A Romantic Weekend at Cedar Crest Lodge (Kansas)

To celebrate my birthday this year, Debarshi took me on a romantic getaway – Cedar Crest Lodge. If you have never been to a bed and breakfast, I highly recommend this one.

How many times it happens that we have a long weekend coming up and no plans how to spend it. Or, we just want to get away from our home and go some place where we can rest and relax. Cedar Crest Lodge is just that type of place. We went there right after a lot of snow fall but I can imagine how beautiful the place looks in summer.

Cedar Crest has walking and hiking trails among the trees and ponds (of course we were not able to do any outdoor activity due to the ice and snow). They also have an outdoor pool which can be quite exciting in summer. Surrounded by nature on all the sides and away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, this looks like a different world. I distinctly remember that we stood on the porch in the evening and we could hear nothing!

If you are in a romantic mood, then Cedar Crest knows how to treat you indulgently. They offer spa treatment packages which are absolutely divine. Soak yourself afterwards in the Jacuzzi and relax. One of the things I would recommend is, don’t request the housekeeping to clean the room while taking the massage because they will come and knock the main door (which is right next to the massage room).

Well by the time we reached there, it was almost 6pm. The first thing I observed on our way there, was the road. It started having lesser and lesser traffic which is always a good indication for a bed and breakfast. You don’t want to hear noises while relaxing.

As soon as we got to the reception, I noticed a personal touch. They had written ours and the names of their other guests on their welcome board.

The manager was very nice. She immediately took us around and showed us the library and dining area. Then she took us straight to our room. They have codes for entering the rooms. It’s like a whole building was assigned to us and why not, Debarshi had booked the Luxury King room (the Tuscan Manor Suite) for us.

This room has a Jacuzzi plus a shower (with a sky light to let the day light in naturally). Although I was a bit surprised to see that the bathroom door didn’t close all the way through (there was a gap between the door and the bathroom wall). Whether that’s a design flaw or a maintenance issue I don’t know. However, I loved the natural light in the shower area. They had soaps and bath fizz but no cream in the bathroom and I wonder why. Do take your own cream and a pair of slippers because they will give you a nice comfy robe but no slippers (for which the manager said that due to different feet sizes keeping slippers is a lot of hassle).

Coming back to the room, this suite also has a kitchenette, a sitting room with cable TV & DVD player and a dining area. The manager gave us our Wi-Fi password and told us that a 3 course dinner will be served in the room.

I was so excited! They had already set up the dining area and had a birthday cake all ready for me. Champagne and strawberries dipped in chocolate were all ready and saying, relax and enjoy!

Again, notice the personal touch with the card and name on the cake.

Let me take you around the room, starting with the kitchenette:

They had Keurig with tea and coffee cups, beautiful stoneware mugs with creamer and sugar. They also have a microwave and fridge in the room so you can save the leftovers and warm them later whenever you want. While watching a movie, don’t forget to munch on their complimentary popcorn.

Right beside the Jacuzzi is the powder area, again so cute:

By the time we got settled it was time for dinner. I for one felt very royal because of the in-room dinner. One by one three courses were brought to us and every one was equally delicious and well prepared. The chef told us that majority of their produce is grown organically on site and you can tell that just by tasting the food. The flavors are awesome and everything is so fresh! So let’s see what all we had that night:

First course was a Spinach and Strawberries salad with Raspberry vinaigrette and candied pecans. It was served with unsweet tea and freshly baked house made rolls.

The second course was brought to us after 15 minutes - A nice juicy Prime Rib with au jus, horseradish sauce, parmesan rice and peas and carrots.

The third and final course was brought to us after 30 minutes and believe me I was already so full! We were served a delicious Apple Pound Cake with whipped cream and house made caramel sauce which I ate for the next two hours while watching TV.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first day there and went to bed late. The next day was my birthday so I spent some time calling and talking with my parents and sister and other family members.

The 2nd day: I woke up a bit late next morning and they were already bringing breakfast in the room. I have read on their website that they serve multi course breakfasts which includes warm flaky pastries, eggs and fruits.

We were served Scrambled Eggs on a bed of relish, breakfast sausage, grapefruit, freshly squeezed orange juice and cinnamon muffins with almonds. Debarshi brewed some coffee and we lazily and happily ate our breakfast.

We had our massages after an hour so that is when we requested the housekeeping to come and clean the room. However, to our disappointment, they had just put in fresh towels and had done nothing else. The used coffee mugs and glasses were not changed. We were a bit confused because we thought maybe this is how this bed and breakfast runs. Turns out somehow the housekeeping forgot/ skipped the cleaning part. The manager apologized and said that it was unusual and keep in mind that I am just nit picking. Everything else was simply wonderful. The staff is very courteous and attentive. The previous evening when we were getting settled in the room, we noticed that one of the window blinds wasn’t closing properly. When the staff came with the dinner we told her and it was fixed immediately. 

As I have said before, this whole place must look really beautiful in summer. It was still beautiful but the snow and cold made it difficult for us to enjoy a picnic. If only it had been a sunny day. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our lunch very much. Packed in a picnic basket this was a delicious treat. 

The basket had a cheese appetizer with crackers, Turkey sandwiches, fresh salad and cookies! 

We did take a walk around the property but quickly came back to our cozy room. You can see the freezing rain on the leaves. 

Our dinner that evening was scheduled at the main dining room. It was really cold but we got all dressed up and walked bravely (I in my heels!) towards that dining room. 

For our first course, we got a delicious soup prepared with their home grown butternut squash. It was served with unsweetened tea and homemade bread rolls.

For the second course, we were given pork tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes and French beans with caramelized onions.

For the final course, the chef came singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me with a slice of homemade Key Lime Pie with whipped cream. At this time, I had to ask her for a to-go box because I wasn’t able to finish my main course.

That night we binge watched our favorite series ‘Friends’, we didn’t want to go to bed early because we were well rested and didn’t want the vacation to end.

The 3rd day: Ah! All good things must come to an end so that we can go and do them again. Our last day of romantic getaway was here. Today we went to the dining room for breakfast.

We were served fresh coffee and a warm flaky Baked Apple.

For the second course, we were given a veggie omelet with crispy bacon and fruits served with freshly squeezed orange juice.

We were not able to explore and do any outdoorsy stuff because of the bad weather but we didn’t miss it for a bit. Starting from the breakfast to the dinner everything was so perfect. The trip overall was an amazing experience all packed into one. The manager – Elisha is the best! She told us all about the farm to table (home grown) concept that they follow here. She is also an excellent cook. 

With our stomachs full and hearts content we packed and headed back home. I think this was truly a relaxing weekend for us. We didn’t have to worry about anything, everything was being taken care of and we can’t wait to go back again.