A few weeks ago the hubs and I visited Nemacolin Resort outside of Pittsburgh.
This trip was in part thanks to Santa Claus (aka my parents) who gave Brady a
gift card to the resort last year. We decided on a last minute trip to
celebrate his birthday!
The resort has a pretty crazy history that you can read here. The
quick low down is that the resort is currently owned by the Hardy Family – the
family that founded 84 Lumber.
If you plan on visiting, a few tips:
Don’t go on a
Thursday, Friday or Saturday: This resort is a bit pricey and if you
are looking to save a buck, go on an off day. For example, we went on a Sunday
and saved $120 vs. the weekend night rates.
Take Time To
Walk Around the Hotel: This resort is seriously like a museum. As you
walk from building to building, you will see different items in the vast Hardy
art/artifact collection. There are super old stock purchases, art and one of the
largest salt water fish tanks. You will also see autographs of some pretty
famous people. Joe Hardy goes all out for his birthday and parties for his
children. You will see pictures and autographs from celebs like Robin Williams
(RIP), Bette Midler, Bill Crosby, Hilary Duff, Christina Aguilera and more! Oh
and Wiz Khalifa got married at Nemacolin.
Go in October
or November: While there are a lot of activities to do at the resort in
the summer or winter, I’d recommend this time of year so that you can see all
of the glorious leaves changing!
Make Dinner
Reservations in Advance: Like I mentioned we decided to visit Nemacolin
at the last minute and weren’t able to land reservations at some of the
restaurants. The staff mentioned that it was unusually busy on the Sunday that
we visited, but most of the restaurants actually recommend reservations!
Book Activities
in Advance: Nemacolin has a little bit of everything for everyone. You can
ski, golf, go to the pool, spend a day at the pool, gamble, play mini-golf,
have a VIP experience with the wild animals, hike…the list is almost endless.
The golf course was designed by the famous course designer Pete Dye and pros
like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have played here. For things like the Jeep
off road experience or clay pigeon shooting, be sure to make reservations in
advance. One downfall of going on an off day is that some of these experiences
may not be available.
Don’t Forget to
Drive Around The Resort: Per my mom’s recommendation, we made sure to
see Taylor and Paige’s playhouse. Built for his daughters, the playground is
more like an actual house. Next to the playhouse is the zoo. It isn’t a real
zoo, but close enough. You can see lions and tigers and bears. No joke!
There is SO
Much To Do Outside of the Resort: Near Nemacolin you will find Falling Water, Ohiopyle,
the Christian Clay Winery and a TON
of historical sites (General Braddock was buried here). Make time to visit the
area attractions while you are here. Reservations are totally recommended at
Falling Water!
If you can’t already tell, I’d TOTALLY recommend a trip
to Nemacolin as a staycation around the Pittsburgh area!
