Marvelous Local Romantic Getaway

We celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary on August 4th. My husband and I never plan elaborate celebrations. He doesn't like to travel and parental responsibilities often keep us close to home. I have a friend who just returned from an anniversary-marking Alaskan cruise. Her photos left me jealous, yet something like that was out of the question for us. Back in 2020, the pandemic (and other things) foiled our Mackinac Island plans for our 30th anniversary getaway. Our feeble substitute flopped because we only tackled a third of our 30 celebratory activities. In 2021, we took a day trip to Indiana's largest waterfall and then attended our friend's play in Urbana, Illinois, fitting in a brief visit with my mother-in-law (such a blessing, because we didn't realize it would be our last visit with her).

This year, I searched the Visit Indiana website for a romantic getaway option. It will not surprise my regular readers that a coupon lured me in - ha! Cabins and Candlelight in Colfax, Indiana, offers the fixings for a steak dinner if you book a weeknight visit before December 22, 2022. I highly recommend this destination if you live in the Indianapolis area and crave a simple romantic getaway. We had a delightful time and marvel that we were unaware of this local opportunity (only 40 minutes away from us).

I was expecting a cabin similar to the one I visited in Southern Indiana ten years ago for a writing retreat. While that cabin was isolated and quiet, the Colfax cabin was far more luxurious and accommodating for a romantic getaway. Every minute detail inside enhances a couple's stay. The owners set soft music playing on the stereo system and arrange two place settings at the cozy table (with a candle, should you want a candle-lit dinner). 

The kitchen is well-stocked with food and cooking supplies.

Behind the small table, there's a reclining couch and a chair for relaxing. The armoire holds many romantic CDs and DVDs, plus puzzles, games, and previous visitor logs.

I would have loved to cozy up with the visitor logs and simply read about previous visitors. From the few I read, many were quite touching. They mentioned retreating from a myriad of responsibilities, trials, and challenges. What a blessing to get away from the daily burdens of jobs, child-rearing, or cancer treatments. Many couples referred to their annual visit to celebrate their anniversary. It is a place you want to visit again and again.

I can't wait to come back to take advantage of the many opportunities we missed. We didn't use the inviting hot tub, 

nor sit to watch the birds and chipmunks on the back porch (too hot).

We brought our own DVD (a faith-based movie, Summer Snow, I had picked up at a garage sale recently), but so many of their titles were enticing. If we had planned a two-day visit, I could have completed a puzzle. And again, my natural curiosity makes me want to explore all those visitor logs.

This was, by far, the best anniversary getaway in the last decade. My selfie might be bad, but we have happy faces!

We enjoyed our steak dinner, with baked potatoes, pears, and cheesecake for dessert. In the morning, John whipped up a batch of his famous cheesy scrambled eggs. They provided a list of all the amenities and supplies, so we knew to pack slices of American cheese (for our eggs) and my favorite hazelnut creamer (for my coffee). After cleaning up the kitchen, we took a hike along their trails to the Sugar Creek.

Before we left, we admired another element of the woodsy cabin décor: a moose business card holder:

and we purchased a souvenir coffee mug (isn't it classy?):

Although we regretted leaving this calming oasis, we had one more goal to achieve: a stop in Thorntown, Indiana, to visit Stookey's Restaurant, known for their onion rings. We placed an order for a small serving, along with some salads. The stack was enormous; we ended up taking half the rings home.

The only improvement to the trip would have been a stop at Donaldson's Chocolatier in Lebanon, Indiana. But, by then, we were eager to get home and make sure the boys had not neglected the house and dog.