The Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls: A Get Back-To-Nature Getaway Featuring Four-Star Accommodations

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.

All-Inclusive St. Thomas Get-Away Discounts

A few months ago, I visited the lovely Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort in St. Thomas and had a wonderful time. One of the unique things about this resort is that guests can pay by the night (like a traditional hotel), or the resort offers a very attractive all-inclusive option, which includes meals and most activities. (See my August 25, 2009 blog entry for details about my trip to this resort.)

I just learned that the resort is offering a 35 percent off discount on its all-inclusive rates. This option allows you to save money and calculate all of your vacation expenses in advance. What's nice about this resort is that it's suitable for people of all ages (plus honeymooners, families travel together, seniors, etc.), plus there are several excellent restaurants right on the property, so you're not stuck dining at the same place for every meal. (Oh, the food was top-notch, by the way, in each of the restaurants.)

Because St. Thomas is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, when you travel there as a U.S. citizen, you do NOT need a Passport. A valid driver's license is all that's required. Plus, direct (and affordable) flights are available from many U.S. cities. If you're planning a trip to the Caribbean, St. Thomas is a wonderful destination, and the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort is definitely one of the nicest resorts on the island!

Seeing Broadway Shows Doesn't Have To Cost A Fortune

For the past few days, I have been in New York City taking photos and gathering information for an interactive New York City travel guide iPhone app which I am developing in conjunction with Bizmosis. The app is called BizTravel (for business travelers), and it'll be launched in early-2010.

Tonight, I went to see my good friend Diana DeGarmo star in the off-Broadway show The Toxic Avenger, and she was absolutely fantastic! This show was really funny and entertaining, albeit a bit quirky. If you're visiting NYC, I strongly recommend seeing this show, especially if you're traveling with teens, or you're a fan of the 1984 movie (which has become a cult classic).

If you look at the box office ticket prices for any off-Broadway or Broadway show, you might think that seeing a show as part of your NYC trip is simply too expensive. Well, this isn't the case at all! For starts, in the heart of Times Square is the TKTS Booth, which sells same-day show tickets at up to 50 percent off.

In addition, surrounding the TKTS Booth are people distributing discount coupons for individual Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Today, for example, there were at least a dozen of these people giving out coupons offering $25.00 tickets for various popular shows, including The Toxic Avenger.

There are a bunch of amazing shows currently playing on Broadway. While you probably won't find half-off tickets for the Broadway shows that sell out night after night, like Wicked, these shows have daily lotteries at their respective box offices, during which a limited number of $25.00 seats are offered to those who attend the seat lottery in-person.

To participate in the Wicked ticket lottery, for example, show up at the box office (Gershwin Theater, 222 West 51st Street) at least 2.5 hours prior to showtime and add your name to the list. Two hours before each performance, the lottery is held. There's a two ticket per winner limit, and you must be present for the actual lottery to purchase your $25.00 ticket(s) if you win. For more info about the Wicked ticket lottery, click here.

Instead of waiting in potentially long lines at the TKTS Booth, you can also go online, visit www.broadwaybox.com and/or www.playbill.com/club (if you're a member of Playbill's "club," and receive special codes which you can use at a theatre's box office to obtain a significant discount on New York-based show tickets (up to 50 percent).

Just some of the wonderful musicals currently on Broadway include: Billy Elliot, Bye Bye Birdie, Hair, In The Heights, Jersey Boys, Mama Mia!, Mary Poppins, Rock of Ages, Shrek The Musical, The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and Wicked.

I haven't seen Rock of Ages yet, but Constantine Maroulis, who, like Diana DeGarmo, I got to know from my involvement with American Idol a few years back, is getting a lot of positive notoriety for his amazing performance in this musical. I have seen first-hand how talented Constantine is, so I have no trouble believing he's absolutely amazing in this show.

Off-Broadway, in addition to The Toxic Avenger, I recommend Alter Boys, Blue Man Group, Stomp and The Fantastics. If you want guaranteed seats for any of these shows, you'll need to reserve them in advance and pay full-price. However, if you have some flexibility in your schedule or you want a bargain, check out which shows are offering same-day discounts at the TKTS Booth in the heart of Times Square. The selection is typically extensive (unless it's a holiday).

Oh, and speaking of American Idol contestants, Anthony Federov is about to once again star in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat for a limited time (October 10th - November 1st) in Seattle, Washington at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. Click here for a video promoting that show.