During the pandemic, we’ve been on the hunt for outdoor, COVID-safe activities to keep our twins occupied and active. When we heard that Camelback Resort in Tannersville, PA was open for snow tubing, the first thing I did was check to see what type of protocols they had in place to keep guests safe. Their website detailed everything from face covering requirements and social distancing to increased sanitization and cashless transactions. It was clear that the resort was following strict safety protocols, so we decided to pack up the car and headed to the Poconos.
As soon as we arrived, my kids couldn’t wait to get up on the mountain. The snow tubing at Camelback has lanes for single tube rides and double tubes. We chose the double tubes side (where you could also do single tubes). This is a great option for families with little ones or any aged kids who might not be able to exit the tube and move over to the side on their own without a parent’s assistance.
Grabbing a double tube and two singles, we took a ride up the “magic carpet” to the top of the mountain where people were lined up at the different lanes. Although there were a lot of people there (it was MLK day) we never felt crowded up against anyone since the large tubes acted as great distance markers for keeping six feet apart. Most people were great about keeping their masks on the entire time and except for a few parents needing to remind their kids to keep them up over the nose (ahem, raises hand) everyone was abiding by the rules and being kind and respectful.
By the time we reached the front of the line, we situated ourselves in our respective tubes and got ready for the ride of our lives. My daughter and I shared a double tube and as we took off down the mountain. I delighted in hearing her gleeful screams. In a year when kids have been deprived of so many normal, fun kid-experiences it was great to see both kids outdoors, getting fresh air and sunshine and the thrill of speeding down a mountain to boot.
The snow tubing sessions at Camelback last two hours and that was plenty of time for us to make several trips up and down the mountain, trying different configurations of who went double and who went solo. At one point my son and I tried tying our single tubes together for an extra exciting mother-son experience. All throughout our session, the two young employees at the front of the lanes did a fantastic job of keeping guests in line and cueing us when it was safe to take off. Not only that, but they did it with an enthusiastic mood – and it was cold outside!
By the end of our tubing session, we were ready for a late lunch. Heading into the Lodge we made our way to the Trails End Pub & Grille for some epic nachos, burgers and sandwiches. With a view of the skiers making their way down the mountain we laughed and relaxed together as a family, enjoying the fact that we got to make new memories and that we had found yet another thing to do together during this stressful time.
