Soon after arrival, I picked up a GPS from the lobby ambassador and went geo- caching – a clue-laden seek-and-find throughout pathways and along hidden
trails.That night,and with a perfectly clear sky, I was led with a small group up to the top of the lodge’s observatory to view one of the largest telescopes in the state.
This several-times-a-night astronomical performance was led by “starmaster” Lauren Peery,who provided an education- al and awe-inspiring tour of the galaxy – and to other galaxies. This was the first time I had ever witnessed an actual view of a binary-galaxy system and also a dou- ble-star systemthat was not in photo form in some magazine. This was real-time (plus many light years).
The swirling,dancing images on the mon- itor reflected the sky-grabbing snapshots from the hulking telescope that were as humbling as they were breathtaking.
The next morning after a sumptuous repast inside Elements, I found myself donning a helmet and a bandana, the lat- ter I affixed around my neck scarf-like, ready to kerchief myself should dusty breezes kick up as I roared down steep ravines (thrilling but never too scary), up rocky inclines and across deep canyons onmy Polaris Ranger 4X4 - an exhilarating off-road vehicle (actually,a super golf cart that has been beefed up with substantial horsepower and big, bulgy tires in which to – cautiously - tear through Primland’s scenic secrets).
Later, I was given an education in clay
shooting by Alex,our off-road guide from before.With a friendly twinkle in his eye andVirginia syrup in his vocal inflections, Alex was a most hospitable host.He gen- tly showed me the best way to hold my twin-barrel shotgun; how to track clays and fire off rounds with precision timing (okay,I capped only one out 1 for 20 clays, but this was from a guy who’d never shot anything bigger than a .22 before), and Alex made sure to keep pace and hydra- tion levels in mind throughout the long day.
Before the exhilarating afternoon ended I realized that Alex has possibly the coolest job in the world: He gets to enjoy fun activities while being really nice to peo- ple for a
living.Not too bad…
“Pull!” Bang!
The mandate here is not to be “Primland Resort, Spa and Conference Center”– no, Primland’s Vice President Steve Helms strives to keep simplicity in place in this land, and its conservation as his team’s main priority.“We have taken the natural resourceswe’ve been presentedwith here in these 12,000 beautiful acres, and then quickly learned that nature, and the out- doors, can be the best kind of events spaces or boardrooms.”
I appreciate Steve’s words even more while touring the resort and seeing the canvas it presents to planners.
Sweeping patios offer nearly horizon-less
vistas.There are dozens ofmountain over- looks that can be converted into tented and fully-catered wonderlands in which to convene. There’s even a place in the woods that’s been re-envisioned into a gathering space for social
events.It’s a hid- den glen by a creek bed. There, situated along its banks, is an actual moonshine
still.There’s nothing like some backcoun- try cuisine and sips of blackberry moon- shine over an open fire to bring on the spirit of comradery and of socializing together.
In all, three days was not nearly long enough time to get to enjoy Primland’s many, many offerings. Alas, my site tour was so consuming I didn’t get a chance to visit the spa, so I will be sure to return (with my wife on the next go-round) to really take advantage of those 12,000- acres and all they present to Primlanders.
It really is the perfect spot – if not one of the most unheralded one’s in this part of the country - where one can do nearly anything and everything in heightened luxury; over mountains, across the water, and far into the day and evening sky – or, where one can do absolutely nothing at all.
Ken Alan is a corporate concierge for CBRE.He is the founding member of the Philadelphia Area
Concierge Association and he is the lead restaurant reviewer for Main Line
Today.ken.alan@
cbre.com
Mid-Atlantic EVENTS Magazine 83
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