THE INN AT CEDAR FALLS

THE INN AT CEDAR FALLS -- HOCKING HILLS OHIO

LOGAN, Ohio -- The Americans with Disabilities Act has no magic wand to make cozy country inns accessible to disabled guests. But an innkeeper’s attitude goes a lot farther toward overcoming barriers than any architect’s codebook.

Ellen Grinsfelder is that type of person. Proprietor of the beautiful Inn at Cedar Falls located in Ohio’s scenic Hocking Hills region, Grinsfelder has poured her heart into making her inn open to everyone regardless of disability.

Her efforts have resulted in wonderfully accessible accommodations nestled along a gorgeous, wooded ravine far from urban bustle. Here the nighttime sky dazzles with its display of heavenly bodies so bright that visitors feel as if they’ve entered a brilliant cathedral of stars.

Grinsfelder’s perfect combination of rustic luxury and access is a shining example for anyone with doubts that one-of-a-kind inns and B&Bs can’t be made barrier-free for disabled guests.

When Grinsfelder took over the Inn at Cedar Falls from her mother in 1991, the innovative innkeeper set out to build six cabins, one of which would have well-planned access. Her strategy to achieve this was smart but simple. She invited a friend who uses a wheelchair to do a walk-through of Sumac, the accessible cabin.

Her friend pointed out that her choice of a full-size refrigerator was generous, but that an apartment size refrigerator would put both frozen and refrigerated items within a wheelchair user’s reach.

Grinsfelder’s increased awareness of convenient placement prompted her to store kitchen items -- flatware, silverware, tea bags, salt and pepper, even flashlights – neither too high nor too low for retrieval from a seated position. Many of the cabins electrical outlets are also placed at suitable heights.

Her friend also suggested enlarging the roll-in shower with grab bars to allow sufficient room for both a wheelchair user and personal care attendant. As a result, both the shower and bathroom are plenty roomy for maneuvering.

Ultimately, the innkeeper’s thoughtful planning made Sumac into a sumptuously appointed and accessible haven for much-needed getaways from the hassles of city life. Guests can park immediately adjacent to the cabin and gain access via a smooth wooden ramp that blends beautifully with the porch and walkway to the main entrance.

One can linger outside, daydreamily rocking on the porch swing and taking in the wooded vista, or come inside to the aroma of cedar and a plate of homemade cookies on the kitchen table. Take a seat in the cozy living room by the gas fireplace. Forget the distractions of the telephone and television -- neither can be found in this refuge of relaxation.

Breakfast is included in the lodging price and other meals are available -- yet “meals” is not so accurate a word as “feasts.” Guests gather in the dining area in an accessible, quaintly pretty house-like structure near the lodge for elaborate breakfasts of such delights as raspberry and cream cheese stuffed french toast, succulent bacon and flavorful granola. Details such as milk in little glass bottles and cloth napkins are a nice touch.

Dinner is a candlelit, multi-course affair that may start off with cheese spread and gourmet crackers, then move on to white bean soup, a salad of fresh greens and salmon in phyllo dough. Dessert may be a light-as-air pastry filled with a cream concoction and drizzled with melted chocolate.

Grinsfelder’s masterful creators of superb cuisine prepare a different menu each day. With advance notice, special dishes can be requested by guests to match dietary restrictions or food preferences.

Tasty box lunches are perfect for taking along while exploring nature’s splendor in the surrounding Hocking Hills. The hilly, winding roads that snake through this scenic area invite a leisurely, sight-seeing pace.

While the majority of the area’s state park trails are too rugged for the average wheelchair user to negotiate, the one quarter mile paved trail to Ash Cave is very wheelchair-friendly. During our stay at the Inn at Cedar Falls, we’d planned to check it out.

Grinsfelder, ever-mindful of enhancing the experience of her guests, hooked us up with a guide for our light hike to the massive shelter cave and nearby 90-foot waterfall.

Hocking Hills was the stopping point of a glacier which made its way from the north, thus explaining the presence of trees and plants native to Canada.

Our hike ended all too quickly and we dud some leisurely driving before returning to the comforting confines of Sumac. We look forward to sitting a spell on the porch and then to a decadent dinner at the inn.

http://innatcedarfalls.com