An easy 3 ½-hour drive from Baltimore will put you at the AAA Five-Diamond-rated Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Whether you’re looking for a girlfriends’ spa getaway, a couple’s golf weekend or a family-friendly vacation spot that has more than enough to keep everyone entertained, Nemacolin has it all, as I found out on a recent visit.
Situated on nearly 2,000 acres in Farmington, Pa., Nemacolin is known for a lot of things — an award-winning spa (with a separate “age-appropriate” spa for kids ages 5 to 15); a holistic center with complimentary therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology and meditation; a Pete Dye-designed golf course; a recent appearance on ABC’s “The Bachelorette” (which happened to coincide with my visit, complete with a splashy party to celebrate its star turn); its Lautrec restaurant, one of just 27 dining venues to earn Forbes Five-Stars and AAA Five-Diamonds — the list goes on and on.
There are almost as many accommodation options as there are activities. The resort recently completed a $75 million renovation, so you can’t go wrong no matter where you lay your head.
My friend and I stayed in the Chateau Lafayette (inspired by the Ritz in Paris). But there are other choices, from the English Tudor Lodge, constructed in 1968 as a private game reserve by Willard F. Rockwell of Pittsburgh and extensively renovated by founder Joseph A. Hardy III (of 84 Lumber fame) and his daughter, current owner Maggie Hardy Magerko; to Falling Rock, a tribute to the architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright whose masterpiece, Fallingwater, is close enough for an excursion (and well worth it).
For more private digs, you also can rent townhomes and luxury executive homes (and if you can’t bear to leave your pooch at home, there’s a spot at Nemacolin Wooflands!).
If you’re the outdoorsy type, in addition to tennis and golf (both miniature and full-size), there’s a Shooting Academy; Wildlife Academy that features everything from animal safari tours to dog sledding; Adventure Center, complete with zip lines and climbing wall; and Jeep Off-Road Driving Academy. And don’t miss the antique car collection and airplane museum.
A highlight that sometimes doesn’t make it to that long list of bragging rights is the fact that the resort also is home to a $45 million art collection that’s completely accessible to guests and the general public via a free art tour that takes place at 3:30 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday. Guests interested in a more in-depth experience may enjoy the Curator’s Tour, which is available each Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at a charge of $30 per person and includes a glass of wine.
And if you’d like to try your hand at creating your own work of art, Nemacolin offers a “Paint & Sip” program in its onsite art studio in which participants get an art lesson while enjoying wine or sparkling water (we chose the wine!). For the younger set, “My Little Masterpiece” is a family-friendly program that couples art class with a milk-and-cookie treat.
Approximately a mile from the resort on Route 40 is the Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin with approximately 600 slot machines, 29 table games and a casual dining restaurant and lounge.
If you can tear yourself away (which may indeed be difficult), the surrounding Laurel Highlands beckon, from Frank
Lloyd Wright-designed signature homes Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob (which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and hosts public tours, including monthly special events and farm-to-table dinners).
The tiny town of Ohiopyle (just 12 minutes from Nemacolin) is surrounded by the 20,500-acre Ohiopyle State Park and is close to the endpoint of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. Hike, raft or kayak along the Youghiogheny River with rapids that run from classes I to V. (There are numerous outfitters in town where you can rent equipment or sign up for an excursion.)
After three days of sipping, painting, dining, spa-going, miniature golfing (on a course more beautiful than most adult golf courses), I was utterly relaxed — and sorry to leave. About the only thing Nemacolin doesn’t have is an ocean.
But I promise, you won’t even miss it.
For information, visit www.nemacolin.com and www.laurelhighlands.org.
Carol Sorgen is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
Photos courtesy of Nemacolin
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