Fall getaways: Inside Hershey, Nemacolin and Woodloch

Planning a family vacation can require the negotiation skills of a diplomat, especially if multiple generations are traveling. Grandparents may not be enthusiastic about a 5-mile hike and the kids will not be too happy if there’s nothing to do but read a book. Parents, meanwhile, are often hoping for little more than a few hours of peace and quiet.

Here are three resorts in Pennsylvania that might be just the answer, all with beautiful settings and so much to do that no one will be bored — even those who want to do nothing at all.

Woodloch

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: 2½ hours

Our mission is “to treat all guests as if they were company in our own homes,” said CEO Bradley Kiesendahl, who manages the resort for his family, which has owned the popular destination since 1958. Since then, the resort, set on Lake Teedyuskung in the northeast Pocono Mountains, has grown from 12 acres to around 1,200. There are three distinct facilities. Woodloch Pines is the four-season family resort, along with Woodloch Springs  where you’ll find an 18-hole golf course and the Lodge at Woodloch, a destination spa for guests 16 and older. You can also rent one of the 12 homes on the property.

Generations of families have come year after year, said Kiesendahl, drawn by the natural setting and the ability to “just connect with each other for a few hours.” There’s not much you can’t do at Woodloch, with activities geared to every season. “You can be busy from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.,” he said. In the fall and spring, hiking the 1½-mile nature trail tops the agenda for many guests and the resort goes all out for Halloween, with a truly spooky Haunted Walk. There are courts for volleyball and tennis and both indoor and outdoor basketball courts.

While it’s still warm, the lake offers water-skiing, boats and kayaks, and there are outdoor and indoor pools. In the winter, there’s an ice rink and snow tubing. A social staff keeps guests busy with daily activities (scavenger hunts, family Olympics, bonfires) and nightly entertainment including, on some nights, a Broadway-style show in the 600-seat nightclub.

Accommodations range from basic hotel rooms to spacious multibedroom homes. For an all-inclusive experience, book a meal plan (all meals or just lunch and dinner) with some of the food coming from the resort’s Blackmore Farm.

Hershey Resorts

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: 3½ hours 

It’s not all about chocolate at these Pennsylvania destinations, often called “the sweetest place on earth.” Visitors can choose from two lodgings — the historic Hotel Hershey, famous for its chocolate-themed spa or the Hershey Lodge, where an indoor water park is a major incentive for families. Both places offer packages that include admission to Hersheypark, a major family attraction in the Northeast that was opened in1906 by chocolate magnate Milton Hershey for the enjoyment of his workers.

Hotel Hershey is bit more formal, set on a hill overlooking the town and notable for its historic Spanish architecture, grand fountain and meticulously-groomed gardens. At the spa, you can get a facial that comes with an edible chocolate mask or a chocolate fondue body wrap (if chocolate’s not your thing, other indulgences include a pumpkin souffle body wrap or a pumpkin spice body treatment). Food options range from fine dining at The Circular to quick bites at Chef’s Market. The vibe is more casual at Hershey Lodge, with it 30,000-square-foot Water Works, a splash park with candy-themed attractions like Reese’s Water Walk. There’s an all-day coffee shop called Cocoa Beanery, along with several other dining spots, including a chophouse and the sports-themed The Bears' Den, honoring the local hockey team.

Guests at both the hotel and the lodge are offered shuttle service to Hersheypark, as well as packages that allow early arrival and later departure. From Oct. 5-9, the park is the site of the popular antique car show and flea market. Beyond the theme park, other attractions included with a stay are Chocolate World, a gigantic retail complex/candy store where visitors can learn how cocoa beans are turned into chocolate. Additional activities include creating your own chocolate bar (starting at $29.95 a person) and trolley tours of the quaint town (starting at $24.95 a person). Come down from the sugar high at Hershey Gardens, where you’ll find 23 acres of beautiful flowers, rare trees, a butterfly atrium and a children’s garden.

Nemacolin resort 

DRIVING DISTANCE FROM MELVILLE: 6½ hours or an 1½ hour drive from the Pittsburgh airport via Kennedy or LaGuardia airports

If you're looking for a fall foliage road trip, take a family drive to this Pennsylvania resort. 

“You feel like you’ve been transported to another world,” wrote a former guest on TripAdvisor, describing how she felt driving up to the Grand Lodge modeled after the Ritz in Paris. The accommodations at the 2,200-acre resort in the hills of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands are unlikely to impress the kids in the family, but no worries — they’ll be too busy enjoying the resident wildlife and activities like zip lines, miniature golf and rope courses.

Accommodations range from The Chateau (a variety of rooms and suites) to the all-suite Grand Lodge to the adult-only Falling Rock, inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s nearby Fallingwater (butler service included in some rooms at all three locations). There are also several homes that can be rented for larger groups. The resort has two 18-hole golf courses as well as a family-focused miniature course, but the options for keeping busy are endless — fly fishing, rock climbing, white-water rafting, archery range, horseback trail rides. The resort’s holiday village opens Nov. 20, with visits from Santa, shopping for seasonal crafts ($175, $150 ages 5-12, or book the Holiday Village package, which includes a Christmas tree in your room).

For many, the resorts biggest draw is the wildlife program. More than 200 animals reside on site, from big cats (yes, lions and tigers) to bears and one rescued horse named Portia. Guests can hop in a jeep for a domestic safari or spend an afternoon with some miniature horses, an activity that includes decorating them with animal-safe paints. Children 4-12 can be dropped off at the kid’s club to enjoy a rope course, carousel or the arcade while their parents chill at the spa or test the casino. Grown-ups might also be interested in the resort’s extensive art collection, which includes several pieces by sculptor Alexander Calder. A vintage hangar houses a collection of classic aircraft and automobiles (among them a Model T Ford and the bike from the film “Easy Rider”).

Needless to say, all this should work up an appetite, not a problem with 19 different spots for everything from a quick snack poolside to a multi-course tasting dinner at the five -star Lautrec.