One of the eeriest sights at the Summit Honeymoon Resort is the heart-shaped bathtub. The empty depression in the floor is tiled and outlined in red and white. Leaves and bits of debris lie on its floor, a telling sign of how long it’s been since anyone relaxed here. Walls of mirrors flank the tub, making the room appear bigger — and more cavernous — than it actually is. The light switch doesn’t work, so the only illumination seeps in from outside; the scene is shadowy and bleak, a stark contrast to the romantic hangout it was clearly meant to be.
This bathtub sets the tone for the whole Summit Honeymoon Resort, a once-popular hotel in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. From 1968 to 2002, the resort welcomed guests to a forested nook, where newlyweds could celebrate their union in style. “Style” meant beds, a swimming pool, and even a wraparound bar shaped like hearts, which might feel a little tacky in the 21st century but enticed all kinds of happy couples in its three-decade heyday. Many of these artifacts remain intact, despite broken windows and overgrown shrubbery.
The modernist husk stands near the town of Tannersville, and it remains a monument to this region’s erstwhile reputation as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World.” Note that these crumbling remains are on private property, and travelers shouldn’t visit unless they have permission from the current owners. Even still, the resort has become a muse for photographers and graffiti artists. Not far from this friendly Pocono borough that brims with outdoor fun and peaceful scenery, the Summit site is one of many thought-provoking ruins in rural Pennsylvania.
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The Summit’s ghostly past
A view from inside the Summit Honeymoon Resort, revealing open doors and a forested backdrop – Structured Vision/Shutterstock
If the Summit Honeymoon Resort ever had a website, it has long been shut down, yet promotional photos of the Summit still circulate online, hinting at how it once looked. Shag carpets and wide collars recall the resort’s liveliest years in the 1970s; guests could bask in the outdoor pool, play tennis on an indoor court, or sip a cocktail at the Scheherazade Night Club and Kismet Cocktail Lounge, whose decor was styled after “Arabian Nights.” The lounge hosted live bands and a disco-style dance floor, and one brochure promised “star-studded entertainment far into the night.” Patrons could also shoot pool, play rounds of mini-golf, or skate around the roller rink.
The Summit’s decline and closure speak to Pennsylvania’s rollercoaster economy, which has been especially devastating to small towns across the commonwealth. While sanctioned visits to the old estate are unlikely, curious travelers can view vivid YouTube videos of the Summit’s current state. Here you’ll see the shattered glass, gaping doorways, and furnishings that still linger. Remarkably, much of the site has withstood the test of time; the gift shop is still stocked with knick-knacks, chandeliers hang from the ceilings, and scattered pairs of roller skates look ready to wear.
Pennsylvania has a good number of similar ruins, which are, for the most part, accessible to the public. Some have become proper destinations, like Eckley Miners’ Village, a timelessly charming anthracite mining town about 45 minutes west of the resort. These rugged remains have regular hours and charge admission, like any museum. Others, like the “Burning Ghost Town” of Centralia — about 90 minutes west of Summit — exist in a legal limbo and can only be visited at your own risk.
Spending time near Summit and where to stay
Patrons wait to order coffee at a Stroudsburg farmers’ market – Here Now/Shutterstock
Clearly, people do visit the remains of Summit Honeymoon Resort, although it’s hard to say whether or not they were trespassing. While this district is no longer a hub for honeymooning, the Poconos still make for a lovely escape in any season. Tannersville is a cute rural town of about 3,000 residents, and settlement here dates back to the 1750s, when local forebears came up from Philadelphia to try their hand at farming. Today, you’ll find several hotels and an impressive range of restaurants, including Latin, Indian, and Japanese. The biggest local attraction is the Camelback Ski Resort, located just 3 miles out of town; the slopes are decent for the Poconos’ gentle mountains, and Camelback boasts 40 snow-tubing lanes. Better yet is Aquatopia, the resort’s indoor waterpark, with 84-degree Fahrenheit pools and elaborate slides that light up from the inside.
With such a cutting-edge entertainment complex so close by, it’s little wonder that Summit closed its doors; groovy discos and bathtubs can’t really compete with FlowRider indoor surfing lessons and four-bedroom grand lofts. But the ruins at Summit are a powerful relic from the region’s romantic history. And it’s nice to know that even now, all these decades later, the Poconos are a great place to celebrate a new marriage.
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Read the original article on Islands.