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A weekend in the Poconos

Linda Perney

One of the Victorian suites at the Sterling Inn in Pennsylvania. (handout)

You can stop smirking. The place we're talking about has no heart-shaped pools or champagne-glass Jacuzzis. Instead, the Sterling Inn is a country inn surrounded by state parks. Outdoors, there are walking trails that skirt a lake; indoors, there isn't a pink ruffle to be found.

Guest rooms range from traditional guest rooms furnished with country antiques and reproductions, to Victorian suites complete with fireplaces and decks, to cottage suites in wooded areas beyond the main house. Public rooms are furnished with antiques; there are welcoming fireplaces in front of which you can relax with a book. If you're looking to be a little more active, skates, snowshoes and cross country skis are available on the premises (Rates range from $155-$334 per night, including breakfast and dinner for two. Route 191 South Sterling, PA; 570-676-3311 or 1-800-523-8200)

WHAT TO DO: Go horseback riding, or play a round of golf. Go antiquing along the country roads in the area, or pick up a bargain at the nearby Crossings Outlet Center, with shops like Ralph Lauren, Burberry, BCBG, and AnnTaylor.

NEARBY NATURE: The inn is surrounded by three state parks - Gouldsboro, Tobyhanna, and Promised Land, where there are hiking and biking trails as well as cross-country skiing and skating.

WHERE TO EAT: The inn's Hearthstone Dining Room offers breakfast, lunch and dinner by candlelight. At dinnertime, the menu offers entrees like steak, veal with apple brandy sauce, or pork tenderloin. If you're looking for a more formal meal, the inn's sister establishment, the French Manor, has fine dining, with main courses such as scallops with mustard and gruyere or lamb chops with goat cheese and almonds.