Happy New Year to everyone! Keith, myself and all our staff wish our guests, past and present, as well as our family and friends the best in 2010. We’ve been very busy this year and that includes December. We’ve hosted our share of Christmas parties as well as a wedding on New Year’s Day. Quite magical, I’d say!
For all of you who have not had the opportunity to stay here at Woodfield, we’re waiting for you. With the shortest day just behind us, we still have a lot of winter left. What are you waiting for? Take it from someone who lives in the mountains, it is one beautiful place! We have two state parks very close to Woodfield Manor that are wonderful for winter walking as well as Camelback and Jack Frost for skiing and snowboarding. There are plenty of places to shop, dine and explore. Mt Airy Casino with its’ weekend enterainment is just 10 minutes away. Our outdoor fireplace is even closer and stocked with enough firewood to last till spring. Imagine sitting outdoors with family or friends in front of a crackling fire enjoying a warm drink, toasting marshmallows and just talking.You look up and realize you can’t remember the last time you saw this many stars. It’s all waiting for you at Woodfield Manor in the Pocono Mts. Come and count the stars!

     Well, hello again. I’ve been absent from blogging these last few months and I think part of it was the “business of summer”. On the Woodfield property there is always something to do. Besides helping our guests enjoy their stay, there is grass cutting, taking care of the pool and maintaining the garden areas. But another reason might have been “a wee trip” Keith and I took this September. It was a short jaunt to a country that has certainly captured our hearts, Ireland. We spent 4 days on the east coast in the fair city of Dublin and tried our best to fill the time we had with as much as we could, this side of insanity. After an early breakfast we would drive north or south of the city to sites that could satisfy our love of “the old and spirited places”; the Boyne Valley, the Hill of Tara and the monastery of Glendalough to name a few. These are fantastic sites but there was one especially poignant place we had visited and it did not disappoint. It is called Uisneach and represents the sacred center from which Ireland is divided. Just some slanting fields, bordered by corpses of trees where cows graze and crows fly from tree to tree. Very powerful and haunting. Well, enough of that. So, TAN and SUNDANCE members, if you’d like Ireland to be a TAN destination let us know. We might be able to convince our owners that Ireland might just have to be the next Woodfield East.

                                                                      Slan

   Last Friday night the Manor Bar at the Woodfield Chophouse was alive with music.  A local well known musician, Joe O’Malley, was kind enough to set up stage and perform for our bar and restaurant guests.  A very accomplished guitar player with the kind of voice that make you want to sing along,  Joe found a very receptive audience here at Woodfield.  The listeners were a mix of Manor guests and locals many of whom follow Joe’s performances.   I wouldn’t call them “groupies” but they know good music when they hear it and they were enthusiastic.   Watch this website for additional appearances by Mr. Joe O’Malley here at Woodfield Manor.  He can take the stage anytime he wants.

     Although  every season has something to offer our guests, summer brings an exciting energy to the longer days with a wonderful playground just outside our door. There are golf courses, horse stables,movie theaters, summer theater, dancing, fishing, hiking and all the scenic wonders of the lovely, ever popular Pocono mountains.

     On the Woodfield Manor property , our heated pool is a favorite daytime social center but we’ll soon have a outdoor game area with badminton and horseshoes for our guests and their family to enjoy. Our next project, is to improve the seating and ambiance of our outdoor fireplace so our guests can stay out late enjoying a glass of wine or an ice tea while stargazing near their own “summer campfire”. We might even have to break out the marshmallows and hotdogs.

     We can’t forget our fine dining restaurant and the wonderfully creative drinks, dinners, desserts, as well as the great service of our chef and staff. We at the Chophouse are excited to announce a new service of “Afternoon Tea” which will be held Sundays 1-3pm. Our first ”Sunday Tea” is June 14th and will be served in 4 courses which includes fine premium tea, freshly baked scones and tea breads, soup, salad, or mini quiche, finely cut tea sandwiches and a trio of delicate desserts. We are presently accepting advanced seating reservations for this “lovely full tea experience.” To make a reservation or ask about more details call 895-4460. Come visit and celebrate your special occasion with us.

One of the best things about our job is meeting interesting people. Recently we had the pleasure of speaking with two very active guests who certainly enjoyed the great outdoors in the Poconos. Besides being out and about with their kayak they were avid birdwatchers and they happily shared their knowledge with us.Being a gardner, I spend alot of time outdoors and was very aware of our bird population but it wasn’t until we spoke with the Martyns did I realize just how varied our bird population was. They told us  in just 4 days they recognized by sight and sound a total of 60 species of bird.

      The short list includes Scarlet Tanagers, Baltimore Orioles, Magnolia Warblers, Black Poll Warblers,Spotted Sandpipers, Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, Redstarts, Goldfinch and Downy, Hairy, Red Belly and Pileated Woodpeckers. They explained that the large line of trees across the road by our pool  appears to be “bird central”. So, future guests, come with eyes and ears open as you sit by the pool enjoying the warmer weather, or walking the property, because you just might spot some of our wonderful winged friends.

     As the weather warms everyday we’re beginning to see and hear the first signs of life at Woodfield Manor. The winter crows (which I love) are still present but returning robins, sparrows, and bluebirds add to the activity by calling their mates and making nests. I’ve seen increased movement of turkey around the property as well as deer inching their way back to our greening lawns and we consider ourselves lucky to sneak a peek at them down by the pool at dusk.

     The landscape around Woodfield changes from cut lawn to untamed overgrowth as it meets the woods. An early spring walk can reveal nature’s treasures. A closer look at the forest floor which is covered with mulch and dried leaves hides a secret world of insects and still emerging spring plants. But as the woods and overgrowth act as “a backdrop of wildness” to the propery, any good gardner knows there are always small pockets of wildness that long to be tamed into unexpected beauty for me as well as my guests.

     So that said, Keith and I are trying to steal snippets of time to start new small gardens at Woodfield. Last year we planted our cutting garden which supplied the dining rooms with cut flowers for most of the summer into the fall. This year I’d like to add a shaded garden with seating and a scented herb garden. George, our maintenance engineer, has promised to make nesting houses for our bird population as well as helping us improve our outdoor fireplace for our guests to enjoy summer stargazing and conversation.

     As beautiful as winter is at Woodfield Manor, I think we’re all excited to see spring and summer return.

    The winter weather continues here in the Pocono mountains, more snow is on the way, and cold temperatures hold fast.  For the outdoor enthusiast this is heaven.  Skiing, snow boarding and tubing are all the rage.   But what to do after a day enjoying nature’s wonderland?  We at the Woodfield Manor Chophouse Restaurant have just the answer.  Delicious food, hearty wine, and good company.  It’s time for another of the Chophouses’ much anticipated “Wine Tasting” events.  This time we’re going Italian, Five courses of devine Italian food, soup, salad, appitizer, entree and dessert, all served with a appropriate Italian wine.  Talk about a way to spend a cold winters night!  The Wine Tasting will be held at our Chophouse Restaurant on Swiftwater Road, Swiftwater, on Wednesday, February 25th., at 7:00pm.  Space is limited and reservations are a definite.  Call us at 570-895-4460 to reserve your seat.  Your wine expert for the evening will be Tom Rogari.  He will making the wine presentations and is ready to help make this another night to remember at the Chophouse Restaurant at Woodfield Manor.

   A bright spot in our winter season is fast approaching.   Saturday is Valentines Day, that special 24 hours in which we  try to demonstrate our love and affection to that one person that means so much.  All lovers, young and old, married or single, it’s time to show that you know how to plan a good time.  Put on your warm coats, get in the car, and drive to nature’s winter wonderland: The Pocono Mountains.   The air is crisp and clean, the newly fallen snow crunches under your feet, and the night sky is full of stars.  Now,  how to cap a beautiful day with the one you love.   It’s easy, come to the Woodfield Manor Chophouse Restaurant for a culinary experience that will say “I Love You”.   Whether it’s a regular menu item or one of our special holiday additions, what says romance more than spectacular food served in an atmoshere of quiet elegance.   Show that Valentine just how much you care….The Chophouse Restaurant at Woodfield Manor, only the best will do!

     Winter evenings at Woodfield have been clear, frosty and filled with starry skies. The fields lay frozen and silent as moonlight illuminates the white pines and the dark firs heavy with snow and ice. Smoke pours from nearby chimneys and scents the air. Away from the main roads, Woodfield is the place to experience the timeless beauty of winter in the country.  So bundle up, brave the chill and take a walk around Horseshoe Drive or better yet take time to sit by our outdoor chimney fireplace and count the stars. At dusk you may be lucky to see whitetail deer making their way across the property to the woods beyond. Are you cold yet? Come inside to our bar and warm up with an Irish coffee, some fine wine or one of Judy’s winter martinis.

     During the day, the crisp air invites you to visit a nearby stable to horseback ride, walk the trails of Tobyhanna State Park, or ski and snowtube at Camelback Mt. This is the place to be outdoors.  As the day winds down, come sit by the fireplace, tell us of your experiences and prepare for tomorrows adventure.

   The Holidays are breaking out all over at Woodfield Manor.   The decorations, the music, the snowy winter weather, a combination just made for good times and fond memories.  The Chophouse Restaurant at Woodfield was alive with guests enjoying fine food and a respite from the hustle and bustle.  The diners were also treated to something very special on Christmas Eve.   One of our hotel guests turned out to be a concert violinist looking for a place to play.  Miss Catherine Boyd and her boyfriend Steve Kuzma were spending the week with us, and once we learned of her musical talents, it wasn’t long before we convinced Christine to play for our guests in the Chophouse on Christmas Eve.  She stolled through the dining room taking requests and played magnificently.  From light hearted Carols to serious Mozart,  smiles and some tears were evoked by this talented musician.  She even was able to get our Manor Bar patrons toe tapping and clapping to a lively set of Irish Jigs.  At the end of the evening it was our pleasure to treat our young couple to some Chophouse specialties.  Sometimes the unexpected turns out to be very, very special.  Only thing, how are we going to top this next year?  We’re working on it, stop by see how we do.