Welcome to the family… Duke? No its Griffin now haha…the name Duke did not fit this little guy.

Well 2 years ago, December 19, 2020, we surprised our daughters with a puppy for Christmas.  We found him on a website in Amish country here in PA. 

It all started with my mom saying she thinks we need another dog in the house. We already had a 70 pound Bordoodle (Border collie-Poodle mix).  He was and still is amazing.  so smart, and sweet.  A gentle giant, a polite begger.  We had hoped for another of the same.  Little did we know the adventure we were about to em”bark” on (pun intended). 

Our daughter Sydney is an amazing artist.  And she has an Etsy channel and sells portraits.  Mostly people request portraits of their pets.  Especially during the holidays. Ok shameless plug.  SydsArtCommissions on Etsy. She was 14 when I asked her to draw a dog portrait as a gift for a friend.  She had no idea that she was drawing her own puppy. 

Left is hte first image we saw of “Duke” om the website.  He looks so sweet and innocent lol.  Right is the portrait Sydney drew for me. 

The girls never expected we would get another dog. And their reactions tell it all.  Please view the link below for the reveal.  https://youtu.be/MMrdy_dMeVc

So we embarked on a trip 3 hours away to pick kup our new baby.  We arrived when it was dark.  They basically grabbed him out of the wood chips and said “here ya go!”.  The mamma was a red border collie and the pappa was a miniature poodle.  Not sure how that happened, but here he is lol.  He was so quiet on the way back to Golf Hill BNB.  slept an snuggled witht the girls in the back.  Smelling slightly of cows lol. Not at all a plesent odor for 3 hours lol.

Once we got back the the house, he was curious and explored around the house and all of us…his new Humans. We all agreed pretty quickly that he was not a “Duke”. So we all started brainstorming names. Fergus, Buddy, Griffin….. We decided he looked like a Griffin.

The next morning we headed back to NY with our little bundle of fur. Only to discover…He does not like car rides. ugh. Poor little guy was snatched from the only home he knew. put in a car for 3 hours and then again for 3 hours to NY. When we arrived home, he was not happy. He was not ready for the next hurtle. Meeting Liam. Our other dog of 5 years. Liam was very curious about the puppy. Griffin who had been pretty much silent since we got him, decided to express himself and bark at Liam. He excerted himself saying “I will not be pushed around big boy!”. LOL

Even though ther was a rough start, they are the best of buddies. They dont want to be apart. Griffin has a piece of our heart. We cant imagine life with out him.

He is not the sweet docile puppy we were expecting. But his personality is perfect! funny, loving, moody at times, and loves to play.

 

The first of our Top 3 Favorite dinner spots in Honesdale, PA

January 2022: Happy New Year!

If you’re considering booking a stay at Golf Hill BNB its important to know whats around town. Even though this is a small town, it has some restaurants that would rival any place in a big city. In this blog post I am listing the first of our top 3 picks on Main street in Honesdale PA where we have our house. All 3 places are only a 5 minute drive from the house. We will be sending our guest who booked for February 2022 a $20 gift certificate to Native.

Native restaurant:

https://www.nativehonesdale.com

I know I’ve mentioned this place before. But it’s just so good it needs repeating. This place is amazing. The atmosphere is so cozy. The combinations they put together are surprising yet perfect. And their presentation is like a work of art. Native is only open for dinner. It’s a good idea to make a reservation.

On this trip we sat at the counter watching the chefs perform their magic. I recommend doing this at least once. The head chef is one of the owners, and his wife runs the front of the house. Such nice people. I love how they bring out each plate separately so you get to savor the flavors before the next comes out. Every time we go there we try something new. Of course we have our favorites. We love ordering a few things and sharing to get the most out of the experience.

We paired our meal with a delicious glass (or 2) of Merlot. They first brought out the toasts. Our favorite is the Shiitake mushroom Gorgonzola. It melts in your mouth. So full of flavor. This time we also ordered the Bison tartar toasts with caper-horseradish dressing for the first time. My husband loved this. It was delicious, however I kept thinking to myself “this is raw!” I got over that and quickly when I tasted the perfect combination flavors.

The green salad with pickled onions and shaved radishes was next. They serve it on a wood cutting board and already dressed with a green goddess dressing. It’s more than enough for 2 people.

For our entrees we had butternut squash raviolis, squid ink spaghetti with shrimp, and Venison osso bucco with creamy polenta. Each dish that came out was better than the next. The ravioli was slightly sweet with a balsamic reduction. They give you about 12 in the large plate and 6 in the small plate. We ordered the large so we would have leftovers.

The spaghetti was black and very mildly flavored with the safron cream sauce. We had planned on having leftovers but it was too delicious and Darryl said its not going to make it home haha.

My favorite was the venison short rib and polenta. It had this savory gravy, served with the bone with the marrow. They garnish it with a bamboo stick so you can eat the marrow.

Dessert was a must. One thing that is nonnegotiable is the goat cheese cheesecake. The goat cheeses gives this cake a unique flavor. I’m obsessed! There is a graham cracker crust and is drizzled with local honey – sinfully delicious.

We had to order an entre size brisket mac and cheese and another cheesecake to bring home to our daughters or they would never forgive us haha.

Guidebook For our Guests- Part 2: Places to visit in the area

Reapers Revenge is an amazing Haunted House event. It consists of several haunted hayrides, haunted woods, haunted houses, and haunted carnivals. If you love halloween – you will LOVE this! Make sure to buy tickets ahead of time online.https://reapersrevenge.net/

Robas Family Farms was the place to be when our kids were younger for fall and halloween events. Picking pumpkins, the petting zoo, the corn maze we got lost in with 3 toddlers (OMG!) the cider donuts, apple cider. Now they are older (teenagers WOW!) and they still enjoy the corn maze, the cider donuts, the overall feeling of being there. Its nostalgic for them, and us. worth the visit, go make some memories with your family! https://www.robafamilyfarms.com/

Lakeland Orchard & Cidery is only open only through Nov 1st. They have so much to offer on this property. Apple picking, you pick produce, flowering kale, sunflowers, zinnias, even a Halloween lightshow. The kids can enjoy some fresh apple cider, the Country Carousel, Cow Train Express, and Pumpkin Bounce. For the adults there is hard cider, live music, and axe throwing. You can stroll through the beautiful Zinnia and Sunflower fields or collect bushels of apples from the many rows of trees. https://www.lakelandorchard.com/

Carousel Water & Fun Park is a great place to bring the kids in the summer while visiting Golf Hill BNB. There are bumper boats, a water slide, wading pool, go-karts, miniature golf, game room and snalck bar. https://carousel-park.com/

Costas Family Fun Park Has much of the same as the Carousel Water &n Fun park. The miniature golf, Bumper boats, waterslide, go-karts. But they have a driving range, batting cage, and lazer tag. They also have a snack bar and childrens playground. https://www.costasfamilyfunpark.com/

Skytop Adventure Center is for the more adventurous. Offering Ziplining, Tree top Adventure Course, Rock Climbing, Archery tag, Paintball, and Axe throwing. https://www.skytop.com/adventure-center/

Claws & Paws Wild Animal Park in Lake Ariel is great for the kids. A zoo that features the usual groupingn of animals. It is geared towards kids. There are Lions, Tigers and Bears (Oh My!), Monkeys, Giraffe, Lemurs, Leopards, Alpaca, Lynx, Jaguar, Cougar, Warthog, Alligators, snakes, Deer, Emu, Goats and so much more. https://www.clawsnpaws.com/

I will continue to add local favorites to this page and post an update as recommendations keep coming from our guests. Hope this helps you plan a memorable trip when you decide to visit Golf Hill BNB! https://abnb.me/YXGJR03g9ab

A Guidebook For Our Guests: part 1, Best Restaurants and Bars in or near Honesdale, PA

We love hearing from our guests and the places they visited while staying at Golf Gill BNB in Honesdale. I thought it would be nice to pass along their recommendations. Today I thought I’d start with places to eat for you foodies out there. My family and I enjoy a good foodie adventure!

In our Guidebook, we listed OUR favorite places. We love hearing if our guests enjoyed them as well. We have added, over time, additional restaurants that our guests have recommended. AND we have had new foodie adventures from their recommendations. That has been so much fun. Several new places have opened up since we were up there fulltime. So stay tuned for updates!

My families All-Time Favorite place in Honesdale is Here & Now! We love their pizza! And we are from NY! So WE KNOW GREAT PIZZA! Their pizzas are not the NY style pizza. Each one has the most interesting ingredients. I never would have thought to put mushrooms, goat cheese, garlic sausage, carmelized onions (The Kelsey In The Woods) or Basil pesto, carmelized onions, ricotta, (The Vacation Meeting), those are our 2 favorites! YUM! They have 9 different pizzas that will satisfy anyone. Our youngest, who is pickier than her older sisters (they are very adventurous with food), loves their pizza The Hide Yo Pesto, which has red sauce, pesto, mozzarella. All the pizzas have this delicious crispy thin crust OMG! soooooo good! They get their ingredients from local farms and everything is made in house. Their menu changes from week to week but they keep their signature dishes throughout. One of our favorite appetizers (when available) is the fried cheese curds with aoili sauce – OMG So good! All that is well and good, but they are also known for their Beer (they are a local brewery!), They brew all their beer in house. They run a rotating tap. You can order a sampler, thats so fun! You get to try a selection of their own beers and decide which you want to order a mug of. Recently they started to offer their beers in cans to take home. You can also get them in refillable growlers. We have an assortment throughout the house ourselves! Its always an experience trying out what their new flavors are. The atmosphere inside is very cool, comfortable and inviting. They will have musicians preform on occassion, and the walls have ever-changing murals. We love to pay for a “Round for the Kitchen” and they ring the bell or they shout once the kitchen staff gets their beers. I can’t say enough good things about Here & Now! Love Love Love this place! http://www.hereandnowbrewing.com/

Our next favorite is Ba & Me vietnamese food. Specifically PHO a delicious bowl of noodle soup with bone broth, meat, veggies. Ba & Me offers a vegan and chicken option.  Its very soothing, delicious, so good for you. Everyplace my family and I visit, we try to find a place to get some PHO. We have had PHO in Manhattan, Long Island, Honesdale, Middletown, Watertown and even up in Gananoque Ontario CA. But Ba & Me also has amazing vietnamese tacos, spring rolls. They have a few locations (Mountaindale NY, Calacoon NY). The Honesdale location is temporarily closed as they relocate across Main Street to a bigger place. Due to open soon I have heard.  It will be worth the wait! https://www.baandme.com/press https://www.baandme.com/about-1 https://www.happycow.net/reviews/ba-and-me-honesdale-129935

If you are looking for feel good home cooking try Laurel’s Hometown Cafe. The portions are enormous! Great for breakfast. Delicious omelettes, scrumptious buttermilk pancakes, savory hash and eggs, just to name a few. Their menu is vast and has something for everyone. Definately comfort food and prepare to bring home leftovers! As I mentioned earlier they have huge portions. We have even ordered a few items for the table and had family style.  Highly recommend. https://www.facebook.com/LaurelsHometownCafe/

Nextdoor to Laurels is Black and Brass on Main street.  They have 2 locations, 520 Main St, and, 101 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA.  The Main street location was the original in Honesdale.  The other is just outside of town overlooking a waterfall.  Both have the same amazing coffee and treats.  Just different atmosphere.  The Mainstreet location has courtyard seating as well as compfy outdoor couch.  The other has indoor (currently not in use due to covid) and outside seatking overlooking a beautiful waterfall.  The coffee is amazing.  Their tea options also amazing. They also offer baked goods, and a selection of breakfast items, chocolates etc.  Great place to visit if you are out and about.   https://blackandbrasscoffee.com/    https://www.facebook.com/BlackAndBrassCoffee/  

If you are craving a NY bagel, you have to visit our friend Vinny at Vinny’s Original Brooklyn Bagels. Coming from NY we are very picky about our bagels. They have to be crispy on the outside and the right amount of chewy on the inside. Vinny nailed it! He makes them the right way by boiling them then baking them. And dont get me started on his scallion cream cheese! OMG! Perfect ratio of cream cheese to scallions. And they feature Black and Brass coffee, a perfect pairing. We always visit when we are in town. https://www.facebook.com/bagelsareourthing/

This next place is about a 30 minute drive to Scranton, but worth the trip. Mansour’s Market Cafe & Eatery. Its the cutest brunch place. Its a family owned and run cafe. Everywhere we looked there were beautiful surprises, from the tin roof, the cozy window seats, and the antique cash registers. The staff was friendly and very knowledgable. The menu had somehting for everyone. From bagels loaded with nlox, cream cheese, capers, onions, and eggs of of every style. French toast, waffles, and the most delicious oatmeal with your chouce of toppings. Mansours is only open for breakfast, brunch, lunch. But I have heard they have a monthly dinner. Can’t wait to experience that! http://www.mansoursmarketcafe.com/

A new place our guest recently recommended was Native on Main street. I love the story of this place. The name comes from the fact that Alex is a native of Honesdale and Caleb has a love for foraging and supporting local agriculture. Native features as many local farmers and producers as possible. Therefore the menu is extremely fresh and entirely made from scratch. The menu comes from the way they like to eat — they love to share in good food and drink together. That is why most menu items are designed for sharing, encouraging guests to order a few things to share and hopefully try something they’ve never had before. Their menu is elevated and so interesting. Very city like in offerings, yet fresh ingredients as you would expect from living in the country. Defintely worth the visit! https://www.nativehonesdale.com/

The Alpine Wurst & Meat House is a local favorite.  As the name would suggest, The Alpine offers a variety of German fare.  Their selection of different meats, they are known for their homemade sausages; bratwurst, knockwurst and keilbasa just to name a few.  The have an Oktoberfest celebration each year that you have to buy tickets for.  Always looks likealot of fun!  (not sure with Covid if it will happen this year, I would call to check out their plans).  My favorite meal their is the Schnitzels, my husband loves the Goulash. https://thealpineonline.com/  https://thealpineonline.com/p/deli-and-meat-house 


So those are our top picks for now, I look forward to adding to our guidebook with each guests recommendation.

Bon appetit!

https://abnb.me/H8AuPIRvQab

Halloween fun in PA

One of the best places we have gone to around Halloween up in PA, (Thanks to the recomendation of Vinny at Vinneys Brooklyn Bagels in Honesdale) was Reapers Revenge.

We came there with a group of girls for my daughters 16 birthday. We waited on line for over an hour. But we were entertained by a magician, and as we got closer, a red neck karaoke guy, that was so funny! When we got up to the front, we went on a haunted hayride. This was so much more detailed than I had imagined.

There were 4 sections. On the way to each there are zombies that walk along side the wagon. Sometimes they grab you, or jump on the wagon to scare you. At one point they broke out in the Michael Jackson Thriller dance. It was awesome! The hayride brings you to a haunted carnival – The Lost Carnival, where there are crazy clowns EVERYWHERE! then the hayride brings you further on to the next attraction Delerium. things are coming off the walls and scaring you, its crazy! My daughers love this stuff! Its worth the trip.

https://reapersrevenge.net/

Fall Is My Favorite Time Of Year In PA.

There is so many wonderful things to do in PA in the fall. From pumpkin picking, apple picking, hiking, or just taking in the beautiful colors of the leaves changing. The weather is crisp, perfect for gathering around the bonfire.

A view of the backyard at Golf Hill BNB during the fall. So many beautiful colors!

I thougtht I would share with you some of the places we have enjoyed over the years in the fall.

Rickards Cider Mill in is always a must to visit for fresh cider this time of year. A wonderful family owned farm. Not fancy, but close and the cider they make fresh and so delicious. *following all Covid19 requirements for social distancing, cleaning, masks etc.
https://www.facebook.com/RickardsCiderMill/

Robas Family Farms has the best pumpkin picking around there. Located 230 Decker Rd, North Abington Township, PA. Its about 40 minutes away from Honesdale, but worth the trip. Their season begins Sept 18 and goes through the end of Halloween. The have a corn maze, Wagon rides, areas for the kids to play on jumbo jumpers, and a farm animal center that the kids can feed the goats, sheep, llamas, bunnies, chickens and pigs. Pig races, Not to mention a huge field of pumpkins. *following all Covid19 requirements for social distancing, cleaning, masks etc.
https://www.robafamilyfarms.com/

Heritage Days in Honesdale from Oct 10-11 from 10-4 on Main Street. Historic Honesdale rolls out the pumpkins, Hay bales and all things fall. They have music, hayrides, train excursions, vendors set up with food and other things. Its a fun time if yoyu are in town that weekend.*following all Covid19 requirements for social distancing, cleaning, masks etc.

Lakeland Orchard and Cidery located at 1649 Lakeland Drive in Jermyn PA. Open only August 1st through November 1st. There really is something for everyone here. This year they have live music in the orchards where you can pick fresh apples or just enjoy some delicious fresh cider, They have these amazing Sunflower, Zinnia and flowering Kale fields you can walk through. Pick yourself up a bouquet or a bushel of apples. The kids will enjoy the Carousel, Cow Train Express and the Pumpkin Bounce. They even have axe throwing! You must buy tickets online prior to going. http://www.lakelandorchard.com. *following all Covid19 requirements for social distancing, cleaning, masks etc.
https://www.lakelandorchard.com/

Tanners Falls is located a few miles away from Honesdale. a beautiful scenic drive to get there. Lakes on either side for teh last few miles. Once you get there the waterfalls are breathtaking. Truly a hidden gem.
https://uncoveringpa.com/how-to-get-to-tanners-falls-wayne-county-pa

Looking forward to each of these experiences again this year! Happy Fall Y’all!

Fathers Day 2020

For Fathers Day this year we unfortunately were not able to do the usual celebrations with extended family. However, we had some adventures nonetheless around NEPA. We were staying up in the Golf Hill BNB for the weekend. The weather was perfect. Spending time together as a family is always special. We are so grateful for Darryl. Amazing dad to our girls.

https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PromptonStatePark/Pages/default.aspx

http://wallenpaupackbrewingco.com/

https://www.poconomountains.com/explore-our-area/lake-wallenpaupack/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Outdoors&utm_term=lake%20wallenpaupack&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuL_8BRCXARIsAGiC51D5uAq30Iwivx8XLaOM31XhtTGuMs2bW0GJR3DJtOJm_6EPeEl9bsUaAs0fEALw_wcB

Darryl and his girls.

Through the eyes of our guest…

I want to thank one of our recent guests Dan, for sharing with us about his stay at Golf Hill BNB with his family for a few weeks.

A couple with 2 kids, they needed a country escape from the city to enjoy their summer break. Im just going to share a few highlights from their stay.

“A very comfortable house to spend time with the family. Room to spread out and relax on the property, as well as easy access to lots of fun places. The house is exactly as described. It was just the summer escape we needed.” Dan H. NYC, NY

Dan recommended Paulies, the Twisted Rail, 2 Guys from Italy pizza for eating out. But they made the most of cooking over the campfire (Even though the house has a fully equipped kitchen as well as a gas grill lol).

https://www.poconomountains.com/listings/bushkill-falls-hiking/2854/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Outdoors&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuL_8BRCXARIsAGiC51DE9qmidOnWavf1-S6q11kmkSj_7PmKSJD25vOtAqmYlfUUAneWwFUaAoWdEALw_wcB

http://wayneconservation.org/669/Outdoor-Recreational-Opportunities
https://www.twoguysfromitalyexpress.com/
http://www.paulieshotdogs.com/

Thanks again Dan and family for sharing your summer adventure with us. Hope to see you again next year! (or sooner lol).

Quarantined Family Getaway

Covid19 Quarantine has been interesting in our home. We have 7 of us at the house all day long. My parents Jack and Sandy, their dog Liam, my husband Darryl, Me (Tamra) and our 3 teenage daughters Morgan, Sydney and Brooke. We have been blessed to be together, to be healthy, and manage to not want to kill each other at the end of each day haha. Plenty of places to go to be by yourself if you want. And if you want company there is always someone there to pal around with. I really cannot complain to much about this situation. We always had plenty of food (and drink), and we never had a shortage of toilet paper haha!

That being said, a change of scenery was much needed. We decided to take a trip up to our house, Golf Hill BNB, for the weekend for a change of pace. It was so wonderful having my parents and Liam with us.

We always had dogs when we lived there fulltime. Seeing Liam run around the yard and get excited to see the chipmunks and bunnies that were everywhere warmed my heart. He is so curious and just wanted to play with them. He looked so upset each time they would run away haha. I love that dog.

It was so nice seeing our house through the eyes of someone else. We love our house. But to see and hear how others view it was a rare gift. We don’t ever get to see and experience how our guests feel about the house. We have done so much work on this house in the past year. My moms reaction to the changes we made and the decorating, was so gratifying. It was like hearing how one of our guests sees it when they first walk through the house. It was so nice to see how relaxed my parents were, reading their books on the deck with their coffee in the morning (or a glass of wine in the afternoon), enjoying sitting by the fire pit. Makes all that work we did worth it.

We took a walk through town, wearing our masks. Had the idea we would get an ice cream cone at Gravity and walk around. We ended up stopping at Black and Brass on Main Street instead, sitting outside on their couches and getting some lattes, iced coffee, iced Chai teas. So good! Then picking up lunch from Romans Polish deli and bringing it back home to eat outside on the deck. Lets face it, the view was better from our deck! It was a very hot day in the beginning of July. And we had the mountain breezes to cool us off.
https://blackandbrasscoffee.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Gravity-Ice-Cream-111359765587639/
http://www.romansfamous.com/

Enjoyed making s’mores by the fire pit with the girls each night while listening to the peepers from our neighbors pond. The deer are getting used to us being around and wandered pretty close to where we were sitting on our last night. So special to witness them walking through the yard, they seem to be on a schedule haha. Every evening, from our deck, we could see them circle around through our neighbors yard, then around to ours. The bunnies were everywhere also! Almost like being in a Disney movie haha. It was the perfect weekend. Then back to reality of our Covid quarantine back at home.

Social Distancing? Life amidst the threat of Corvid-19

Life in quarantine with a family of 7 (plus puppy). I am thankful to have my family home during this uncertain time. Our full house consists of Me-Tamra, my husband Darryl, our teenage daughters-Morgan 16, Sydney 14, Brooke 12 and my parents Jack and Sandy. And not to forget our dog Liam. Liam has the most important job of all-therapy dog haha! Thankfully he loves the cuddles and playing. He keeps us all sane. With so many of us in the house, I am amazed there have been so few arguments and getting on each others nerves.

As a country, we are all experiencing for the most part the same things. Social distancing, home schooling, telecommuting, trying to keep ourselves entertained and keep from going stir-crazy.

We have completed every puzzle in the house (multiple times), played countless games of Jenga, Aggravation, Gin Rummy, etc. Thank God for the Firestick! Caught up on all the shows we said we would watch when we had time. Yet we are still looking for something more.

We have tried to keep as much normalcy as possible. With the gym closed, the girls and I have been working out together each morning, and taking walks outside after lunch as a family just to get some fresh air and sunshine weather permitting. The girls have continued Kungfu with Authentic Shaolin Kungfu virtually through ZOOM. Remote learning started this past week. Not to bad considering we have 3 kids in the house. We had issues once in a while with so many of us being online at the same time. Especially challenging with Darryl and myself working from home.

Also trying to keep everything sanitized and still keeping socially distanced, when going to get groceries. I feel like we’re going on a supply run on an episode of The Walking Dead every time we run to the groceries haha! Wearing gloves, masks, disinfecting the carts, using hand sanitizer and trying to keep 6 feet away from everyone. A lot to keep track of lol. In addition, we have an air filter with Ozone, thank you Amazon! Just to get to the store and find they are out of toilet paper haha! All joking aside, the local stores have been amazing keeping everything clean, and restocked. We appreciate it. Very thankful the liquor stores are considered essential haha!

We praise all the essential workers out there doing what you do. We pray you all stay safe and healthy. And we hope to be back to normal soon. Prayers for the health and sanity of us all!!

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