Our Vision

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Sweet Forest Breeze was born out of the desire to create a meaningful place for our family & friends to build memories and escape the allure of the screens. Once Todd & I came up with the name it started to manifest a destiny  beyond our original plan,  leading us to to purchase the old   There had been other times in life where fear had won over future regret.  Looking at the tall pines and snow covered land This time we said yes to our imagination and our intitution. We took a moment to absorb and vent all the worry and consider the worst-case scenarios. Then, we went all in. 

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On our first day as the new owners, we felt like a pair of love-bird bohemians in their early twenties, ready to fulfill their God-given potential. After much time, learning, and paper Georges, Sweet Forest Breeze  welcomed overnight guests for the spring season of 2024. 

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We work each day to create places & experiences that encourage other people to take a break from routine and let the forest & country embrace them.     

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Our Mission

We want guests to leave Sweet Forest Breeze with memories & connections.  First, with overnight stays and updated rooms, grounds to enjoy, and knowledgeable hosts to help guests make the most out of their time in Cook Forest and all of PA Wilds. We will continue expanding services and partnerships to create unique events, programs, and retro experiences. 

 

Our goals are to serve those who have always loved the Cook Forest area attracting new and repeat visitors to the surrounding communities. Each day, we will try to inspire others to connect with their true selves, find forgotten interests, and connect with friends and family in nature. 

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Our Forestbound Fate to Sweet Forest Breeze

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They call Cook Forest the enchanted forest. Its unique charm, ancient trees, fairytale moss and calming atmosphere are the place where butterflies are formed.  Getting down in your stomach like a first kiss. 

 

We visited friends in the forest three years ago, renting a nearyby cabin.  We loved the moss over the land and looing back at nothing but trees.  Our young children roasted their first marshmallows over a firepit so excited from the new adventure.  We returned a second time, the butterflies had landed in our stomachs, and we found ourselves returning repeatedly.  

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We soon realized we wanted a little weekend cabin to escape the city, unplug, and let our children experience a piece of childhood in nature away from the screens. They get their hands dirty picking up leaves, skipping on trails, and finding frogs to kiss. (no princes yet).

 

But alas, no cabin was found, so we purchased some land spotted in the desperate hours past midnight on Craig's List, planning to build a little cabin. The lot was adjacent to the old Cook Forest Inn, which had been vacant since the pandemic, but had recently sold.  As winter came, we puttered around on our cabin design for just the right amount of time.

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Meanwhile, back in Vowickel, the Inn came up for sale again; Destiny was blinking a neon vacancy sign in our faces. After just 45 minutes of touring the building, we were smitten. We felt it was a diamond in the rough, or more fitting, a rural ruby ready to shine. As we drove away, we felt the universe whispering in our hearts. 

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Making it happen required us to leave fear behind, ignore the questions of relatives who didn't understand our why, and put our faith in god and ourselves. As kids and grandkids of steel workers, we knew the Inn's backbone of concrete and steel could support the hard work ahead. We couldn't wait to unleash our imaginations, gently leading the property out of its 1970s shell into a flourishing gem for the forest. 

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