Just got back from a family reunion at Skytop Lodge, a grand, sprawling stone manse in the Poconos. Seeing all the relatives from Connecticut was great -- so was the mountain setting.

But what I liked most was sensing the weight of tradition, of a slower time (even though I blogged with the lodge's wi-fi service yesterday). Lawn bowling on a manicured court, the huge semi-circular porch with rocking chairs, afternoon tea, the jazz band -- all lent an air of America in the 1930s or 1940s. Even better: our room came equipped with a stack of books, including Sue Grafton's A is for Alibi and The Illustrated Letters of Jane Austen, another hint that this is a place to simply relax.

And it worked. After a day of golf and mountain biking, I was happy just to linger over meals or sit on the porch with my family, exchanging stories. Have you found a spot like this, the perfect setting to relax and read?