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Charm Countryview Inn |
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| Charm Countryview Inn Statistics | Description | Things To Do | Directions | Nearby Attractions Naomi and Paul Miller, Innkeepers 3334 S.R. 557 Charm, OH (330) 893-3003 www.charmcountryviewinn.com Rates & Reservations: |
DESCRIPTION It was one of those perfect Indian-summer evenings. We sat in gliders on the wide porch of the Charm Countryview Inn, taking in the pungent smells of autumn lingering in the air and enjoying the quiet of the country setting. The inn was totally booked, and guests spilled out to the porch to chat awhile after stopping in the dining room for the homemade snacks and popcorn. Talk centered on the best routes for “leaf peeping,” the activity that brought most of us to Holmes County this time of year. There was a general consensus from this randomly assembled group that we wanted to find the back roads and leave anything that smacked of tourists behind. One gentleman, extolling his particular route that day through hillsides covered with rich rusts and golds, said, “It doesn’t get any better than this, does it?” Nods of agreement were his answer. Perhaps it is the philosophy of the Amish-Mennonite hosts, Paul and Naomi Miller—that their inn be a place to “refresh your spirit”—that brought about the easy conversation and lingering on the porch reminiscent of earlier times. In the absence of television, guests seem more inclined to spend evenings playing board games or chatting with strangers. Breakfast the next morning was a major happening—an hour-and-15-minute event in the sun-filled dining room. Once we were gathered for the meal at tables for six or eight covered with lace tablecloths, innkeeper Paul Miller offered thanks. And then the parade began—platters of thick ham, a bubbling sausage-and-cheese casserole, baskets of muffins and rolls, and hash brown potatoes accompanied by cheese sauce were all brought to the tables, with seconds served all around. A refreshing fruit slush finished the meal, and once again Paul asked for our attention. When the chatter and laughter ebbed, he asked each table to introduce themselves. We learned there were anniversary celebrants, a small family reunion, and a table of women who had been friends for years, who come back to the inn each October. Guests find a continental breakfast on Sundays, a day of rest for the Miller family. The inn, a silver-gray Colonial with classic navy shutters, is set off the road on beautifully landscaped grounds. The view from the porch is one of rolling hills interspersed with fields and woodlands. It’s a picture-postcard scene of passing Amish buggies and horses grazing in the white-fenced pasture. The Charm Countryview Inn, owned by the Mast family, was one of the first Amish-area inns; it opened for business in June 1990. It is a family affair, with the 15 guest rooms named for family members. Dorothy’s Domain is done up in pink and green with hearts as the dominant motif, while Leon’s Lookout, an upstairs room with windows looking out on the Amish countryside, has a more masculine feel. Quilts provide colorful accents in the guest rooms with patterns like Double Wedding Ring, Log Cabin Star, and Boston Commons; the furniture is solid oak. Guests are free to wander the inn’s 40 acres, and might choose to go stargazing on a clear night. After 10 years of innkeeping, Paul Miller finds guests returning every year to the Charm Countryview Inn to experience once again the peace and quiet of the country setting. Paul says, “They just want to soak it all in and, perhaps, take a little of the tranquility they find home with them.” THINGS TO DO Travel in either direction from Charm Countryview Inn to find Amish-made products. Miller’s Dry Goods in Charm carries a large selection of fabrics, quilts, and notions. Stop in Ole Mill Furniture, another Mast family enterprise, for a fine selection of solid oak furniture. In the rolling Doughty Valley, you can watch cheese being made at Guggisberg Cheese and sample the original baby Swiss. Need a break from shopping? The Chalet in the Valley, across Route 557 from the cheese factory, serves Swiss and Austrian dishes. In Charm, the Homestead Restaurant often has a line of folks snaking out the door, but it’s worth the wait to taste the pot roast or meatloaf and finish up with pie topped with homemade ice cream. If you’re lucky, you may happen upon a local event like an auction while visiting Charm. On our October stay, we had the delightful experience of watching the children of Charm School compete in a Woolly Worm Derby. East of Charm, stop at Hershberger Antique Mall and browse through rooms filled with carnival glass, cast iron banks, and furniture. DIRECTIONS I-77 to exit 99 for US 62; west on US 62; left on SR 557 NEARBY ATTRACTIONS Charm, the Amish Farm, antique mall Copyright © Doris Larson. All rights reserved. This text may not be reproduced in any form or manner without written permission of Gray & Company, Publishers |
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