Winter in the Poconos: Two Restored A-Frames, from Tiffany Blue to Deep Forest

The A-frame has long belonged to the Poconos. Many were built here in the 1960s and '70s as weekend houses for families from New York and Philadelphia. Over the years, plenty were painted over, plastered in or left to age. A few have been brought back by owners who could see what they were.

This guide covers two of them, both restored by the same couple, Milena and Isaac Cohen. One is bright Tiffany blue. The other is honey-toned wood at the edge of a state forest. Both are a winter weekend's drive from New York and Philadelphia, and both are booked directly with the owners, with no platform fees added at checkout.

Why drive to the Poconos this winter

Holiday airfares are the highest they have been in a decade. Hopper's 2026 Holiday Travel Index puts average Christmas flights up 23% on last year, and Thanksgiving flights up 31%. A house within driving distance is the simpler trip this year.

The Poconos are roughly two hours from New York City and from Philadelphia in normal traffic. You can leave after work on Friday, ski or hike on Saturday, and be home on Sunday afternoon without a security line.

Pocono Dreams

When the Cohens bought their first A-frame, it was yellow, dated and in need of a full renovation. Isaac had an idea: paint it Tiffany blue. That one decision became Pocono Dreams.

The color runs through the house, which takes its cues from Breakfast at Tiffany's. The effect is deliberately a little campy, with warm wood, playful details, a freestanding soaking tub in the primary bedroom and an outdoor cinema. The Cohens bought it in March and opened it at the end of July, gutting and rebuilding much of it themselves.

"We create, design, and develop every single aspect of everything that goes into the house," they say.

Outside, the mood shifts to summer camp, and the deck works just as well in winter. There is a hot tub set into the deck, a barrel sauna Milena built herself, an outdoor shower and a sunken fire pit. Isaac climbed a 40-foot ladder to hang the exterior lights.

Pocono Dreams is in Pocono Summit, about a five-minute walk from Sunset Lake. It has two bedrooms and one and a half bathrooms and sleeps six. The Cohens also put together celebration packages for birthdays and anniversaries, so ask if you are marking an occasion. From $550 a night.

Lover's Edge

Lover's Edge sits where the Cohens' land meets the Delaware State Forest. Milena found it in 2021. It had good bones and needed a great deal of work.

Here the job was to uncover what was already there. Original wood had been hidden under drywall and plaster, and the tongue-and-groove walls had been painted white. The Cohens sanded it all back to the grain, repaired the original floors and kept the two wood-burning stoves, adding modern heating alongside them. Inside, the wood climbs both slopes of the roof to meet at the peak, and a wall of windows fills the gable with forest.

They replaced the old deck with a large U-shaped one that wraps the house and reaches out over the slope, about 20 feet above the ground. Glass doors open onto it from the primary bedroom, so the first view of the day is the tree line. Along the deck are a hot tub, a fire pit, a lounge and a grill. The primary suite has its own glass-walled sauna and a soaking tub.

Lover's Edge has two bedrooms and three bathrooms across three floors and sleeps six, though it feels most like itself with two. Resica Falls is minutes from the entrance. From $470 a night. Read the Cohens' story.

The A-frames at a glance

• Pocono Dreams, Pocono Summit, PA. Two bedrooms, sleeps 6. Hot tub, barrel sauna, outdoor cinema, soaking tub. From $550 a night.
• Lover's Edge, East Stroudsburg, PA. Two bedrooms, three baths, sleeps 6. Two wood stoves, hot tub, sauna, deck over the state forest. From $470 a night.

For both homes in one place, see the Poconos collection.

Ski days

Both houses are about 10 to 15 minutes from ski areas, according to the owners. OnTheSnow's projected opening dates for this season are below. They are not official, so check each resort before you plan around them.

• Jack Frost. Projected December 4.
• Blue Mountain Resort. Projected December 10. It now has 315 new LED trail lights and is fully LED-lit for night skiing.
• Camelback. Projected December 11. Three new trails this season, its first additions in 30 years, bring the total to 45.
• Shawnee Mountain. Projected December 11.

Night skiing is the Poconos' particular gift. On a short winter day, you can ski after an afternoon at the house and be back in the hot tub by nine.

Jim Thorpe at Christmas

Jim Thorpe is a Victorian railroad town in a steep valley on the western edge of the Poconos. Each year it hosts Olde Time Christmas, with holiday shops, decorations and events on weekends through the season. Listings show it running from November 6 to December 20 in 2026. Check the Jim Thorpe Area Chamber of Commerce for each weekend's schedule.

It is a day trip from either house. Go on a Friday if you can, when the streets are quieter.

[Host tip to add: the Cohens' favorite winter restaurant or walk near each house.]

About Locèlle, and why these A-frames are booked direct

Locèlle is a curated collection of design-led vacation homes. We do not process bookings or add fees. We introduce you to the owner, and you book with them.

Booking direct suits homes like these. You can ask the Cohens about a celebration package, the sauna or the road after snow, and the price you agree is the price you pay. New to booking this way? Start with What Is Direct Booking? A Beginner's Guide. For more A-frames across the country, read our complete guide to A-frame cabin rentals.

Frequently asked questions

How far are the Poconos from New York City?

Roughly two hours by car in normal traffic, depending on where you start and which part of the Poconos you are heading to. Friday evenings take longer.

When do Poconos ski resorts open?

Projections for 2026–27 put Jack Frost at December 4, Blue Mountain at December 10, and Camelback and Shawnee Mountain at December 11. Opening days depend on snow and temperatures, so check each resort's site.

Is the Poconos good for a romantic winter weekend?

Yes. Both A-frames here have a hot tub and a sauna, and Lover's Edge has two wood-burning stoves. Pocono Dreams offers celebration packages for anniversaries and birthdays.

Do these cabins have hot tubs?

Yes. Both have a private hot tub on the deck. Pocono Dreams also has a barrel sauna, and Lover's Edge has a sauna in the primary suite.

What is there to do in the Poconos in winter besides skiing?

Night skiing, snow tubing, waterfall walks in the Delaware State Forest, and Jim Thorpe's Olde Time Christmas weekends. Some guests come for the hot tub and the stove and never leave.

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