Loquitur Dome: The Eternal Debate

However, unlike the shore, it's just as spectacular in the winter. During the winter months there is nothing to do at the shore. You can't swim in the ocean, play water sports or go boating. The boardwalks feel like wind tunnels and hardly anything is open because many of the businesses close up shop for winter.

• Ah, the shore. Grab a couple of friends, bop in the car and drivt roughly two-and-a-half hours only to reach your destination and be caught in chaos. Between Memorial and Labor Days, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the shore. The boardwalks are crowded, the traffic in the streets is like Center City, Philadelphia during rush hour and the beaches are just plain dirty. Moreover, there really isn't that much to do. Yes, there are the arcades and the amusement park rides but personally, I haven't been into that since I was in high school. Of course one can stroll up and down the boardwalk, but sooner or later they're going to realize that they're surrounded by teenagers scamming for the opposite sex.

I will admit that some of the shore points aren't as bad as others. However, they get more and more crowded every year. When I go on vacation I don't like to be immersed in what I was trying to avoid and that is stress. Personally, I find spending any amount of time in lines on my vacation to be stressful and nowadays, the lines are longer than ever. Yes, Jersey shore vacationers can go boating and do water sports but you can do those same things and more in the Poconos.

Let me paint a picture for you. You and a couple of friends hop in the car and drive roughly an hour and a half and arrive in the chaos-free Pocono Mountains. You rent a cozy little cabin (for a lot less than a shore house rental) and look out your window and realize that that you're totally immersed in nature. You see deer, wild turkeys, hummingbirds and if you're lucky, maybe even a bear.

Memorial through Labor Day in the Pocono's is spectacular.

In the winter months, there is a wide array of things to do in the PocoI).o's when it's cold out. You can ski, snowboard, toboggan ride, ice skate, snowmobile, or just sit in a cozy lodge sipping hot chocolate while looking out at the beautiful scenery. There's stuff to do even if you don't like winter sports. Many of the ski resorts have indoor festivals during the winter months that have bands and exhibits.

One aspect about the Poconos that is especially great is the cost of things. Not only are room and cabin rentals inexpensive, so is most everything else. I admit, a day on the slopes can be a bit pricey but if you 're a frequent skier you can save a lot of money by owning your own skis. That way you avoid the rental price. Besides skiing, prices are reasonable. The restaurants are very affordable and the food at the ones I've been to has always been good. Not to mention, you'll never have to wait for a table.

You might say, "Well, what about the beaches, does the Poconos even have any?" The answer is yes. There are lakeside beaches and you may not be able to surf at them but they're clean and so is their water. I don't even want to imagine what's in the water at the Jersey shore. Although you can't really surf, you can do other water activities like sail and water-ski. Look, I'm not saying that the shore is the worst place in the world. I do realize there may be a couple of things the shore offers that the Pocono's doesn't, however, in comparison, I think the Pocono's is a far better vacation spot. There's so much to do all year round that it would be difficult to get bored. Overall, it's just a beautiful and fun place to go.