Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns is one sweet ride
A hidden gem in the region, the Guggisgberg Swiss Inn is only slightly off the beaten path, but visitors get a real sense of the country at the inn that overlooks the Doughty Valley in Charm.
Ohio’s Amish Country never tasted so good. Visitors came from as far as Tennessee for the 10th annual Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns, a holiday event hosted by the Amish Country Lodging Council, operating under the auspices of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau.
The two-day event with a railroad theme welcomed visitors on Saturday, Dec. 9 and Sunday, Dec. 10 and offered self-guided tours of some of the region’s finest inns as well as a bonus stop at the Warther Museum in Dover.
Many innkeepers and their staff dressed for the occasion, wearing traditional train engineer caps and uniforms.
At each stop visitors received a specialty cookie and refreshments that included wine and cheese, popcorn, snack mix, hot cocoa, fresh veggies and more. Some stops on the tour also offered live music.
Along with viewing the seasonally festooned rooms and lavishly decorated lobbies at each inn, visitors also were able to shop as inns hosted a variety of vendors with products perfect for gift-giving, like handmade soaps and scrubs from Amish Country Soap Co., which set up shop at the Berlin Grande at Walnut Creek, or locally produced wine from Doughty Glen Winery at Guggisberg Swiss Inn at Charm.
Visitors also received a souvenir tour guide, which includes recipes for all the specialty cookies on the tour.
Since its inception in 2008, the Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns has raised more than $112,000 for area charities. All proceeds from the tour are donated. In 2017 alone, $22,000 was raised.
“Last year the Cookie Tour was able to make the third installment to establish a $25,000 endowment with the Holmes County Education Foundation for a hospitality scholarship available to Holmes County residents,” said Laurie Judson, Group Tour & Lodging Council coordinator for the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. “We are all so pleased with the impact of this event on our local community.”
This year’s recipients include the Holmes County Education Foundation and LifeCare Hospice.
The event has become a Christmas tradition for locals as well as visitors to the region. Due to the popularity, tickets went on sale in August with 1,170 tickets sold this year.
Participating inns included the Berlin Grande, Carlisle Inn Sugarcreek, Carlisle Inn Walnut Creek, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Country Inn & Suites, Guggisberg Swiss Inn, Inn at Walnut Creek, Oak Ridge Inn, Sugarcreek Village Inn, Wallhouse Hotel and Zinck's Inn.
The tour allows visitors to see the diverse accommodations available in Ohio’s Amish Country. Whether looking for the comfort of a cozy inn, a modern boutique experience or the unique experience of staying overnight in a converted train car, the region has it all.
Planning for the 2018 Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns is no small feat. Planning gets underway for next year’s tour in February. According to Judson, the committee will meet monthly to plan for the 2018 tour, which will be held Dec. 8 and 9.
Winter is a great time to visit Ohio’s Amish Country. “With two theaters in the area and many businesses remaining open year round, there is no shortage of fun to be had in Ohio Amish Country in the winter months,” Judson said. “If there is snow, guests can take a charming sleigh ride through the countryside at the Farm at Walnut Creek or Guggisberg Swiss Inn. Berlin’s Live Nativity Parade and Shopping Under the Stars along with Walnut Creek’s Journey to Bethlehem are all magical holiday events that bring folks back year after year to enjoy the scenery and the people that make up Ohio’s Amish Country.”