Poconos

The Pocono Mountains cover 2,400 square miles of northeast Pennsylvania lakes, waterfalls, and forest - and the resort tradition here goes back more than a century. Ski and snowboard in winter, swim and kayak in summer, and spend the shoulder seasons under brilliant foliage.

Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain, and the Delaware Water Gap anchor the outdoor calendar. It's under two hours from New York or Philadelphia.