HENRI’S BIG ADVENTURE

By Yvonne Brown

It had been six months since we had been out of town, even just for a weekend. We all needed to get away bad! So I searched on the internet for cabins in Ohio that would accept pets. We of course wanted to take our dog, Henri. I found a new place in the Hocking Hills area called Summit Haven Retreat. We have been to the area many times and in our younger days we tent camped and hiked there. We had also been to some very nice cabins near Old Man’s Cave, but this was just far enough away to be a new experience.

The place is not far from Rt.33, but driving through the hollows to get there makes it seem remote. And it was very quiet and secluded once we got there. In fact it did not take long for all of us to relax. We lucked out with some nice spring weather and took advantage. The cottage has a nice front porch with a swing and a large deck in back. The deck has a hot tub and nice patio furniture to relax. So we started with a snack and some reading on the deck. While Rick did some writing, Henri and I enjoyed the front porch. We realized soon that Henri was relaxing as much as we were. He brought his ball to the porch to roll and chase and then brought out his chew bone. Then he would just sit and sniff at the breeze. It was so quiet and I think he enjoyed not having to bark and protect his yard.

As it got cooler we moved in and built a fire in the fireplace.
It has been a long time since I have seen a real brick and stone fireplace and it worked great. They even provided fire wood and kindling.

The inside was as comfortable as the outside, with a complete kitchen and nice furniture. Henri especially took to the big sofa pillows for his naps. The loft bedroom gives the whole cabin a really nice open feel and lighting. We were both very impressed with the quality of the cabin. It has wonderful hardwood floors throughout as well as hand hewn beams.

We did take some walks, but just on the 60 or so acres that are part of the retreat. Henri is quite good on hikes and surprised us both with how high he could hop over logs in his path. Rick & I enjoyed soothing our tired legs in the big hot tub on the deck. Mostly we just read and relaxed which was what we wanted.

This was definitely a place we will visit again and I could recommend to anyone wanting to just get away to the woods and some quiet time. The owners Don & Cindy are busy building another smaller cabin and one for themselves to enjoy. They have done well to be sure they are spaced far enough apart, to maintain the privacy and quiet for each one.

For information, visit www.hockinghills.com/summithaven/

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