Je t'aime (I love you).  Je t'adore (I adore you).  Veux-tu m'épouser?  (Will you marry me?)   

Romantic to the point of being downright intoxicating—the French have a way with words.  Ah!...Now imagine a secluded backdrop in the south of France where couples cannot resist handholding, dreamy glances and …fill in the blanks!  Fortunately, for American and Canadian travelers, this sort of very provincial, utterly European experience is not an ocean away.  Located in Pennsylvania’s revered Pocono Mountains, in proximity to the Delaware Water Gap, Huckleberry Road ushers motorists to two stone columns marking the driveway that leads to, oui!...a bed and breakfast country inn and restaurant aptly named, the French Manor.  

“The French Manor is like a fairy tale castle on top of a mountain.  It’s a very romantic setting for couples.  It’s more of an intimate and elegant atmosphere,” says Bridget Logan Weber, Director of Sales and Marketing, describing the stone château perched upon Huckleberry Mountain.

Further depicting the locale of the northern Pocono Mountains, Bridget confirms, “The manor probably offers the best views of the Poconos.”

The mountainous scenery and meticulously manicured grounds complete with hiking trails are not the only features that take a sojourner’s breath away.  Modeled after a château in southern France, the estate in Pennsylvania was built in 1932 for entrepreneur and art collector, Joseph H. Hirshhorn (of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. fame).  German and Italian-American craftsmen, whose families still reside in the surrounding countryside, constructed the château, using local fieldstones and natural lumber.  Samuel Kress of Kresge Department Store later purchased the property from Hirshhorn and, after a few other incarnations, Ron and Mary Kay Logan opened up the manor as a family-owned inn more than 20 years ago. 

From the imported Spanish slate roof to the Romanesque-arched entranceway; throughout the spacious rooms filled with books, furnishings and original woodwork to the massive stone fireplaces, the old world charm and loving and total attention to detail at the French Manor is profound.  One can readily comprehend how these quarters have inspired many marriage proposals.  Likewise, the French Manor remains a popular choice for honeymoons and anniversaries as well as wedding celebrations.  (The inn also draws a sizeable corporate-event clientele.)  “We have 15 accommodations, and they’re all individually decorated with luxury furnishings,” Bridget says, talking about the main inn and two other adjacent properties: the carriage house and La Maisonneuve building.

Many of the nine suites include fireplaces, Jacuzzis and private balconies to soak up the sights.  All the guestrooms and suites provide full, modern amenities like cable television, modem jack and comfy sitting and reading areas.  Private wrought-iron balconies, four-posters or column-style king and queen size beds are just some of the numerous attributes that lovebirds particularly prefer at the six La Maisonneuve Suites.  For the ultimate sense of elbowroom, Suite Brigitte in the carriage house, reminiscent of an apartment, is the largest accommodation on the property.  Relax amid a tastefully decorated setting that includes a living room accented with hardwood floors and fireplace, two bedrooms (one queen, one double bed) and a two-person Jacuzzi tub.

Rated as “Top Ten Country Inns” in America by Country Inns Magazine and four-diamond by AAA for both the accommodations and restaurant, former guests (many repeat patrons) have left pages of their own “love notes” in the guestroom journals.  Bridget says numerous visitors depict their holiday as “a very relaxing, romantic stay where they were able to reconnect with each other; a much-needed getaway to rejuvenate.”

“Reconnect,” she adds, “is one of the words that jumps out at me in many of the comments in the guests’ journals.”

Whether taking advantage of the popular Wine Lover’s Weekend, Ski Tote Packages or Golf Packages, just to name three, immediate gratification awaits any stay with complimentary sherry, cheese and fruit on arrival.  Triple sheeting and turndown service assure the necessary respite for guests.  In the morning, complimentary breakfasts that range from a variety of omelets to homemade coffee cake to “custard style” Ciabatta French toast and lots more, arouses the most serious sleepy head.  In milder weather, guests are invited to enjoy the bounty on the stone veranda.

Bridget, who says the French Manor also offers some of the best service anywhere, explains, “We take pride in our personal attention and attention to detail.”  This is probably just one of the reasons that diners come from miles around to try the only four-diamond rated restaurant in the Poconos.  The restaurant, featured in Gourmet Magazine as one of “Pennsylvania's Best Restaurants,” Philadelphia Inquirer described the dining celebration as "Dinner Fit for a King."  In the jackets-for-gentlemen milieu, a 40-foot vaulted ceiling, two massive fireplaces and candlelight dining further define the surroundings.  Top-notch culinary experts present a dinner menu featuring both classical and nouvelle French cuisine, the perfect environment to say Je t'aime.  Ah, but to enjoy the French Manor experience, what does one need with words? 

French Manor
Huckleberry Road,
South Sterling, PA 18460.
Phone: 570-676-3244. ext. 4. 877-720-6095
Web Site: www.thefrenchmanor.com 
Email: info@thefrenchmanor.com 

 

About the Author: Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell Award-winning journalist Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell has written about many subjects including decorating, healthy lifestyles and has interviewed and written about such luminaries as Judy Collins and Ella Fitzgerald for many national and regional newspapers and magazines. Specializing in travel writing for the past 13 years, she is the author of Consummate Connecticut: Day Trips with Panache. She is also publisher at Cat Tales Press. Her web site is www.cattalespress.com.