Discover life on the river's edge at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE, Pa. -- The Delaware River is both the best friend and worst enemy of the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.

The riverfront provides a scenic, peaceful setting for Shawnee Inn guests to unwind. They can play golf on the resort's historic A.W. Tillinghast course, dating to 1911. They can float down the river in a kayak, canoe, raft or paddleboard. Many people just like to hang out on the great lawn or small beach, playing horseshoes, kicking a soccer ball and playing catch by day and eating S'mores fireside by night.

Being so close to the river does have its drawbacks. Floodwaters ravaged the 27-hole course and the first floor of the Inn in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Twice in 2011, high river levels forced staff to empty out the basement, although thankfully no water seeped into the Inn.

After every setback, Shawnee continues on, embracing this natural environment on the edge of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The resort features its own farm, growing vegetables for its restaurants, like the elegant River Room and the Gem and Keystone Brewpub near the main entrance. Shawnee harvests honey from bees at its own apiary. The resort even brews its own beer, incorporating many of the flavors into the brewpub's menu (try the awesome pretzel-and-beer-cheese appetizer).

"I always tell everyone that we are fortunate where we sit. It is one of the most beautiful places," said Rob Howell, the general manager at Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. "Sometimes, Mother Nature has to remind us who the boss is.