A Local Escape

With Valentine's Day drawing near, couples might consider getting out of a dorm room or away from roommates for a romantic escape. There's no need to cram two people into a twin bed or worry about disturbing other people. Romance and relaxation are right around the corner for couples itching to get out of their regular environment and into a soothing setting. Bloomington and Nashville offer a host of cozy bed and breakfasts perfect for the holiday. \nGrant Street Inn\nBloomington's Grant Street Inn contributes to the city's rich history. William P. Rogers, dean of the IU law school, built the main house in the 1890s for his bride, Belle. Local businessmen William Showers of the Showers Brothers Furniture factory and William Graham of the Graham Hotel each owned the house at one time.\nBy May 1987, the First Presbyterian Church owned the house, and it wished to expand without preserving the house. Students living in the converted apartments were threatened by the expansion, so they collected 200 signatures to keep the house. As the story goes, in 1990 Bloomington's CFC property management company bought the house from the church for $1 and moved it to its current location.\n"The inn is an important landmark because it was owned by several prominent Bloomington businessmen," says manager Bob Bohler. "The inn was created to save the house."\nIn 1996, two more houses were added to the structure to give the Grant Street Inn a total of 24 rooms. Each is decorated differently. The doors to the empty rooms hang open so that guests may peer into the uniquely decorated rooms.\n"We do have a lot of people who are interested in the decor. They'll ask what colors we used in a room so that they can use them at home," Bohler says.\nAll rooms contain private baths, color television and private phones. Many rooms include extra features like fireplaces, porches and private outside entrances, and there are also suites with whirlpool bathtubs. The beds are higher off the ground than standard beds, and some rooms have twin beds while others have king- or queen-size beds, so visitors can choose their preference.\nEverything at the inn looks modern but emits a homey ambiance.The room I stayed in featured high ceilings, heavy drapes, an electric fireplace and a four-poster bed. One wall was painted a rich dark blue and had a painting called "Returning from the Hunt." The other three walls were white to keep the room from becoming too dark.\nStaying at the Grant Street Inn differed greatly from spending an evening in a hotel. For one thing, no hotel, semi-sterilized smell permeated the room, the towels or the sheets. The pillows were soft and comfortable instead of rock hard. Even though it took a leap to get on the bed, it beat the standard hotel accommodations.\nBreakfast also set the inn aside from hotels. It is buffet style and includes hot dishes, homemade pastries and bread, cereal, fresh fruit, juices and coffee. Bohler believes the breakfasts draw previous visitors back and lure in new ones.\n"We think we do a nice breakfast here. We've been fortunate to have a good word of mouth," Bohler says.\nThe breakfast far surpassed my expectations. One important key to the breakfast's success is the location of the dining area on a sun-lit, porch-type structure. Tables for four were scattered throughout the dining room, and some were in the neighboring hallway. We sat next to a window during breakfast, and it enhanced the flavor of the food.\nAt first, the selection overwhelmed me, and I knew I wouldn't be able to taste every item that appealed to me. Egg dishes included a mushroom and zucchini omelette, which was excellent. The two other hot dishes were spiced potato wedges and fruit-filled bread pudding. To the side, sausage links were also available. On the next table, four different types of scones, a variety of muffins, three different coffee and cheese cakes, homemade granola, fruit salad and more made my mouth water. All of these were made at the inn, and the scones were my personal favorite. Surprisingly, out of the four varieties of scones, the sour cream one tasted the best, compared even with the chocolate chip.\nAs for beverages, there was another table that offered regular and decaffeinated coffee, cream and cream substitutes, and sugar and sugar substitutes. Five different kinds of juices included orange, cranberry and grapefruit. In a small cupboard to the side, diners could grab a mug or a glass for juice. Being a caffeine addict, I chose coffee. Although the breakfast was buffet style, coffee mugs were refilled by the inn's staff.\nIn addition to the breakfast, Grant Street Inn has many other appealing features, including its location. Easily within driving distance are the Hoosier National Forest, Brown County and other outdoor locations perfect for hiking or enjoying the scenery. For couples celebrating a special occasion, many restaurants are in walking distance. Also, those attending plays or musicals might choose to walk to the IU Auditorium from the inn. \n"There are lots of places to walk to from here. We have a nice location," Bohler says. "That's one thing I feel is most charming about the inn."\nCornerstone Inn\nIn the heart of downtown Nashville, couples will find the Cornerstone Inn. Tom and Pam Tilton own the inn, whose history began in 1856. Tilton's great-great grandfather, Lewis Cass Tilton, moved his family from Coshocton County, Ohio, to settle on 40 acres of Brown County land. Each of the 20 guest rooms at the inn is named after a Tilton ancestor and is decorated uniquely, capturing the tastes and personalities of the ancestors.\nTom Tilton turned the family's home into a serpentarium (snake and reptile house) in 1976. After 17 years of marginal success, Tom and Pam decided it was time for a change. Pam went to school to learn how to run an inn and drew up the plans for a new building. In 1993, the original structure was demolished, and the Cornerstone Inn was born.\nLeona Tilton, Pam Tilton's mother-in-law, believes the tall Victorian structure and religious theme draw people to the inn. Many times, ministers or church groups will stay in the hotel. She mentions that many people stop in while shopping downtown.\n"We had a man come in and look at a room, and he said they wanted it that night," Tilton says. "In the morning when they left, they said they would be back again."\nThe Cornerstone Inn goes beyond simply providing breakfast. It also offers snacks in the afternoon and dessert in the evening. One of the inn's other highlights is the hot tubs.\n"A lot of people like the hot tub rooms," Tilton says. "They see it as a special thing."\nArtists Colony Inn\nAnother attraction of Brown County is the Artists Colony Inn, which proclaims itself as more than a bed and breakfast. Owner Ellen Carter says they call it a country inn because it features a full service restaurant as well as conference and banquet rooms and an art gallery.\nAlthough Artists Colony Inn is not the original colony, it is based on T.C. Steele, Adolph and Ada Schulz's establishment of an artists' community in Brown County in 1907. These early artists invited other artists to establish permanent residence and studios. Artists often stayed at the Pittman Inn and visited with local artists. Although the Pittman Inn no longer stands, the Artists Colony Inn was built to commemorate the artists of that period and reflect that spirit.\nPart of the allure of the inn, Carter believes, is the artwork inside the inn. Paintings by early Indiana painters, such as Adolph Shultz, hang in the rooms and in the gallery. Each room is in the spirit of those early days and can send visitors back through history.\n"It's like going back in time," Carter says. "When people come in, it's like they're in that time period. Also, we have original paintings of early Brown County artists."\nEach uniquely decorated room is named after a different Brown County artist. Carter notes that the Adolph Schultz room is the most popular, with a maple four-poster bed, a balcony and a couch. Each room has a full bath and a queen-size bed. Three executive suites have hot tubs.\n"We have wonderful gardens in the spring and summer," Carter says, half-cursing the winter months for being a hostile environment for the gardens. Still, she mentions what keeps people coming back, "We have good food, good lodging and good employees"