Happy Mothers’ Day! Why not spoil Mom or your sweetie this year with a surprise visit to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.

About a five-hour drive from the Tri-State via interstates 64 and 79 the resort is nestled in the Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania. It is one of only 21 hotels and resorts in the world to host both AAA Five-Diamond rated lodging and dining.

Of course, you’ll want to accompany Mom so you can enjoy the resort experience, fine dining, a round or golf or an outdoor adventure.

Situated on more than 2,000 acres the resort features 327 luxurious guestrooms, suites, townhouses and private luxury homes.

The lodging options also include the AAA Five-Diamond rated Falling Rock boutique mountain hotel.

A tribute to the organic architectural style of Frank Lloyd Wright, Falling Rock sits on the 18th green of the PGA-tested, Pete Dye-designed Mystic Rock golf course.

This property is home to the Aqueous restaurant, an upscale steakhouse, the stylish Amber Bar and the outdoor Sunset Terrace which overlooks the hotel’s Infinity Pool. This pool is reserved for Falling Rock guests only. Adjacent to Falling Rock is Horizon Point a meeting, conference and banquet facility that turns Falling Rock into a full service meeting facility.

The Falling Rock Hotel features 42 well-appointed guest rooms including four suites. Regardless of your room category you’ll have one of the most luxurious sleep experiences of your life. Indulge in a 10-option pillow menu, 1,200-thread count sheets and handsewn chenille bedding.

More than just a hotel, Falling Rock is the definition of an escape. Each guest at Falling Rock has access to 24-hour butler service. These professionally trained butlers provide incomparable attention to guest needs.

Another resort gem is the Woodlands Spa. With forty well-appointed treatment rooms including three couple’s rooms the spa offers nearly 100 treatments and services.

Relax in one of their hydrotherapy tubs, open your senses with aromatherapy oils or allow their skin care professionals to pamper Mom with a customized facial that meets her specific skin care needs.

In addition to this internationally acclaimed spa the resort tees up 36 holes of championship golf on two courses – the Pete Dye designed PGA-tested Mystic Rock and the traditional Links Course.

For shooting of another kind visit the Nemacolin Shooting Academy, an outdoor sporting facility on 140 acres complete with 30 shooting stations and a spacious lodge. Anglers can try their hand with an Orvis® Endorsed Fly Fishing experience.

If you are more of the outdoor recreation type, then try one of the many offerings at the Adventure Center. While Mom is getting her spa treatment, you can check out the zip lines, climb a rock wall, play a thrilling game of paint ball or scale a ropes course.

For shoppers, there are 14 specialty shops in Heritage Court plus nearby Uniontown boasts the ultimate outdoor store Woodlands World.

As the seasons change the ski facilities at Mystic Mountain offers both downhill and cross-country skiing.

Skiers, snowboarders and snow tubers can embrace a broad range of winter sport activities.

For a different winter experience try snowshoeing or dog sledding on the property’s winter trails.

Nemacolin boasts an impressive collection of restaurants and lounges including the Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond Lautrec, a forward-thinking fine dining experience.

Lautrec received a AAA Five Diamond rating for 2008 and again for 2009 making it the only such rated restaurant between east coast cities such as Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and New York and Chicago.

Culture is also an experience here at Nemacolin.

Enjoy daily art tours of the multi-million dollar Hardy Family art collection. Gourmet cooking classes and wine tasting are conducted in the state-of-the-art Académie du Vin.

Nemacolin is a self contained resort but there are some additional area attractions to enjoy.

Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob two architectural masterpieces of the 20th century created America’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright are located about 20 minutes away from the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Well worth the visit these two places require a story of their own.

For the history buff Fort Necessity is located just 10 minutes from the resort. The battle here in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War.

This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal of French power from North America and set the stage for the upcoming American Revolution. Are you aware that the first shot of our Revolutionary War was fired in Point Pleasant W.Va., not Massachusetts as the history books tell us.

Why not make a weekend getaway out of it and head to southwestern Pennsylvania. Who knows I may see you there towards the end of June as I have plans to head over and reacquaint myself with the region. Incidentally the Cleveland Indians are in Pittsburgh for a June weekend series so now I have an additional motivator to travel to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania.