Last week, I had the opportunity to spend a few days exploring the Hocking Hills, Ohio area, and stayed at a wonderful place called the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls (740-385-7489, www.innatcedarfalls.com).
Located about 50 miles from Columbus, Ohio, this lovely inn offers four-star luxury, gourmet cuisine, and a wide range of outdoor activities, not to mention extremely friendly, personalized and attentive service.
The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls in not a traditional hotel or motel, nor is it a run-of-the-mill B&B. It's a family-owned and operated, small resort complex that's comprised of nine guest rooms, 12 cottages, and five cabins. There's also a casual dining room that serves gourmet cuisine, and a full-service day spa on the property.
Situated on 75 acres, this inn is surrounded by gorgeous woods. However, a stay here is anything but rustic. In fact, what you'll find are four-star quality accommodations with intimate guest rooms and cabins, which contain all of the amenities and luxuries you'd expect from a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton. However, instead of a massive resort or hotel complex, what you'll find are cozy cabins, and a small cluster of buildings constructed to replicate 1840 log houses.
The guest rooms, cottages and cabins are decorated with antiques combined with fine furnishings that are extremely comfortable. Yet, what you won't find within the guest rooms (or cabins) are televisions, Internet access or telephones.
Thus, the Inn & Spa At Cedar Falls is truly a wonderful place to get away, explore nature, and enjoy the outdoors, without really having to "rough it." The beds within the cabin I stayed in was adorned with imported fine linens, and was incredibly comfortable. In fact, I don't remember ever sleeping so soundly in any hotel, motel or inn, anywhere in the world.
For those addicted to technology and the modern world, don't worry! There's a large flat screen TV, telephone service and Internet access available within the Inn's main building, so you're not totally isolated. However, your cell phone won't work in the area, so you'll feel as if you're cutting the cord with civilization as you embrace the natural surroundings and have a chance to simply relax.
What's nice about the Inn & Spa At Cedar Falls is that it's located a very short distance from Hocking Hills State Parks, which contain countless miles of hiking and biking trails, plus attractions like waterfalls and Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave and Cedar Falls - all of which are stunning beautiful places to visit, even if you're in inexperienced hiker.
In addition to the outdoor activities offered at the Inn and the nearby State Parks, there's plenty to do indoors as well. For example, there's the day spa, plus an ongoing schedule of cooking classes, wine tastings, and other types of classes - all taught on or near the Inn.
Nearby, you can also play golf, learn the art of basket weaving or glass bead making, or take a free tour of the world's only remaining washboard factory which was founded in 1895. The Columbus Washboard Factory (740-380-3828, www.columbuswashboard.com) is an historic place to visit, however, it's also a working factory that manufactures and distributes over one million handcrafted washboards per year. (Yes, there are people in the world that still use these things to do their laundry manually.)
While the tour was extremely interesting, what really caught my attention was the fact that The Columbus Washboard Factory was actively involved with providing a laundry solution for U.S. soldiers currently stationed in Iraq, Kuwait and other countries that lack modern amenities, like washing machines.
I invite and ask everyone reading this to make a $25.00 donation to The Columbus Washboard Factory to help cover the cost of just one Washboard Troop Kit, which includes everything needed for a soldier to wash their clothing while stationed in the desert, for example.
Donations can be made online (www.columbuswashboard.com), by telephone (800-343-7967), or by mail (Kuwait Fund, c/o The Columbus Washboard Company, 14 Gallagher Avenue, Lohan, Ohio 43138).
Just $25.00 can make a huge difference in the daily life of a U.S. soldier who wants and needs to wear a clean uniform, and who otherwise would be unable to get their clothing laundered, sometimes for weeks at a time.
Anyway, getting back to the Inn & Spa At Cedar Falls. This inn truly offers a wonderful place to relax. It's perfect for romantic getaways, anniversary celebrations, weddings, corporate retreats, guys or girls-only weekends, and family vacations.
The cost for accommodations at this inn ranges from $125.00 per night (for a guest room) to $289.00 per night for a luxurious private cabin in the woods. The inn is open throughout the year and offers off-season rates and specials.
If you're within driving distance of Logan, Ohio (the Hocking Hills region) where this inn is located, it truly is a perfect vacation destination. However, if you need to pay for airfares to Columbus, Ohio, and then have to rent a car, the price of the weekend or week-long getaway goes up considerably if you're coming from the east or west coast, for example.
What I discovered, however, is that people visit the Inn & Spa At Cedar Falls year after year, not just to experience nature and the wonderful accommodations, but also because of the highly personalized service.
The innkeepers, Ellen Grinsfelder and Terry Lingo, make you feel at home with their hospitality and gourmet cooking. You'll immediately feel like you've made close friends as you interact with Ellen, Terry and the entire staff. It's a level of personalized attention and service you won't find at traditional hotels or motels, or even most B&Bs.
During my stay at the Inn & Spa At Cedar Falls, I learned that the inn is part of the Select Registry Distinguished Inns of North America (800-344-5244, www.selectregistry.com). Established in the 1960s, this organization's members include only about 400 of the very best and most upscale inns and B&Bs in The United States.
To become part of this organization, an inn must adhere to very strict quality and service standards which are above and beyond what you'd expect from most hotels or even upscale resorts.
So, if you're looking for superior accommodations that are not part of a hotel or motel chain, seriously consider booking reservations at any of the inns that are part of this organization. Inns which qualify to be part of the organization are located with all 50 U.S. states, as well as parts of Canada.
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