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Holmes with a View

DESCRIPTION

When Miriam and Paul Grossi were searching for land to build their hillside homes near Charm, they found one of the most beautiful vistas in Holmes County. Three octagonal houses with floor-to-ceiling windows ringing the great room allow for a panoramic view of the hills and valley below. On my early May visit, I looked out to a patchwork of freshly plowed fields, green pastures, and the white buildings of nearby Amish farms. It’s the kind of scene you find on calendars picturing the Amish countryside. I watched the sun break through silver and gray clouds, culminating in a sparkling spring morning. Two hours later it was a different view with black-and-white Holsteins in one pasture, horses grazing in another, and a thin ribbon of highway in the distance. A line of trees on the highest hills frames the view. Guests enjoy spectacular evening sunsets in every season. In the winter, pull a chair to a window to see snow-covered hills, or move outdoors to the wraparound deck in warmer months to watch the brilliant orb slide behind the now-green hills. This is the kind of place where you want to linger an extra day.

When I first met Paul Grossi, I detected an East Coast accent and learned he hails from New York City, while Miriam grew up in Holmes County. Through the years of living away from Ohio, they both found they loved coming back to the area and decided to retire and return to Holmes County to start a bed and breakfast. Holmes With a View’s three octagon-shaped buildings house six suites: four with one bedroom and a bath, and two with two bedrooms and two baths. Each suite is different. Floors are hardwood oak in one, distressed pine in the next, and stained cherry in yet another. All the suites have a whirlpool tub, gas fireplace, and entertainment center.

The contemporary exterior belies what you discover once you open the door to rooms furnished with antiques mixed with comfy pieces like the oversized chair by the fireplace in Suite 3, where I stayed. Paul and Miriam brought some antiques from Florida and Virginia to the bed and breakfast. They found the rest of the pieces within a 100-mile radius of their home—the tall walnut wardrobe and shabby chic distressed wall-hung coat rack in the great room and an oak mirrored wardrobe in one of the pie-shaped bedrooms. Soft furnishings are in subdued florals and contrasting solids. Architectural interior effects like crown moldings, a cathedral ceiling in the great room, and creative use of colors give the place a classic feel.

Suite 3, one of the larger units with 1,250 square feet, is the kind of accommodation that can easily handle a family visit or two couples traveling together. A daughter gave her mother the gift of a stay together as a Mother’s Day gift. Guests from sunny California enjoyed Ohio’s snow-covered landscape in January, and a group of cousins and sisters stayed for a mini-family reunion. There’s a dining table situated for a view of the valley and a kitchen stocked with every utensil, pan, and table setting needed for meals. The Grossis seem to have thought of everything you might want, including packets of hot chocolate, popcorn, tea, and coffee. I found a loaf of freshly baked cinnamon bread on the kitchen counter and, in the Sub-Zero refrigerator tucked into a lower cabinet, breakfast items like orange juice and homemade jam.

The suites at Holmes With a View house the best of cutting-edge electronic equipment in the entertainment center by the fireplace. For the technically challenged, finding a TV, DVD, surround sound, and lots of dials can pose problems. But you’ll find detailed instructions left by the hosts. There’s a good selection of CDs (ranging from oldies to classical), magazines, and books on architecture and interiors. If you’re immersed in reading, watching TV, or listening to music, you needn’t leave the comfort of the fireside sitting area, as there’s an icemaker nearby.

Special packages include a midweek year-round package and a romantic getaway in winter months. Golf specials for two-night stays in both single and double suites, midweek and weekend, include tee times scheduled for 18 holes with cart at Black Diamond or Fire Ridge golf courses in Millersburg. The package also offers a continental breakfast in the suite and gift certificates for area restaurants.

Things to Do

While the location of Holmes With a View on Township Road 154 off Route 557 allows easy access to Millersburg and Berlin for shopping and dining, the village of Charm is closest—and it’s a good place to start your exploration of Amish country. New businesses have arrived in Charm, but it retains the air of a place not too touched by tourism. Your first stop might be Guggisberg Cheese, famous for the original baby Swiss cheese. You can watch the cheese-making process and purchase items to take home. Continue the Swiss experience across the highway at Chalet in the Valley, where the menu features Swiss and Austrian dishes. Miller’s Dry Goods is chock-full of fabric, quilts, and wall hangings. You’ll find handmade country apparel, candles, and wrought iron items at Old Mill Crafts. Stop for lunch or dinner at a favorite of both locals and visitors, the Homestead Restaurant. Plan ahead in the busy seasons to dine here, because there is often a waiting line. The Grossis offer another suggestion: dining with an Amish family. Contact information can be found in each suite. Looking for well-made Amish furniture? Stop at Ole Mill Furniture in Charm and Farmerstown Furniture to the east. Antiquers will want to continue on through Charm on Route 557 to find Hershberger Antique Mall.

DIRECTIONS

I-71 South to Wooster/Lodi exit; SR 83 out of Wooster to Millersburg