Three Inns for Cozy Comfort

Southern Living, Jan 2004 by Stith, Mark G, Vanhooser, Cassandra M

No need to hibernate this season. We've found these great spots-from Maryland to Texas to Mississippi-where you can chase awy the chill.

The crackle of a sparkling fire alongside a basket filled with warm muffins and fresh juice. Gulf breezes rustling your room's curtains with sea air. A morning of songbirds and golden light on a long porch that smells of cedar and strong coffee. How do you want to wake up this season? The three inns we've picked are the perfect spots to avoid winter's blast. One is a splurge that's worth it in western Maryland, another offers two meals a day with its price tag, and a third provides an affordable break from the busy life. So give in to the nesting instinct, and make reservations at one of these great getaways.

Winter Wonderland

As night settles on the Savage River Lodge near Frostburg, Maryland, a storm rages outside. Yet the weather doesn't bother the guests at all.

Safely ensconced in the warmth of the resort's great Western-style lodge, lively compatriots gather around the fieldstone hearth with its roaring fire, toast new friendships with heartwarming S'moretinis, or linger over a fine meal and glass of wine in the restaurant. There's simply no better way to spend a winter evening.

Located in western Maryland, just 2 ½ hours from Baltimore and D.C., Savage River Lodge is the brainchild of Mike Dreisbach and Jan Russell. They shared a dream to build a nature retreat with exemplary amenities and service. They've succeeded masterfully with their Maryland hideaway.

The lodge itself sits at the heart of the Savage River experience. A mile and a half off the main road, it's constructed of rough-hewn logs and boasts a floor-to-ceiling fireplace. A rustic fieldstone path leads to a wide wraparound porch with rocking chairs and a spectacular mountain view.

As guests arrive, Bodhi the lodge dog often bounds out to greet them. The yellow Labrador stars in Savage River Lodge's calendar, oversees the production of a line of dog biscuits, and has his own brand of beer.

Guests occupy 18 cabins that sit just up the hill and away from the lodge. Each features a gas fireplace, plush bedding, and simple furnishings.

Truly, there's much to recommend Savage River Lodge in any season, but winter can be the best time to visit. The lodge saw 192 inches of snow last year with 102 days suitable for skiing.

All that outdoor activity makes for ravenous appetites, but again, it seems the folks here have thought of everything. People come from miles around to sample chef Stephen Brown's Appalachian Plateau cuisine. While the menu changes seasonally, comfort foods dominate this time of year.

Guests always depart with a renewed sense of well-being. As visitors leave, Bodhi flops on the floor. His brown eyes are puddles of sadness. "He loves it when people arrive, but he doesn't like goodbyes," says Jan.

Hill Country Hideaway

Mornings arrive with a burst of color at The Inn Above Onion Creek just outside KyIe, Texas.

It begins with a smudge of orange and a flash of red in the darkened sky. In minutes, the golden light kisses the live oaks and low-lying prickly pear cacti covering these ranch country hills. A few guests come outside to meet the day. They're joined by a pair of cardinals racing through the gnarled tree branches and singing the glory of a Hill Country sunrise.

This charming inn boasts long, lumbering porches along both sides, sited to catch the prevailing southeasterly breeze. Most rooms have front and back doors to take advantage of this generous feature.

"This is our field of dreams," says owner Janie Orr, who built the inn with her husband, John. She had begun studying architecture when her youngest child entered junior high and was having so much fun that John suggested they undertake a pilot project. They decided to build an inn. "We had no family land, so we bought this property," says Janie.

To get to the cedar-sided lodge, guests wind through the country on an old farm road between Austin and San Antonio. A twisting driveway leads to a metal cattle guard and a tall ranch gate, announcing a parcel of true Texas.

The inn features nine guestrooms and suites plus a new guesthouse, all named for famous Kyle-area natives. While each has its own personality, all have fireplaces, fans, feather mattress covers, and luxurious bathrooms.

Guests convene in the dining room for breakfast and dinner. Tall cypress doors line two sides of the room, opening out onto the breezeway or the back porch for spectacular sunset views. Linens peek from the open door of an oak armoire. These details give the house the feel of an old-time ranch.

A nighttitne stroll brings a perfect end to a day at Onion Creek. The city lights haven't yet readied this haven in the Hill Country, making Orion's belt and the Big Dipper seem brighter than ever. The only sounds come from a coyote howling in the distance and the wind tiptoeing through the trees.

Breeze Into the Bay

A huge sun melts into the horizon, drenching the massive live oak in the front yard of the Bay Town Inn with pink and gold. That's the view from the front porch of this eight-room, waterside bed-and-breakfast in Bay St. Louis, a charming little town 60 miles east of New Orleans on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.