Pop Culture

It’s All Inn Fun: Eventful Fall Weekends at Regional B & B’s

by Bijan C. Bayne

For many Ohioans, the arrival of fall in the Buckeye State signifies football season and weekend
dates with a rake. Others welcome the autumn months as the time to scout friendly bed and breakfasts. Whether you fancy antiques, chocolate, nature, or romantic getaways, there are inns in and around Ohio to suit your taste. What better time than fall to visit a bed and breakfast- the leaves are changing and the weather is temperate for walking and browsing. Some inns host seasonal events such as murder mystery weekends, gourmet chocolate tastes or art exhibits.

If theater’s your thing, you’ll enjoy a visit to Patrick House, an 1855 Greek revival inn located in Urbana, Ohio. Only 55 minutes from Dayton and an hour from Cincinnati, the inn periodically hosts two fun-filled special events- gourmet chocolate tastings and murder mystery weekends. The chocolate tastes are a visual and confectionary treat. Patrick House is the only Ohio inn affiliated with chocolatier Sweet Affair. Murder Mystery Weekends are a blast. Guests are given handouts that describe the major characters involved. The Champaign Community Players act out a drama based on a theme, and guests participate as bit players. When the murder is committed, guests attempt to solve the mystery based on clues heard in the dialogue and in their character handouts. Part of the fun is mingling with both the lead characters and your fellow guests. The suspect whom the most guests vote guilty is rendered such.
Urbana is also convenient to Ohio Caverns, the Piatt Castles, and Rothschild Farms and restaurant. Innkeeper Sandi Peterson can provide directions and brochures. For dinner, try the Derr Road Inn, where white-tailed deer graze on the premises.

Patrick House, 301 Scioto St., Urbana, Oh. Contact by e-mail at http://by1fd.bay1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1094274930.36&start=1761331&len=12506&src=&type=x&to=sanspete%40ctn%2enet&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=b97646f54b8c0814ca2d8ef6ca0805f9or by telephone at 877-233-1370. Innkeeper Sandi Peterson.

For a weekend in Norman Rockwell’s America, there’s The College Inn in Westerville, Ohio. Situated on the tree-lined, All-American campus of Otterbein College, this B & B is only 11 minutes from Columbus, Westerville hosts an arts festival in July. Dilapidated for 50 years, the inn was restored by local native and current innkeeper Becky Rohrer. Relax in the bay-windowed library with a good book, or chat in the formal dining room. Bamboo palm trees, Eastern artwork and cozy armchairs combine to relax the senses. The town is the perfect place to witness the leaves changing colors. It doesn’t get more Middle American than this. If Otterbein is playing a home football game, the sounds of festive band music will stir memories of school spirit.

The College Inn is only a few blocks from the Benjamin Hanby Memorial the 19th century home of a local abolitionist best known for composing the Christmas carol "Up on the Housetop". A leisurely Saturday stroll on State St. may include art galleries, lunch, or browsing at Amish Originals Furniture store. The main drag is thriving with residents with the same idea. On the way back to the inn, visit the Used or Rare Bookstore.
Westerville was the birthplace of the Temperance Movement, and the town is still "dry". Your best bet for dinner is the artsy Table of Contents on 377 West Main Street. It’s minimally-staffed, but has an eclectic atmosphere accented by Fiesta pottery and vivid paintings. The entrees change periodically. Don’t miss the mango cheesecake or the blueberry bread pudding.

The College Inn, 63 West College Ave., Westerville, Ohio. The website is http://by1fd.bay1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1094274930.36&start=1761331&len=12506&src=&type=x&to=CIBnb%40aol%2ecom%2c&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=b97646f54b8c0814ca2d8ef6ca0805f9 or telephone 888-794-3090. Innkeeper Becky Rohrer.

For nature walkers, Cedar Hill Bed and Breakfast in Wilmington, Ohio is situated near trails and parks. The inn consists of both a large log home and a carriage house. Cedar Hill is an hour from Cincinnati, 40 minutes from Dayton. Caesar’s Creek Gorge and state park are a short drive- the gorge is made of limestone bedrock 180 feet high. Nearby Harveysburg is home to a museum housed in Ohio’s first school for Black children, built in 1831.
The inn’s special events include Murder Mystery weekends in January and March, and "Chocolate Lovers’ Month’ in February. The Murder Mystery here is acted out in the carriage house and the log home, with guests and Wilmington College students as players. During Chocolate Lovers’ Month, everything from the goodies in the gathering room to the breakfast crepes are chocolate.

The McCarron’s can give you tips on a scenic hike during which you may see deer. Drive into town for a sandwich at Jim’s Deli inside Books ‘n’ More on West Main Street. It doesn’t take much to picture this street 70 years ago. On Main you’ll see the stately Murphy Theater, built in 1918 by early Chicago Cubs owner Charles Murphy. Notables such as Mickey Rooney, Debbie Reynolds, and The Oak Ridge Boys have performed at the Murphy. The theater appeared in the1989 film "Lost in Yonkers", and actor John Ritter was married there. Wilmington hosts a Banana Split Festival the first week of June and a Corn Festival the weekend after Labor Day. The Renaissance Festival runs each weekend from late August to October 18. In nearby Lebanon are the Indian mounds at Fort Ancient State Memorial.

Innkeeper Rick McCarron’s wafer-thin crepes are a morning delight. An additional treat are the homemade oatmeal cookies in the carriage house. Be sure to visit Ye Old Grandpa’s Pottery Barn, owned by the Storers. Built in 1850 next to an Underground Railroad farmhouse, the stately old white barn houses a pottery company whose work is sold to Germany, Australia and Thailand. Grandpa’s is open until 6 p.m. Saturdays. Top off the evening with dinner at the Spillway Lodge, a restaurant with hearty American fare and a lakeside view.
Cedar Hill, 4003 State Route 73 West, Wilmington, Oh. Telephone 877-722-2525. E-mail cedarbb@hotmail.com. Innkeepers Joan and Rick McCarron.

An hour west of Cincinnati and 30 minutes from Oxford, Ohio in Brookville, Indiana, The Hermitage was once owned by 19th century Indiana painters J. Ottis Adams and T.C. Steele. Martha Shea has run it as a bed and breakfast for five years. The inn hosts a fall event known as "Art at the Hermitage", where 12 artists and craftspeople exhibit their works under tented areas. There is instrumental music, patriotic song, and bluegrass banjo playing on the 112 foot long veranda. Antiques abound here, from the grand piano and pump organ to the implements from the original artists’ studios. A chandelier dates to a Presbyterian church in 1852, and the house features a window constructed from bottle bottoms.
Enjoy lunch at Hearthstone, a restaurant used in the movie "Rain Man" (they have a Rain Man Room).

The Hermitage is an ideal inn to visit in early October during Canal Days which attracts 250,000 people and 700 to 800 flea market vendors. The Christmas Walk in Metamora, Indiana is also popular, the lighting spectacular takes place each weekend from Thanksgiving to the weekend prior to Christmas. Both Canal Days and the Christmas walk feature passenger rides along the Whitewater River Valley Railroad. Metamora’s arts and crafts shops are open year-round.

The Hermitage, 650 East 8th St., Brookville, In. Contact The Hermitage at 877-407-9198 or http://by1fd.bay1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1094274930.36&start=1761331&len=12506&src=&type=x&to=hermitage%40cnz%2ecom&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=b97646f54b8c0814ca2d8ef6ca0805f9. Innkeeper Martha Shea.

There are several charming inns just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Ash-ley House in Newport, Kentucky is lavishly appointed with stained glass windows, tapestries, and rooms that afford a breathtaking view of the Cincinnati skyline. Seldom will you feel so private while so close to a city. Bask in the relaxation of a Jacuzzi tub. The shops and dining of Newport-on-the-Levee are a few blocks away. There’s also the Newport Aquarium, and The Peace Bell. Newport’s Basilica of Notre Dame boasts the largest church stained glass window in the world. A must lunch stop is nearby Pompillio’s, where the "toothpick scene" in "Rain Man" was shot.
Debi Peace is the innkeeper of Ash-ley House, on 310 East Third St. In Newport, Ky. Call 859-291-1114.

Located minutes from Cincinnati, the Amos Shinkle House in Covington, Kentucky is a riverfront inn rich in period furniture and intriguing lore. The Shinkle was built in 1854 and once owned by C & O railroad exec John Spalding. Much of the furniture is original to the house, co-owner Don Nash purchased it at an estate sale in 1971. The inn’s seven guests rooms sleep 21, and the carriage house sleeps 15 in four rooms. The breakfast specialty here is the German Apple Puff. There are handsome four poster beds, stately armoires, music boxes, and an antique mantle clock that was a gift to the Spalding’s from Diamond Jim Brady. The art deco glass and tile theme in one second floor bathroom evokes a Joan Crawford movie. Be sure to tour the carriage house with its equestrian decor. During slavery, runaways were hidden in the hayloft.

The Amos Shinkle House is at 215 Garrad St., Covington, Ky. Call 1-800-972-7012 or http://by1fd.bay1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1094274930.36&start=1761331&len=12506&src=&type=x&to=amosshinkle%40yahoo%2ecom&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=b97646f54b8c0814ca2d8ef6ca0805f9. Innkeepers Bernie Moorman and Don Nash.

For couples seeking a romantic weekend less than five minutes from Cincinnati, it’s tough to beat Covington’s lovely Wallace House. Built in 1905 the octagonal Queen Anne victorian commands a corner in a section that was once the summer getaway for Cincinnati tycoons such as department store magnate John Shillito. The interior is tasteful luxury, both suites and bathrooms are spacious. Guests are welcome to watch movies or play billiards in the large Common Room. The Room With a View features a skylight. The creative innkeepers Jenni and Bill Woodruff vividly decorate the veranda and lawn for Halloween.
Restaurant recommendations include the Syndicate (think "Rat Pack" movies and Chicago steak) and Marco’s, a classy spot with a singing guitarist. You may choose from macadamia crusted ruby trout, pecan chicken, salmon with basil or chicken and broccoli penne pasta. As the vocalist asks for requests, savor the butterscotch pie, bread pudding or Italian love cake. Friendly innkeepers, small college football, brilliantly colored oaks- such traditions beckon tourists to these small town treasures.

Wallace House, 120 Wallace Ave., Covington, Ky. Phone 888-942-8177 or e-mail http://by1fd.bay1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1094274930.36&start=1761331&len=12506&src=&type=x&to=info%40wallacehousebb%2ecom%2e&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=b97646f54b8c0814ca2d8ef6ca0805f9 Innkeepers Jenni and Bill Woodruff.