lots of stairs in the house. – Tracy

    The Tall Hill Lake House was comfortable and serene. Lisa was a very responsive host. The space in the house is well laid out to give people privacy when they want it, and spots to gather when they don’t want it! The top floor bedroom was a little warm even with the downstairs AC going and a bedroom fan, but we left the bedroom and bathroom door open and that really helped. Friendly neighbors greeted us and the location, especially for the family-friendly North Beach cannot be beaten. Thank you, Lisa! – Ryan
  • Landmarks in the Near West

    Myth and History around us

    North East Pennsylvania (NEPA), which we like to call the Near West, has a lot of history and remarkable memorabilia to fall in love with.

    MOVIES and SHOWS

    We are very close to Scranton, and if you are a fan of The Office you will find plenty of interesting landmarks to check out. You can check this post for more information.

    The Virtuoso movie has some scenes shot at Doc’s at the Rocks, a few minutes from Tall Hill Lake House.

    Blue Valentine was filmed in Honesdale, PA.

    Playing for Keeps has scenes filmed in Scranton, Honesdale, Hawley.

    Wet Hot American Summer, even if fictionally set in Maine, was filmed at Camp Towanda in Honesdale, PA.


    SONGS

    When ’tis the Season, we cheer the soundtrack of the Holidays, and one of the most famous songs, “Winter Wonderland“, has its origin very close to Tall Hill Lake House, at the Central Park in Honesdale, PA. Richard Bernhard Smith, a native of Honesdale, wrote the lyrics to the song in 1934 after seeing the Park covered in snow. So, when you visit our area during the Christmas season, you will have extra pleasure singing the carol while taking a walk where it was actually inspired.


    HISTORICAL EVENTS

    In less than one hour you can be at the site of the original 1969 Woodstock concert, in Bethel Woods. It is definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been there before. They have the Monument where the concert was held, still great concerts especially in the Summer, in the new pavilion on the same hill, and a phenomenal Museum about the 1969 concert. Read more here.


    LANDMARKS

    Route 6, mentioned in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, passes just north of us, coming from Milford through Hawley, Honesdale and Carbondale. If you remember the book, Kerouac infamously started his trip going north on the Hudson Valley, ending up stuck at Bear Mountain before he decides to go back south and take a bus.

  • Ahh, Vacation!

    Movies set in cozy cabins

    If you try to search the internet for movies based on ambiance, you realize there is not a good database for such type of research. In the winter, sometimes we crave the feeling of a log cabin in the woods, fire going, snow falling, nature hibernating, and cold weather. If you use the keyword “cabin”, invariantly you are directed to horror movies.

    Tall Hill Lake House is equipped with a TV over the fireplace, an Apple TV that you can use to access your Netflix or other streaming services, a DVD player, and some movies.

    For “cabin feeling”, we recommend:

    The Gold Rush, by and with Charlie Chaplin, 1925. The movie shows two remarkable cabins in Klondike, and it is perfect for New Year’s Eve given the Saloon scenes and the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

    Continental Divide, with John Belushi, 1981. A good portion of the movie is set up in the Rockies in Wyoming, with a wonderful isolated log cabin. It begins in Chicago with a story that hardly seems to lead to a log cabin… Just keep watching.

    Alone in the Wilderness, with Dick Proenneke, 2005. Documentary about the life in Alaska of Dick Proenneke, based on his own footage. The movie not only shows a cozy cabin that today is a National Monument, but it also shows you how it was built from scratch by one man.

    On Golden Pond, with Henry Fonda, 1981. The vacation cottage on the lake is beautiful. Fishing, isolation in nature, and table games for cozy nights inside.

    Have other favorites that are NOT horror movies? Please post them here in the comments!