Historically speaking, I hate waterparks. My experience is that they are crowded, hot and never very clean. In addition, my idea of relaxing doesn’t usually involve anything much more active than watching high tide roll in. So, it may seem surprising when I say that we voluntarily spent last weekend in the Poconos as CamelBeach Mountain Water Park and CamelBack Mountain Adventures.
Sure, these don’t seem like places the lady in the red heels might choose to spend her weekend, but I have three little people whose life experience is more important to me than my own hesitations, so when given the opportunity to try out what Camel Back resort had to offer for summer, we packed up the new wheels and headed for the mountains.
We spent Saturday at CamelBeach and Sunday at Mountain Adventures.
There is so much to say, but I will let the video at the end do most of the talking. I do have to tell you this: CamelBeach changed my mind forever about water parks. The entire experience was amazing, from the moment we were ushered into the parking lot, I was impressed by not just what Camel Back had to offer, but also with the way they offer it. This place has a million attractions that will please every member of your family from young to old and no matter whether you’re riding the lazy river or standing in line for The Titan slide, CamelBeach staff and guests all make you feel like you’d never want to be anywhere else.
The park is clean. The rides are well monitored and run so you can just focus on what a blast they all are, and it is clear that the park has your family in mind. Kids are encouraged to try it all and there are enough options that every sized kid has something they can love. And of course, I can’t forget the cabanas that you can rent to use for home base. We loved having a place to keep our stuff and rest our feet in between racing down the Checkered Flag Challenge or getting soaked at Pharaoh’s Phortress. Our cabana was right outside the Olympic Pool so our kids could swim while mom and dad rested in the shade while we noshed on lunch and perhaps even a cocktail. It is a long day after all!
We had such a great time it was nearly impossible to pull everyone away. Luckily, we had the lure of Hibachi to get the kids moving on!
Before dinner, we checked in at the hotel. The Chateau is right next to CamelBack so the convenience factor is high. While a bit dated, the hotel is clean and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The outdoor pool is stunning and of course, you can’t beat the view!
We went to dinner at Desaki,a nearby hibachi place with a great partnership with CamelBack. Like everything else this weekend, family is Desaki’s focus. My kids love hibachi no matter what so I knew we’d be in for a great night. But, the owner of Desaki, told us that he and his wife built a restaurant that they would want to to take their three children to and man, did it show. Not only was the meal entertaining and delicious, but every bit of the experience was catered to our children. There was a clown for face painting and balloon animal making while we waited for a table. In addition, we were told if it ever got really crowded, kids could take the rickshaw for a spin outside or just gaze at the deer that would gather at the feeder on the property. Vincent and his wife thought of everything, including video game stations for impatient kiddoes, that would help make the night enjoyable for the whole family, mom and dad included. We had a fantastic time at Desaki. So much so that none of us can wait to go back again!
Sunday morning we woke to another day of adventure, this time on dry land. At Camel Back Adventure there is a rollercoaster built right into the mountain that you can control yourself! The Middle One enjoyed that enough to ride twice! The two older kids and dad ziplined on the 1000 foot line and they all agreed they’d come back again with me to try the 4000 foot Twin Zip Flyer. There was a park for smaller adventurers that had a rock wall and Euro bungee for kids to practice jumps and flips!
All in all, every minute we spent on CamelBack Mountain, wet and dry, was fantastic! We’ve already started planning our trip back next summer. We’re Pocono fans and water park adventure converts! Not convinced? Check out what the family has to say over taco dinner.
Disclosure: We were hosted as guests for the weekend by Camelbeach, including entrance passes to Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark, cabana and lunch. Overnight accomodations provided by the Chateau Resort and Conference Center. Dinner provided by Desaki. Opinions expressed are strictly our own.
P.S. Looking for more parenting guidance and tips for self-care? Check out From Chaos to Calm a guided training to help you feel better in this tough season.
