This past January my mom was gracious enough to send Sam and I up to The Inn at Honey Run for a post-holiday couple’s getaway. The Inn is located in Millersburg, the heart of Ohio Amish Country, and we enjoyed our stay in the Honeycomb Suite.

After our winter stay, Sam and I talked about how beautiful Amish Country is. The Inn’s Instagram has some gorgeous fall pictures of the colors as seen from the Honeycomb Suites, and Sam made a comment about going back to the Inn and spending two nights to really experience it.

Little did he know, I made a reservation in late July for this past weekend, in honor of his 30th birthday.

Here’s the highlights of our weekend at The Inn and Ohio’s Amish Country.

Friday – arriving

We took a scenic longer route to Millersburg. Our first stop was at The Coffee Vault in Galena, a village in Delaware County just north of Columbus. We picked up I-71 northbound to Wooster, then headed east from there.

The roads were beautiful, lined with goldenrod and fiery orange. After check in we had our hors d’oeuvres and wine – a baked brie spread, with a Riesling for me and a Malbec for him. I’m not a big wine fan, although I was impressed with my Riesling. Our room was ready and we got there to get changed before dinner at 6.

Tarragon, the restaurant on site, might be the best part of the Inn. We decided to split the Bibb Salad for starters – which is Tarragon macerated strawberries, poached apples, spiced almonds and a lemon vinaigrette on iceberg lettuce. The flavors married together tasted like candy. So obviously I have to recommend that.

Sam ordered a grilled 12-ounce steak, which came with creamed spinach and potato croquettes. The steak is marinated in charred molasses, which he loved.

I wasn’t in a meat mood, so I decided to order the fire roasted red bell pepper minus the capers. The pepper came over cut eggplant and Israeli couscous served in a tomato sauce. It was delicious and refreshing.

I have a sweet tooth and can save room for dessert like nobody’s business, so I ordered the key lime semifreddo. It was wonderful.

Friday was a great day and evening. Now we’re on to Saturday.

Saturday – exploring Amish Country

Saturday morning was a great time to explore the trails around Honey Run. There’s six trails and we hiked five of them. The Holmes County Open Air Art Museum is located on the grounds, and we enjoyed ourselves climbing up and down the hills to read the haikus, see Around the Bend, and really take in the fall colors in the hills.

That afternoon we decided to drive into Amish Country. A work associate of Sam’s took his family to one of the farms earlier this month, and we figured it was either Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery or another petting zoo in Walnut Creek. Once we got there we recognized the farm was indeed Hershberger’s, which has a large market and petting zoo. I’m a big animal lover, so pretty much any time there’s a petting zoo I insist we go in and see the animals.

Hershberger’s did not disappoint at all. As soon as we got in the barn some of the kids – the little goats, that is – came up to me. Goats are my favorite farm animals, so getting my goat cuddles in right off the bat was incredible. The animals at the farm are used to human visitors and very friendly, so I got to say hi and give pets to the pigs, cows, horses, rabbits and ponies. The steer let me take a picture, although he wasn’t in the mood for pets. The alpacas meanwhile were ornery little stinkers, so I didn’t get to say hi to them.

We decided to drive into Sugarcreek, which was founded by Swiss settlers and is affectionately referred to as the Little Switzerland of Ohio. Sugarcreek is home to the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock, and every half hour on the hour the clock goes off and performs for those watching. I filmed the minute and a half, while Sam was chuckling at all of us filming on our phones and the two families with the young children dancing.

The dancing families were adorable, by the way. I actually kinda want a toddler now.

We then walked around the shops in Sugarcreek and the Alpine Hills Museum before heading back to Millersburg for the Guggisberg Cheese Factory and Chalet in the Valley.

Guggisberg was founded by Alfred and Margaret Guggisberg, Swiss settlers to the area. Mr. Guggisberg was a master cheese maker and worked to produce delicious cheese from the local dairy farms’ milk, with a goal to create a new style of Swiss cheese that would appeal to American tastes. He experimented until he developed a cheese that had smaller eyes and a milder, creamier taste. Mrs. Guggisberg christened the new cheese “Baby Swiss,” as it was a smaller version of the traditional Emmental Swiss wheel. Their son Richard is now operating the factory, and Guggisberg Baby Swiss cheese is still winning awards for being the best cheese in the country in 2019-2020.

We decided to walk through the cheese factory – and purchase a block of Baby Swiss cheese – before heading across the street to Chalet in the Valley for dinner. The restaurant opened in 1983 and was a dream of Mrs. Guggisberg’s, featuring Swiss and Austrian fare. Sam decided to order one of the Schnitzels while I had an Alpine macaroni and cheese, made with Baby Swiss cheese. My inner carb monster was satisfied with both the macaroni and the piece of Black Forest cake I had for dessert.

With two wealth bellies, it was time for us to head back to The Inn.

Sunday – departing

We moved slowly Sunday morning, getting the car loaded up and getting ready to get brunch at Tarragon after checkout and before heading west. I was in the mood for breakfast while Sam wanted lunch, so I ordered Belgian waffles and he got a turkey sandwich. We decided to walk the sixth and final trail before heading out, then it was time to start our journey home.

We took the rural state routes into downtown Millersburg and picked up Ohio Byway Route 62, which runs east-west all the way to Columbus. Incredibly enough, Route 62 seemed to go faster than the interstate and was way more peaceful and beautiful with gold, orange and ruby trees climbing up the hills. I was surprised by how quickly we saw the “Welcome to Licking County” sign, which meant we would soon be in Franklin County and back in Columbus city limits.

My final thoughts

I’m bummed that our weekend went so fast and grateful we got to experience The Inn at Honey Run and Amish Country in the autumn. In between me losing my job earlier this month and Sam dealing with Covid-related stresses at his, we needed to get out of Columbus for a bit and enjoy some time together in God’s country.

My final recommendations can be summed up as such:

1.) The Inn at Honey Run – worth it. I will say The Inn is expensive, but absolutely worth saving up and spending a night or two at for couples sans kids.

The Inn’s website: https://www.innathoneyrun.com/

2.) Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery – my favorite part of the trip and also worth it for couples, groups or families.

Information about the farm: https://www.ohiosamishcountry.com/businesses/shopping/hershbergers-farm-and-bakery

3.) Sugarcreek, Ohio – I would go back, but definitely between May to October. If I recall correctly, the cuckoo clock is turned off during the winter, and Sugarcreek is really alive in spring, summer and early fall.

Official Sugarcreek website: https://visitsugarcreek.com/

4.) Guggisberg Cheese Factory/Chalet in the Valley – would go back, but would likely do so between May to September. The cheese factory has mini golf and a garden that families would enjoy.

Guggisberg Cheese Factory official website: http://babyswiss.com

Now all we need to do is wait for Covid-19 to pass. I hope you all are able to get out and enjoy short road trips to the less-crowded places near you, and can find joy in each day.

Thanks for reading,

Alli