Winter Wonderland Escape View All Itineraries PHOTO BY BOB ERLSTEN Explore Columbia & Montour Counties in their quietest season – winter! This weekend (or multiple weekday) trip starts on Day 1 with a relaxing evening at your lodging venue after check-in. Day 2 brings outdoor adventures filled with a scenic driving tour of the area’s magnificent covered bridges. If there’s snow on the ground, be sure to bring your cameras to photograph these wooden wonders in all their glory. Winter snow makes for the perfect contrasting background on the bright red bridges. Later, get some fresh air with an invigorating hike at the Montour Preserve or do some cross-country skiing on the many wooded paths in one of the area’s state forests or gameland tracts. Follow up your ambitious daytime adventures with a movie night back in your room, complete with popcorn and hot cocoa. Catch up on much-needed sleep the next morning before you hit the road on Day 3 for wine and/or craft beer adventures along with a trip to one of the most unique museums in the state – Bill’s Old Bike Barn. Finish the day with a visit to one of the two magical light displays, the classic Berwick Holiday Boulevard or “Joy Through the Grove” at Knoebels Amusement Resort. This multi-day getaway is sure to be the perfect remedy for the winter blues! Day 1: Friday 3 – 5 PM: Check in to lodging venue 5-7 PM: Enjoy a dine-in meal at a local restaurant or get it to-go and bring it back to your room. Relax the rest of the evening and spend some quality time with your significant other or your family. PHOTO BY TYLER ADAMS Day 2: Saturday Breakfast at lodging or nearby restaurant/café Spend the morning sightseeing the scenic back roads of the counties and the historic covered bridges. Columbia & Montour Counties have 25 covered bridges, the third-most in the country. Have lunch in Bloomsburg or Elysburg along your way. After lunch, spend the early afternoon exploring the Montour Preserve, located approximately 15 minutes north of Danville. The Preserve contains several miles of quiet nature trails that often provide great wildlife sighting chances. See a myriad of birds, waterfowl, deer, and other woodland creatures along your path. The Preserve also has multiple picnic pavilions if you wish to bring your lunch to-go instead. Suggestions for later in the afternoon: If you’re a cross-country skier and there’s snow on the ground, plan a few hours late afternoon at one of the state gameland tracts in the area, or at Weiser State Forest in southern Columbia County. You’ll find miles of unpaved forest roads that make great skiing trails – just be sure to do your research in advance to make sure you know which locations allow skiing access! If cross-country skiing isn’t your cup of tea, you can instead do some holiday shopping in downtown Danville or explore the art galleries in downtown Bloomsburg. Wrap up your daytime adventures with dinner near your lodging establishment and turn the evening into movie night back in the room. If you’ve selected lodging that offers a jacuzzi tub or fireplace, make the most of it. And don’t forget the hot cocoa and popcorn! Day 3: Sunday Breakfast at lodging or nearby restaurant/café Make your way late morning to Bill’s Old Bike Barn, on Route 11 between Bloomsburg and Berwick. Be sure to enjoy the new audio tours for the museum, where you can learn the amazing backstories of many of the museum oddities from the owner himself! Enjoy lunch at the Forge Pub & Eatery in downtown Berwick. Spend the afternoon visiting some of the River Rat Brew Trail breweries in Columbia County and/or the area wineries. (Geography-based recommendations: Marley’s Brewery & Grille, Turkey Hill Brewing Company, Berwick Brewing Company; Freas Farm Winery, Three Dogs Vino, Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider Winery.) 5-7 PM Dinner at an area restaurant. If visiting during December, spend the evening checking out one of the area’s two amazing holiday drive-thru light displays: the Christmas Boulevard in Berwick or Knoebels Amusement Resort’s “Joy Through the Grove” in Elysburg. After the light display, it’s back to your lodging for the evening. Head home after checking out the next morning – hopefully, you’ve had a magical winter escape!