Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The Lodge at Glendorn, located at 1000 Glendorn Drive, Bradford, has earned the AAA Four Diamond Award for excellent service, opulent décor and outstanding cuisine. “We are very proud to honor the Lodge at Glendorn with another Four-Diamond Award,” stated Jim Lehman, executive vice president at AAA East Central. “When it comes to the quality, diamonds speak louder than words.” Each accommodation at Glendorn is unique. A guest may prefer to stay in the Big House, constructed in 1929, in the suites or spacious rooms. Or enjoy the privacy of one of the cabins. Glendorn has a total of 41 wood burning fireplaces and each suite or cabin has at least one. All accommodations are luxuriously furnished with fine monogrammed linens and towels. Twice daily housekeeping complete with turndown service is available daily, as well as, complimentary bottled mineral water, tea, coffee and Glendorn signature cookie jars refilled with scrumptious treats. Dining at Glendorn is a magical experience...

By SANDRA RHODES Guests at the Lodge at Glendorn now have more than a half a million acres of land to enjoy after the Relais & Chateaux attained a new outfitters permit and land in a nearby county. The outfitters permit from the Allegheny National Forest allows the employees of Glendorn to do all of the activities they do on property on the ANF, the only national forest in Pennsylvania. “The Allegheny National Forest adjoins our property,” said Glendorn manager David Okerlund. “This is going to allow us to utilize that land – 517,000 acres – for our guests to enjoy.” In fact, there is access to the ANF right from the Glendorn property so, in essence, a guest never leaves Glendorn and can experience all the ANF has to offer with a Glendorn guide, including hunting, fishing, horseback riding, hiking and biking. “This will certainly enhance our guests’ experience and further expand on what we currently offer,” Okerlund said. Glendorn, an ORVIS-endorsed fly-fishing guide, also purchase...

By SANDRA RHODES Visitor & Member Services Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau A kiss may be just a kiss, but to kiss a loved one in the Allegheny National Forest … now that’s amore! Between the trails and the ambiance, there are plenty of places to kiss your loved one this Valentine’s Day. Here are the top 10 places: The Lodge at Glendorn Cozying up in front of the grand, stone fireplace at the Big House at this Relais & Chateau would warm up your sweetie for a little smooch. It’s the perfect end to an evening after enjoying a gourmet meal fixed to your liking by Chef Joe Schafer. glendorn.com Under a street light at Zippo/Case Museum You can rekindle an old flame with a kiss under these specially made streetlights that provide a glow from Zippo lighters. Afterwards, stroll through the Zippo/Case Museum at 1932 Zippo Drive, Bradford, hand-in-hand and view some great displays showing off two American icons. zippo.com Rimrock Overlook Any couple will be able to take their ...

They say you have to be in it to win it and Bradford’s in it as one of the finalists to win the title “Ultimate Fishing Town USA.” Bradford collected more than 1,000 votes and was able to garner a “wild card” seat in the tournament that started with hundreds of towns and is now down to 20. The top two vote-getters in each bracket moved onto the second round. Six wild card towns were also selected to advance. The contest is sponsored by the World Fishing Network. Bradford, the only town in Pennsylvania that made the second round, was up against towns from Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New York and District of Columbia. Plenty of good fishing is done here, including two state records. The Allegheny Reservoir is the best trophy northern pike fishery in Pennsylvania. The state-record pike – a 35-pounder – was caught here. There’s also largemouth bass, bluegill, steelhead and walleye fishing here, too. In ...

Now’s the time to “cast” your vote for Bradford as the Ultimate Fishing Town USA. The first round of voting started on Tuesday and runs until 6 p.m. May 3. Now is when local residents can brag about their community with a vote for Bradford. Your vote could help Bradford win a $25,000 community donation. With an abundance of stocked trout streams, wild brook trout streams, the Allegheny River, Marilla Reservoir, and access from Bradford to the Allegany State Park, Bradford is a central hub for year-round fishing. Local resident, Mike Holly, captured the Walleye state record in 1980 with a 17 lb. 9 oz. prize catch. In 2003, Carl Stoltz set our second state record by reeling in a hefty 35 lb. Northern Pike while fishing on the Allegheny Reservoir. To vote, all you have to do is log onto http://wfnfishingtown.com/entries/bradford-pa . This takes you right to the voting page for Bradford. Click “vote now” and type in your name and e-mail address. You can vote under more than one e-mail addr...

By SANDRA RHODES Bradford can have a great fish tale to boast, but it needs your help to win. Bradford has been nominated as the Ultimate Fishing Town USA by Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, the tourist promotion agency in McKean County. The winning town will receive a $25,000 community donation. Devlin said she nominated Bradford because of the outdoor recreation possibilities that are prevalent in this area. “Bradford is a place where you can wear fishing waders into a bar and not call attention to yourself,” she wrote in her nomination. “Bradford embraces its link to the outdoors.” Devlin cited the “Kinzua Fly Fishing School” that is held each May at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, a group of fishermen that meet once a week at the Historic Crook Farm to tie flies and The Lodge at Glendorn, an ORVIS-endorsed fly-fishing lodge. “It seems only natural that Bradford be recognized for its tie with fishing,” she said. “It’s part ...

By Sandra Rhodes Visitor & Member Services Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau The Allegheny National Forest Region may be hundreds of miles away from Washington, D.C., but still has had plenty of presidential connections throughout the years. The Allegheny National Forest (ANF) was created in 1923 after President Calvin Coolidge signed a proclamation for federal purchase of available private lands for national forest purposes. Located in northern Pennsylvania, just 90 miles south of Buffalo, N.Y., the ANF now consists of more than 513,000 acres. Decades before Coolidge, President Theodore, a forward-thinking conservationalist, developed a master plan for managing the nation’s natural resources. This plan included the ideals of developing ways to keep the Earth and its resources safe for generations to come. To help meet this goal, the federal government created the U.S. Forest Service in 1905. In 1911, when William Taft was president, Congress passed the Weeks Act, allowing ...

By Sandra Rhodes Visitor & Member Services Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau Love is in the air in the Allegheny National Forest Region in northern Pennsylvania. If you are looking for a romantic getaway for you and your significant other for Valentine’s Day or just a weekend escape, here love takes on many forms – romantic, culinary and recreation. In this neck of the woods – located about 90 minutes south of Buffalo, N.Y. – there’s plenty of activities and attractions to satisfy whatever your heart desires. The Mountain Laurel Inn in Bradford, a lovely Colonial Revival home built in 1894, features a sweeping circular central staircase and seven elegantly decorated guest rooms. When you book the Romantic Getaway Package with your one night’s lodging, you will be treated to fluffy robes, fine chocolates, scented candles, crystal champagne glasses and romantic music in your room. In addition, guests will enjoy a hors d’oeurves platter and beverages, plus a $25 gift certifica...

Established as a family retreat for the Dorn family, which made its fortune during Pennsylvania’s oil boom in the 1920s, the 1,280 acre Lodge at Glendorn was transformed in 1995 into a private retreat for the public. And now, under the caring guidance of new owner J. Clifford Forest, this historic estate which is nestled next to the Allegheny National Forest, is undergoing yet another major transformation, with $5 million in enhancements being made over the next two years. “Glendorn was in the process of being auctioned off last year,” observes Glendorn general manager Christopher Hampton. “And as soon as Mr. Forest, who had visited the lodge on many occasions in the past, got wind of the fact that a logging company was seriously looking at buying the property, he decided that he had to buy it so that he could preserve Glendorn as an oasis in the woods. And now that he is the new owner, his mandate is to make the overall visitor experience even more unique.” Many of the improvements to...

The Lodge at Glendorn will host a Business After Hours event from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Monday, March 15, 2010, at 1000 Glendorn Drive to kick off the 2010 Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours series. Business After Hours events are open to all area businesses and organizations. In order to prepare accordingly, The Lodge at Glendorn requests that those planning to attend please RSVP to 814-362-6511 or reservations@glendorn.com . Business After Hours gives the business and professional community an opportunity to come together in a relaxed, social setting for networking. A business card drawing will be held for a door prize. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided; there is no charge to attend.