I had several days available to wander around Ohio, due to a business convention that I had to (and then didn't have to, and then did have to, after all...) attend a few days later. I took a look at my long-bookmarked sites and conjured up a plan for the next few days.

Just east of Lebanon, I caught Rte. 22 east through Washington's Court House (that would be a town, not a building...) and Circleville, where I picked up Rte. 56 and followed that into South Bloomingville and beyond, where the road began to run alongside and then into Hocking Hills State Park.

I first learned of Hocking Hills years ago. I was just starting to do a little travel writing and had taken only one or two cross-country trips. I had decided to focus, among other things, on historic accommodations. After all, I couldn't travel without having places to stay and there were such rich stories hidden within the walls of these places.

Before a westbound trip, I ran Google searches for historic log cabins. Many Tennessee cabins popped up, most in the Smoky Mountains. There were others in Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. I took notes on those and filed them away for future trips through the south and southeast areas of the country. And a few more surfaced in western states - Washington, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana. Add to this other cabins in various other states.

In addition, cabins were showing up in an area that was unfamiliar to me: Hocking Hills, Ohio. I'd never heard of it, so I took a trip there to check it.

Located in the Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, Hocking Hills turned out to be an area filled with caves, waterfalls and deep sandstone gorges. With nine state parks, there were plenty of activities for outdoor enthusiasts: hiking, swimming, horseback riding and canoeing, to name a few. Add fishing, bird-watching or a ride on a scenic railroad. It's all there.

When I first visited this area, I stayed in a very old, historic log cabin. It was a fun, rustic experience and gave me a chance to get familiar with the area. (I think I posted a copy of that article in here years ago, though I'm not sure where without searching.)

But let's fast forward to this trip. It was time to seek out lodging that was a little less rustic, something I could recommend to those looking for a peaceful escape or a romantic weekend getaway. So, as I drove into Hocking Hills State Park, I took a left on Rte. 374 and followed that a short distance to The Inn at Cedar Falls.

I'd had this inn on my wish list for longer than I could remember and it had been recommended to me over and over again by other travelers. It lived up to all my expectations and then some. The property offers cabins and cottages as options, but I took a small room in the main inn, a traditional post and beam building, which houses nine guest rooms.

Each room is unique, featuring semi-rustic decor and supplied with ample amenities for a comfortable stay. There are no phones or televisions, so it is peaceful and relaxing. The bedding is heavenly and the bathroom is stocked with all the miniature soaps and lotions that I love. (This is a ridiculous obsession of mine in hotels and inns, but I think a little basket of nice bath accessories is such a nice touch.) A coffee maker in the room was also a welcome sight, especially since homemade oatmeal cookies waited right next to it.

However, dinner before cookies. Based on the inn's reputation for excellent food, I'd made a reservation in the dining room, housed in an 1840 log cabin at the front of the property. I was given a window table, overlooking the back patio and garden.

I loved everything about this restaurant, from the log cabin interior to the details of the table setting - quilted placemat, short vase with a single yellow spider mum, oil candle fashioned from a mason jar, appetizer tray with crackers, tomato pesto, bruschetta and a tiny Wisconson cheese ball. Soft renditions of Broadway show tunes floated through the air. (My notes say George Winston with a question mark...) Oval glass pieces and dried orange slices hung by strings in the windows, at varying heights. The combination of everything was enchanting.

The format at this restaurant is a four course meal, counting the appetizer as the first course. This was followed by a roasted red pepper soup and a mixed green salad with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. Wisely, the serving sizes are not so large as to cause the guest to be full before the main entree arrived. Given the way I'd been eating at the last few places, I'm hesitant to admit that I ordered pasta again, but it seemed the lightest choice of the selections for that evening. (An additional excuse is that it would be easy to save half in the common room's refrigerator and have it for lunch the next day, which is exactly what I did.) The pasta contents were a perfect mix: sun-dried tomatos, artichoke hearts, spinach, pine nuts and olive oil. (It normally would have had goat cheese, but I had them leave it off. Instead I was given a small dish of asiago cheese.) Everything was delicious. This inn's restaurant is frequented by many, both visitors to the area and locals, whether guests of the inn or not. I could see why it was so popular.

Breakfast was equally impressive, starting with a self-service buffet offering homemade granola, fresh fruit, yogurt and milk in an old-fashioned carafe on ice. A hot entree of an egg strata, sausage patties, fresh fruit and mini cinnamon rolls was then delivered to the table. Again I had a window seat, this time looking out over a porch with a swinging glider (is that redundant?) and rocking chair. Very peaceful.

Of particular interest to me was finding out that my server, Sarah, was the granddaughter of Anna Castle, who established the inn based on a dream of hers, to create a peaceful retreat for city dwellers, It was built slowly through hard work, personal sacrifice and determination. Anna was fortunate to see her dream become reality, but succumbed shortly thereafter to cancer. Her daughter, Sarah's mother, Ellen, now owns the inn, along with her husband Terry. Home on college vacation, Sarah was able to give me an inside view of the inn. It's an inspirational story, refreshing when compared with the corporate background of many places.

The inn has a spa, though I didn't have a chance to see it. (Read: the budget was getting tight by this time...) Facilities for small group meetings and retreats are also available and cooking and photography workshops are also offered.

Needless to say, I checked out of this inn reluctantly. I would have loved to stay another day, but I had a chance to pick up another Ohio inn before moving on to a couple non-travel business days. Before leaving, I did a little shopping at the inn's gift shop, which was stocked with a great selection of items and likely to be the best gift store in the area.

I attempted to stop and do a little bit of hiking before leaving Hocking Hills State Park, but the humidity....well, I'm a California girl and used to dry heat. Even the locals were complaining about the humidity being worse than usual, so I felt only halfway wimpy when I gave up on outdoor activities and hit the road.