Let’s face facts: I love my creature comforts and enjoy the finer things in life. And you know what? I refuse to apologize for it. I love the outdoors when it involves a comfy bed surrounded by luxury and fun amenities and it’s even better when I don’t have to drive across the country to find that perfect melding. Visiting Hueston Woods Lodge & Conference Center (just shy of Cincinnati, Ohio) this month, I realized I can have the best of both worlds and a new way to connect with the outdoors- all with that lovely sprinkling of class and luxury. Here’s my five favorite reasons to love it!
Disclosure: I was graciously hosted by Great Ohio Lodges to give you fine folks the scoop on what makes each of its three so perfect for families! All opinions are my own!
Guest Accommodations
In my opinion, there isn’t a bad guest room in the house. But, if you really want to up the view from your patio, ask for a lake-facing room. The Kid and I had two comfy beds to sleep in, plenty of space (even a vanity counter to lay all of my make-up and hair care products on!), a table with two chairs for in-room dining, large flatscreen tele, a mini fridge with plenty of room for drinks and snacks, and even a coffee maker. I never used the coffee maker, though, because there was super delicious coffee in the lobby at all times- and it’s complimentary.
There’s a door in our guest room that led straight to our private patio on the third floor. With two chairs, we sat and checked out this view at least a dozen times. Pretty during the day, the sunrise and sunsets at The Lodge are stunning.
Dining
The Lodge offers its guests three meal times each day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and we were lucky enough to hit all three. The meals are very affordable and portions large.
My fave selection in the menu? Chicken Pot Pie! Topped with flaky pastry and filled with veggies, white meat chicken, and a delicious gravy, there was plenty for dinner and some leftover to take back to the room.
Breakfast was challenge, but only because there were so many tasty options. The Breakfast Sandwich on a croissant with a side of potatoes was right up my alley.
And the yogurt parfait with a side of fruit was something that I had originally ordered by The Kid loved it so much she ended up stealing mine! Gotta love her!
On-site Activities
We enjoyed beautiful weather on our visit but I had to think about what we would do if we encountered a rainy visit. The answer? Plenty. There’s a massive Game Room on the Lobby floor filled with modern and old-school games (The Kid has a love for Galaga now!) as well as table tennis. We borrowed a couple of paddles from the Front desk and has a ball.
If you’re not into working on a tan or simply want to swim without the sun in your eyes, there’s a giant indoor pool.
However, sun worshipers need not fret, for the outdoor pool is just as lovely. There’s plenty of lounge chairs- and check out that view of Acton Lake!
If you simply feel like being in the presence of others, head to the Lobby and take a seat on one of a ton of comfy chairs. There’s cable television and the most beautiful fireplace.
Yep, even in summer there’s a roaring, calming fire. Also in the Lobby is a cute gift shop filled with plenty of souvenirs, s’mores kits, shirts, lotions (LOVE the Great Ohio Lodges lotion! It has a lemongrass scent and is perfect for summer and winter.), mugs, plushies, and even toiletry items in case you’ve forgotten to pack something.
Outdoor Activities
If you’d like to step away from Hueston Woods Lodge for a few hours there’s plenty of recreational activities. We had such a fun time horseback riding through the woods and The Kid, for never having ridden a horse other than the carousel variety, fell in love with the activity.
Our riding session lasted for about an hour and each horse was specially chosen for us with the consideration of ability and demeanor. my horse, Goofy, was perfect for me. Right around 28 years old, he was having none of the mud in the woods and decided to take his own path most of the ride, causing me to giggle through the entire trip.
On the last morning of our trip, we headed to The Marina and headed out on the water in a Pontoon Boat. Acton Lake is so calm that I didn’t worry for a second about other boats or rocky conditions. It was morning sun and beauty the entire time. We even boated by the Lodge to see what it looked like from a different perspective. Still gorgeous.
Location
One of our favorite things to do At Hueston Woods Lodge didn’t cost a dime and provided for tons of gorgeous photos. We headed down to the dock and simply enjoyed the view. The Kid watched small sailboats and fishermen and I’ve never seen her look so peaceful. For all of our sunrise and sunset photos at The Lodge, head to my Instagram feed.
If you’re wondering where the closest big city is, it’s not too far away. Cincinnati proper is less than an hour’s drive, Columbus is under two hours, and Indianapolis is right around 90 minutes, but never once did I feel the need to leave the property. Honestly, we were quite sad on check out morning.
Leave a Reply