Deer have such a major presence in the Poconos that there’s a local history of closing school for the start of deer hunting season. This means that if you’re not out helping control the population, you’re becoming a master of the fine art of automobile deer dodging—an especially tough craft, considering deer really seem to be completely indifferent as to whether they’re hit with a car or not.
Nesquehoning, Aquashicola, Wallenpaupack, and Hopatcong are just a few of the Native American words familiar to Poconos natives that may well send outsiders into a state of vocal delirium. Because the region has deep ties to Native Americans culture—even Poconos was derived from the Lenape word Pokawachne—lots of towns and regional landmarks still bear close resemblance to their original Native American name. So if you ever want to know if someone is truly from the Poconos, write “Aquashicola” on a piece of paper and see if they can read it without sounding like a buffoon.
If there’s one New York City export that Poconos natives are occasionally fond of, it’s New York Giants football. No, they haven’t been converted by Superbowl-less existence of the in-state Philadelphia Eagles, they just happen to be closer to the Meadowlands than Philly. Although, that’s not to say that the Eagles don’t have their own massive contingent of diehards throughout the area. In fact, the Poconos may be the only place in America where people are split evenly between the two bitter NFC East rivals.
The people of the Poconos have spent a long time making their home an alternative to suburban sprawl and urban chaos, so you better believe that any time a strip mall or chain store is built in their neck of the woods, they die just a tad inside. The exception to this rule is the quick stop, iced drink, and submarine sandwich wonderland known as Wawa. Every time a new one opens in the Poconos, it’s met with near-universal applause. Because Wawa is awesome.
Being a tourist spot is a big part of what keeps the Poconos’ economy rolling, but because most of the people who “vacation,” “weekend,” or “summer” in the area are from New Jersey and New York city, there tends to be a bit of a culture clash. For one thing, there’s the uber-aggressive NYC-style driving, which doesn’t exactly translate well to mountain towns. And then there’s the slight attitude of entitlement that comes with being a tourist. And finally, there’s non-stop doling out of directions which, in small doses isn’t so bad, but during prime summer tourist season, is enough to make even the most patient Poconos locals want to tear their hair out.
High summer is a ridiculously muggy affair—if you can make it a short walk without pulling out your favorite shirt, you should consider it a personal victory. And winters are centered around a constant onslaught of snow, wind, and ice, depending quite a bit on the altitude, of course. Really, you just have to know when to trade the skis and snowboards for the hiking boots.
Between the lush mountain scenery, changing leaves, and countless rivers, lakes and creeks in the area, Mother Nature must really love the Poconos. But for native of the Poconos, after a while the picaresque views tend to blend into the background and become the norm. Essentially, they get nature spoiled, leaving them thoroughly confused when they travel to other parts of the country that don’t look like they’ve been painted by Bob Ross.
One of the biggest attractions in the Poconos is Pocono Raceway at Long Pond. The old school, family-owned super speedway has a capacity of nearly 80,000, and hosts major NASCAR and IndyCar races. Unless they're diehard gearheads, however, Pocono Raceway flies under the radar of most Poconos locals. However, being that it’s the biggest/only major professional sports attraction in the area, folks from the Poconos generally hit at least one race a year. Why? Because it’s there and it’s mildly entertaining. That’s why.
If you’ve never been skiing, whitewater rafting, kayaking, or taken a refreshing dip under a waterfall, you may as well be an cyclops/alien/yeti to people who were born and raised in the Poconos. They grew up on that stuff. Having every kind of outdoor terrain at your fingertips means having your pick of any and every outdoor activity at all times. Growing up, instead of hanging out at the mall on the weekend, Poconos people were out on the lake, camping, or hitting the slopes. Although, they were occasionally at the mall, too.
Most locals know that the oddball psychedelic building in the woods is visual artist Ricky Boscarino’s home and studio. Over the last 25 years, he’s slowly but surely transformed the place into one of the most oddball attractions in the Northeast, beloved by locals and tourists alike. Did we miss anything? Tell us what’s unique about the Poconos in the comments below!
