Blanketed by snow, Ohio’s dense woods and rolling farmlands possess a seclusive, romantic allure, a chance to escape gray cities and busy holidays to find your personal Walden Pond.
Whether you’re trying to complete your great masterpiece or just finally find time to read one, a weekend at Malabar Farm’s Maple Syrup Cabin ($150 per night) is the cold-weather getaway of your winter fantasies.
Situated deep amongst the spigot-pegged maple syrup trees on the about 900-acre state park, the wood-burning fireplace inside this rustic chalet keeps you cozy as you watch the snowfall over the adjacent pond. Renovated in 2018, the two-bed log cabin sleeps four and features modern amenities such as Wi-Fi, cable and a full bath and kitchen where you can cook farm fresh pork, beef and turkey.
If seclusion makes you stir-crazy, stay occupied by petting the close to 85 livestock on the working farm or exploring the 1950s mansion of Pulitzer Prize-winning author, screenwriter and conservationist Louis Bromfield, where Humphrey Bogart married Lauren Bacall in 1945.
The Hollywood connection doesn’t end there. The park’s Pugh Cabin is featured in the opening and closing scenes of Shawshank Redemption, making it a popular movie tourist stop after hitting the nearby Ohio State Reformatory.
But if your escape plan is to get busy doing a-whole-lot of nothing, Malabar Farm is the place for you.
“Malabar is a gem — a serene, intimate setting,” says park manager Jenny Roar. “People come here to get away from the noise and take a step back in time.” 4050 Bromfield Road, Lucas, 419-892-2784, malabarfarm.org
