Meeting Butler County, Ohio

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  I was invited to spend a long weekend in Butler County, Ohio, just after they became Wheel The World certified for accessibility. The tourism board wanted me to write about how wheelchair accessible the region is. I hadn’t been there before, and it sounded like an interesting area, so I made plans to go. My trip to Butler County turned out to be one of my most unusual adventures, with new experiences, and a lot of donuts!   I brought Teddy and my friend, Heather, along for the ride, about three and a half hours from home. We had a nice welcome basket waiting for us at the hotel. Our home base was the Marriott Cincinnati North in Westerville. I was happy at the start with a flat entrance and automatic doors. They didn’t have any accessible rooms, so we had two connecting rooms. Teddy loved going back and forth between the two rooms. Mine had plenty of space for me to wheel around, a well-equipped desk area I could reach, and a large bathroom with a shower chair. The hand...
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Leave the City Behind at the Indian Lakes Resort

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I spend a lot of time at city hotels, mostly in New York and Chicago, and they certainly have their appeal, but there are times when it’s nice to get away from the hustle and bustle and relax at a resort.  It’s not often you can find a place like that near a major city, but the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort fits that category quite nicely.

The Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort is centered about a half hour from both downtown Chicago and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport in the suburban town of Bloomingdale.  It is a full service resort on 260 acres, offering a complete vacation even if you don’t want to go into the city.  I stayed there recently with my friend Theresa Carter (aka, The Local Tourist) and we proved that point.

You can’t have a resort without a spa and the Spa Vargas fits the bill, with massages, body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures  available.  They offer in-room services and specialize in spa parties.   I went the private route, opting for a Swedish Massage in the very relaxing facilities.  Though I felt it was a bit more of an acupressure massage than the Swedish, the spa is relaxing and convenient and I look forward to checking out their other services.  (The hotel offers a number of packages that include treatments.)

For those looking for more activity, the Hilton Indian Lakes has its own 27 hole golf course, as well as miniature golf, indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, miniature golf. tennis, volleyball and a game room.  Though we didn’t have time to try it all, I did meet families, couples and others on girls’ getaways who said they never got bored.   It’s also a popular convention site since the meeting facilities appear to be as big as the recreational ones.

The rooms at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort near Chicago are pretty typical for Hilton, but the hotel also offers 24 suites, including Hospitality Suites with connecting bedrooms and large living areas (like we had) and Penthouse Suites which include two bathrooms, a fireplace, a Jacuzzi and a private deck.  All rooms have large, flat panel televisions and free high speed internet.

We tried both dining options at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort, the Master’s Clubhouse for a satisfying breakfast (they are also opened the rest of the day for sandwiches and snacks) and
Shiraz on the Water for dinner.  This contemporary restaurant is full of ambiance (a definite consideration for a romantic dinner).  They have a large wine selection to compliment a mix of entrees that includes many seafood and steak favorites.   Definitely try the Short Rib Wontons (there’s also a Braised Short Rib entrée if you prefer) and Three Onion Soup.  Leave room for desserts as the selection includes Crème Brulee, Death by Chocolate and Gelato.

For a limited time, get 80% off Restaurant.com Gift Cards that you can use at Shiraz on the Water! Use code SAVE at checkout now through 11/28/10.

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