December Deal!

One week until Christmas and we're in the Christmas spirit! So from now until Wednesday, December 23 we are offering the Union and Confederate Rooms for $99.00 per night and the Suite for $129.00! Those prices include all taxes and a full four course breakfast! And we don't mean scrambled eggs and toast!







Take a look at the breakfast that our guests received this morning!


Citrus Fruit Compote sprinkled with toasted coconut

Hallauer House Fruity Muffin

Croissant French Toast with orange flavored butter, Ohio maple syrup, and garnished with hazelnut geranium, blueberries, and sliced oranges

Raspberry crusted sausage patties

Coffee, Decaf Coffee, and a choice of over 39 teas

So now you may be thinking - "Okay, if we come to stay, what is there for us to do?" Well, lets see?

Here at the B & B you have: Our new fitness center where you can burn calories

Far-infrared sauna where the heat will remove toxins

from your body

A swirling whirlpool tub to relax in and let the water

revive your soul.

A wood burning stove to keep you cozy while you read, write, or

just relax, maybe even play a board game!

Satellite TV with a choice of over 200 channels

Close proximity to a dozen good restaurants with super dinner

menus, an historic movie theater which is showing the

movie "Everyone's Fine" with Robert DiNiro

Interesting antique shops and small downtown stores to

explore

I could go on and on but time is growing short! Give yourself a treat! Only 7 days for this great deal! Give us a call! We're looking forward to your visit.

Happy Guests!

Received an email today from some very happy guests from this past weekned so I thought I would share their comments. Thank you Bob and Judy and Al and Patty. You were all great guests and we really enjoyed having you. You came as strangers but you left as our friends. Thank you!

"Joe and Susan,

Just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed our stay with you last weekend. The House is beautiful, the rooms extraordinarily comfortable, the food tremendous and the conversation was best of all. We have told other friends about your place and we will surely be back.

Have a great time in Key West! "

Bob and Judy (Illinois)
Al and Patty

SMART BOX!

Here is another great gift idea for someone on your gift list, whether it be for Christmas, birthday, anniversary, or wedding. How about a SMART BOX! Now some of you are probably wondering what exactly is a SMART BOX? A SMART BOX is an all inclusive gift that includes a mixture of different themed activities. The unique activities can range from a stay at a charming Inn or destination, to a stay at a high quality spa or resort, to a sports activity that is wild or tame. So here is what you, the gift giver, do.

1) Hassle-free! You choose the theme at the price you want to pay, buy the related Smartbox™, and either use it yourself or give it as a gift. No need to select the activity for your recipient now!

2) The recipients use the guidebook to make their own choice from up to 125 different experiences; then they book directly with the establishment they chose when they are ready to 'get away!'

3) No additional cost to the receiver: The receiver turns in the enclosed voucher to the chosen establishment at the time of the experience and then kicks back to enjoy the experience! A price is not shown, so the receiver won't know how much you've paid. Obviously, travel expenses to the destination are not included.

So you are probably asking, "Why am I telling you about this when I could just talk to you about a Gift Certificate directly to Hallauer House B & B?' Well, the answer is..............drum roll please!....... We, 1830 Hallauer House B & B just happen to have been chosen to be in the BOOK! We are on page 11 of the Getaway Gifts Book. To go directly to our page just click this link: http://www.smartbox.com/us/?menu=activity&id=56348. When you purchase this book for someone, they can choose to come here or go to any of the other great B & B's listed and described in 'The Book!'

We have purchased two SMART BOXES (not the Getaway Book) and have really been pleased.

http://www.smartbox.com/us/?menu=activity&id=56348

So keep the SMART BOX in mind for some of your gift giving. And don't forget, you can still elect to come directly here to Hallauer House B & B for our exclusive, personalized gift certificate! See you all soon!

Baked Blintz Recipe

If you visit our Facebook Page today you will get a mouthwatering treat of what we served our guests for breakfast this morning. Be sure to take a look! I did promise to post one of the recipes on the Blog so here it is!!

BAKED BLUEBERRY BLINTZ

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.





FILLING:
6 ozs. softened cream cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese
• Add cottage cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla
• Beat well and set aside

BATTER:
1/2 C. butter (softened)
1/3 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 orange juice

• In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
• Mix flour and baking powder together and add to batter
• Combine sour cream, yogurt, and orange juice and add to batter. Mix well.
• Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared baking dish
• Carefully layer all of filling on top of batter
• Top with remaining batter
• Bake 40 minutes or until browned and knife inserted in certer comes out clean
• Slice into squares.
• Top with fresh blueberries
• Drizzle with blueberry syrup or Ohio maple syrup.

Serves 6 to 8 depending on size of serving you desire.

Can be made the night before, refrigerated and baked the next morning.

ENJOY!

Festive Holiday!

The tree is up and the JVS poinsettas are in place. The decorating is complete! Come and share the season with us!

Special Holiday Home

In the past month we have had guests who did not know that the Cleveland' Tremont area is home to the 'A Christmas Story House' !(3159 W. 11th Street) That's right, the restored house where much of the movie was filmed in 1983 is now a very popular museum, hosting over 100,000 visitors since it's inception several years ago. The museum has on display many things that you have seen in the movie including Randy's snowsuit, the original costumes from the movie, Miss Shield's chalk board, and of course, the infamous leg lamp! And believe me, that leg lamp is everywhere in Tremont!! Click on

the link above for complete details and lots of fun information.

Admission: $7.50

$5.50 for children 7 - 12

Free for children under 6

$6.50 for Seniors

Plan to visit the Museum on Wed. or Thurs from 10:00 - 5:00

Fri. or Sat from 10:00 - 7:00

Sun. from 12:00 - 5:00

Tours are every half hour until 4:30. But just remember that the most popular time to visit is right now through Christmas so plan ahead.

Visit the Cleveland area and find out everything we have to offer! Come and stay the night or the weekend! And when you watch the 24/7 showing of 'The Christmas Story' this Christmas Eve, remember that the movie was filmed here at the 'House' and also at the fabulous Higbee's department store that is now home to Positively Cleveland, the Visitor's and Convention Bureau.

Chekhov's 'The Seagull'

Next weekend, Dec. 10 to Dec. 12, the Oberlin College's Theater Program will perform Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull," directed by associate professor Paul Moser. It is a production that combines comedy and tragedy and the high stakes consequences of love. The four main characters: the ingenue Nina, the fading actress Irina Arkadina, her son the playwright and the writer Trigorin come together to dramatise their romantic and artistic conflicts. A complete synopsis of the play can be found at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seagull or you can check out the Oberlin College production at: http://new.oberlin.edu/theater-dance.

Tickets can be obtained by calling the Central Ticket Service at 440-775-8169 or by visiting the box office at Hall Auditorium from noon to 5 P.M. Performance times are on Dec. 10, 11, and 12 at 8:00 P.M. in Hall Auditorium located at 67 N. Main St. Tickets are $12.00 for the general public, $8.00 for seniors age 55 and older and free to high school students.

Because the performance will not be over until around 11:00 P.M. it might be a good idea to plan an overnight stay in Oberlin. We will welcome you to Hallauer House B & B and we will serve you a great breakfast the next morning! As of this post we still have 2 rooms available for that weekend! And we're offering a great discount deal for the weekend of Dec. 10 to 12, 2009.! One night in the Confederate Room deal at $99.00 for the night and that includes that great breakfast and your tax! If you have a lot of friends and would like to have a friends night out in the Suite, the deal is$149.00 for two and $15.00 for each extra person. But you must refer to this post in order to get the discounts! So grab a friend and come to Oberlin! You know you want to! And you won't be disappointed!

Our Write-Up in Heritage Ohio Magazine

We would like to give a 'Shout Out' thanks to Frank Quinn, the Associate Director of Revitalization at Heritage Ohio for the recent article that he wrote about Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast in the Fall issue of their magazine, "Windows."

He and a friend spent a night in the Union Room where they delved into the history of the house and the Civil War and where they awaited a visit from Amelia, the spirit of a past resident that our children all have said frequently visited that room. But, and I quote Frank's article,

" Alas, the overnight stay brought no visit from Amelia. I had one of

most peaceful sleeps, I've had in a long time...."!

On that particlular morning Joe made his famous Eggs Benedict and we served our signature Hallauer House Muffins and a lucious fresh fruit cup.

Heritage Ohio is a non-rofit organization dedicated to historical preservation of homes, communities, buildings, and downtowns. It is the Mainstreet program that many of you may be familiar with. Read all about them at this link: http://www.heritageohio.org/about/. Unfortunately they do not have the magazine article posted on-line so when you come to stay with us be sure and read the article. We will have it framed on the wall! We are very proud!

Thanks again for the article Frank! Hope to see you again soon!

Now on Facebook!

We are now on FACEBOOK and we would like all of you to become one of our fans! Just click on the link and check us out!

• Leave comments!
• Post a review after your fantastic stay with us!
• Post some pictures of yourselves, of Oberlin, of things you did during your visit!
• Start a discussion! Let us know about your favorite restaurant, your Oberlin experience!
• We want to hear from you!

So visit FACEBOOK and become one of our fans! Do it now! You know you want to!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/1830-Hallauer-House-Bed-Breakfast/172097190184?ref=ts

THANK YOU!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our past guests and all of our future guests!

NEW ADDITION!!!

It's finally done!!! Our new addition! We now have guests enjoying our new fitness center which has state of the art exercise equipment located in our heated garage. The exercise area is surrounded by Japanese-like tatami screens and the equipment is situated on top of bamboo rugs to give that calming Asian feeling while working out.



For those of you who would like to work your muscles, we have the Bowflex Sport with the leg equipment. If you're new to Bowflex and need some help there are directions for working each muscle group.


For cardio, you can choose from one of three machines. The elliptical and the treadmill are both the SOLE brand and the bike is the SCHWINN brand. The elliptical has 10 programs, an audio system plug-in for your ipod, and a built in fan. The treadmill is also the SOLE brand and also has 10 programs with a maximum speed of 12 mph with a 15 per cent incline and it has a built-in audio system.

So bring your sweats and your water bottle and never miss a workout while you are staying at Hallauer House B & B! We are one of the very few small (3 rooms) B & B's with an in-ground swimming pool and a workout area! And don't forget the sauna! Strength train, do some cardio, and relax in the far-infrared sauna! In the summer incorporate some laps in the pool!

Stay fit! Stay healthy! Stay at Hallauer House B & B! Come on over! You know you want to!

Country Christmas Open Houses!

With Thanksgiving the official beginning of the Holiday season, three of our Oberlin country businesses are holding their annual Christmas Open Houses on:

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
November 27th, 28th, and 29th
10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. on Friday and Saturday
11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. on Sunday

Come and visit the following specialty shops for refreshments and fun! These businesses are all within 1 mile of Hallauer House B & B!

Just a half mile up Hallauer Rd. (also enter off of US HWY 20) you will find Touched by Grace Resale Shop. They specialize in unique and unusual gifts for all vintage, antiques, furniture, glassware, jewelry, purses, clothes, and much more. They have lay away and gift certificates available and they will present a Christmas gift to the first 10 people who enter the store each day! When you are in this resale shop you feel like you are in an upscale boutique! I go here a lot! Check out the reviews at the following link.
http://fox8.cityvoter.com/touched-by-grace-resale-shop/biz/63325

Also located on US HWY 20, just down the road from Touched by Grace is Farmyard Flowers. Here you will be able to stroll around the trees, ornaments, statues, and other seasonal decors with a different theme and feeling in each room. You will find elegant, vintage, angelic, primitive, and glitzy decorations and items to take home. Create your own decorations , check out the wine selection, the gourmet section, and the woodland area for you nature lovers.


Then continue on your shopping way and visit Ravenwood, one of our favorite antique stops! I love this shop! A few years ago I found some unique little ornament shoe skates that I have never seen anywhere else! They look great on the tree! You will be able to find antique items from kitchens long ago, glassware, gadgets, furniture, lamps, primitives, garden accents and so much more! And the old dogs will definitely say hello!

And with all the really decked out businesses in down town Oberlin you will definitely want to take at least 2 days to really explore the shops. So make plans to visit us here at Hallauer House B & B. Shop a little, stay the night, enjoy a dinner in town, have a great 4 course breakfast in the morning at the B & B and then go out to shop some more! What a great way to spend a pre-holiday weekend! Come on down! You know you want to! You won't be disappointed!

Oberlin College Opera

Opera fans take note! This weekend the Oberlin College will be performing Cosi fan tutte, a Wolfgang Amadeus opera in two acts. It is a comedy with disguises, fantastic music, and a hilarius plotline that tests the fidelity of two brides to be. It will be sung in Italian with English subtitles. This is a must see performance! So come and visit Oberlin, take in the Opera, and dine out in one of the town's great restaurants! And we'd love to have you stay with us here at Hallauer House B & B. Show times are:

Friday, November 20th at 8:00 P.M.

Saturday, November 21st at 8:00P.M.

Sunday, November 22 at 2:00 P.M.

Tickets to the Hall Auditoruim performance are $12.00 to general public, $8.00 for Seniors, and $5.00 for students. What better way to spend a Fall weekend!

Where Has the Time Gone?!

I'm back and all I can say is "Where does the time go?!" I cannot believe that I last posted on April 15 and it is now Nov.18! I guess the old saying is true -"The older you get, the faster the time goes!" I apologize for the break in communication and hope to do better in the future.

Technology is changing so quickly that now Blogging is being passed by Facebook which is being passed by Twitter which is being passed by who 'know's what!' And MySpace seems to be at the bottom of the heap! So much for our MySpace page! We recently went to a forum on these new communication venues and I have spent some of the last few months getting started on a business Facebook Page and I'm working on starting up on Twitter. So we invite you to become a Facebook FAN of Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast! Please join us to post comments, reviews, questions, photos, links, etc. But bear with me because us older folks are a little slower on the learning curve! Now we not only have a website to update but also the Blog, MySpace, Facebook, and soon - Twitter!!!! Where do you young people find the time???!!!

A lot has happened in Oberlin, in Lorain County, in Northeast Ohio, at Oberlin College, and here at Hallauer House B & B over the last few months. But why cover news and happenings that are over. Let's move forward and go with news and events to come.

Over the last 6 months 2 new wineries have opened up in Lorain County, the Oberlin Apollo theater has reopened under new management and is all new inside, seniors at the college have moved one step closer to graduating, the new Jazz center is almost competed, there's a new bagel shop in town, recitals are going on, we've added a fitness center at the B & B for you to use, and it is raining in Oberlin! So I see that I have lots of topics to cover so stay tuned! I will try my best to do a weekly or better update to the Blog, Facebook, and Twitter!

A Tisket, A Tasket, We Have a New Basket!

We have lived in Lorain County in Northeast Ohio for 37 years and this week discovered a hidden treasure that has actually been in existence here for almost 150 years!!!


This hidden treasure is the BERLIN FRUIT BOX COMPANY located on Mechanic St. which is off of State Rt. 61 in Berlin Heights, Ohio and it is just a short 25 minute drive from Hallauer House B & B. It was founded by Samuel Patterson in 1858 and is still owned and operated by his descendants!


Now I know you all will recognize their farm market basket. It's the one you get at your local market to carry your fruits and vegetables or the one you get to carry your flowers and geraniums home from the garden center. Yeah, that one! This is one of mine that I have kept forever!







The company is the oldest basket making company in Ohio (yes, even older than Longaberger!) and the second oldest basket company in the entire country! It began to supply the farmers with wooden baskets, crates, barrels and ladders but as the years passed, the company expanded into making home baskets. These special baskets are hand made from maple, cherry, and for all of you Ohio State fans, the buckeye tree! These 'buckeye baskets' are even gray so put a scarlet red scarf in it and it's perfect for all Buckeye fans!


The company is open for tours Monday thru Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. year round. We arrived in the early afternoon and were lucky that a tour was just starting. During the 30 minute tour, we learned about the company, how the logs are cut, and then watched as the machine, still operating since the 1920's, shaved off the veneer from a huge log. Then another machine cut the veneer into the strips used in the basket weaving. We watched the artists at work as they formed and wove the home baskets out of the various wooden strips. Our 9 year old granddaughter was with us and she was enthralled with the process and the workmanship of each basket. Our only wish was that we could have purchased a basket of each style! As it is, we found one to hold some of our brochures.






Now when you come to visit Oberlin, you have one more place to add to your list of things to see and do while you are here! So when you're planning that sta-cation, plan a trip to Oberlin in Northern Ohio. You'll be surprised how many wonderful places we have for you to visit! We will soon be adding a new package to our list of packages and specials. We'll call it the "Ohio Appreciation Package," and yes, it will include a Berlin Fruit Box Company basket and all products made in Ohio! Stay tuned for details or call and ask about it. You won't be disappointed!

New Restaurant Review

It's hard to believe but there are times when Oberlin has so many visitors that it can be hard to get a table in one of our outstanding restaurants. But don't worry, we do have a fine restaurant called Nine Bistro located at Grey Hawk Golf Course just 10 minutes from here in LaGrange. The restaurant is not just for golfers but also for the general public with facilities for banquets, weddings, and meetings.

Before we journeyed into Cleveland for a Playhouse Square production of "I Love You Because" at the 14th Street Theatre, we decided to go to dinner at Nine Bistro since we had not been there since last summer. The restaurant offers you a fine dining experience either inside or on the expansive outdoor patio with fans for cooling or heaters for heating! Since there was a chill in the air we decided to sit inside at a table in front of the crackling fireplace. When the weather warms and the outside patio opens, it is a great place to relax, dine, enjoy a drink and breath in the fresh country air as you watch the golfers play by.

Joe and I shared a crab cake appetizer made with real crab meat which was served in a spicy aioli sauce and we each had a glass of house wine at a price of $3.00 per glass, (Happy Hour time!) The hard, crusty bread dipped in herbed olive oil/garlic was delightful. Joe ordered the fillet duet which consisted of two tender, char-grilled fillets accompanied with a cremini mushroom wine cream sauce, the traditional baked potato and fresh seasonal vegetables. Half way through he said, "This is the best fillet I have ever eaten!" Now that's a testimonial!

I was presented with my order of Asian salmon which was crusted with sesame seed and pan seared and drizzled with a sesame seed soy glaze. It rested atop a molded white rice pillow and was accompanied with the fresh seasonal vegetables. The salmon was superb and cooked just right. All in all we were thrilled with our meal but too full to enjoy one of the many desserts offered after the meal.

For all of you golfers, the golf course itself has been voted as one of the top 10 of America's Best new afforable public courses when it opened in 2004. I'll follow up at a later date with a post about the golf course itself. But if you want information immediately just follow this link: http://www.greyhawkgolf.com/index.htm.

So when you're making your plans for your summer stacation, keep us in mind. Play some golf at Grey Hawk, dine at Nine Bistro, and come home to Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast! Come on! You know you want to! You won't be disappointed!

New Arrival in Lorain County!

We returned from San Francisco to some really super news - the Lorain Port Authority has secured a new ferry boat that will shuttle people from Lorain to the Lake Erie Islands! That means that we here in Lorain County will not have to travel 45 minutes to an hour in order to secure transportation to Kelly's Island or Put-in-Bay!

The catamaran, which will be operated by the Jet Express, will have space for 147 passengers and will initially provide service once a day-each way- on Friday's, Saturday's, and Sunday's. The boat ride will last approximately 70 minutes. Because the boat needs to be inspected and upgraded, service will not begin this year until around July 4th but in coming years will probably begin around Memorial Day. So if you are in the midst of making summer sta-cation plans and you'd really like to visit the Lake Erie Islands then come to Lorain County and take the new ferry out of the Black River Landing in Lorain. It's only a short drive from Oberlin to the Landing so plan to stay at Hallauer House B & B. After a complimentary breakfast drive up to Lorain, catch the ferry, explore the islands, ferry back to Lorain, and then come home to Hallauer House! What better way to spend a summer vacation!

Planning a family reunion? The boat will be available for charters! So plan the reunion around the use of the ferry! Now that sounds like fun! Think about it!

Vacation is Over!

Last week we took some time off from Innkeeping to visit our Coast Guard daughter in Petaluma, Calif. just north of San Francisco. We looked forward to our trip but now we're glad we're home. There is nothing like a vacation to make you appreciate what you already have! We will miss our daughter but we will not miss the traffic congestion even on Sunday, the fog, the high prices and the higher taxes.

Here in Oberlin and vicinity we have NO traffic jams, cheaper prices on everything, short commutes to where you need to go, a growing number of vineyards and wineries, great theater and music venues, a short drive to a Great Lake, a short drive to a major city with amenities all it's own, great places to ride a bike, secret gardens and fantastic metro parks, mounds of history, superb restaurants, one of the best art museums in the world, a world renowned orchestra, a world renowned college, a world famous amusement park, farmers markets, and the list goes on and on. Ohio really is the heart of it all. We loved San Francisco but we decided we love Ohio more! Now if Spring would just hurry up and get here!!!!!

So we're home and welcoming guests. We hope that you will be one of them!

Reminders for Oberlin College Prospective Students

Just some reminders to high school seniors who have been accepted to and have decided to attend Oberlin College in the fall of 2009. Oberlin Freshman Orientation is scheduled to begin with dorm move-in on Aug. 25 -http://new.oberlin.edu/calendar/ and
Parent's Weekend is scheduled for Nov. 6 -8, 2009. We strongly advise you to make reservations NOW if you want to be close to campus as all B & B's and the Oberlin Inn fill up very quickly. Here at Hallauer House, we are already booked for those dates but we will take back ups as cancellations in the past have occurred. It is always wise to build a relationship with a B & B so that you will have a place to call your 'home away from home' while you child is at Oberlin College. and it also helps when commencement time draws near. And stay tuned for information on April's "All Roads Lead To Oberlin" program. We'll post information when it is available and give you the link to the College web page.

If you are coming for "All Roads" in April we do have dates open, as most students don't know if they have been accepted yet. So get those reservations in as soon as you get that important letter in the mail!!!! Hope to see you in April or sometime during your Freshman year! Congratulations early!

Get Ready for Spring and Great Golfing!

To all of you reading this I have to ask - do you play golf? Well, I never have. That is in real life. But I have played golf on my new WII!!!! The WII Sport version that is! And boy am I bad!!! I hit the ball in the water, in the sand, in the weeds and usually end up with the voice telling me that I have 10 strokes and my time is up! But I have to say that the graphics on the golf courses are absolutely beautiful! So if I did play golf, I would want to play on a course like WII!


Here in Lorain County we do have a very special golf course! Lorain County Metro Parks has its very own, highly rated, golf course and it is only about 10 minutes from Hallauer House B & B! Now like I said earlier, Joe and I don't play golf, but we have heard from friends that game fees can be pretty expensive at a lot of courses. So when I saw the fee schedule for Forest Hills Golf Course, I thought they sounded pretty reasonable. See if you agree.

Current Rates 9 Holes & 18 Holes
Weekdays $11.00 $18.00
Seniors (62+) $7.00 $11.50
Juniors (15 & under) $7.00 $11.50
Weekends & Holidays $12.50 $20.00

Saturday & Sunday Specials: 9 Holes - $9.00 after 5:00 P.M.

There are also weekday and weekend specials for those wanting golf carts. The course offers a flood rate of $8.00 for 9 holes which are always open and there is a special winter rate from November through March.

Another really super thing about this Metro Park golf course is the brand new CLUBHOUSE! It is newly opened and includes a restaurant along with a large porch that is great for relaxing as you watch the golfers navigate on hole #10!


Forest Hills Colf Course is an 18-hole course that is owned and operated by Lorain County Metro Parks and is rated as an intermediate course, but good for experienced golfers and beginners alike. The Black River winds through the course and is a challenge on six different holes. Then you have the ponds, bunkers, and hills and hole #16 which has been voted the hardest hole in Lorain County! What more can you ask for!!!


The facility is available for tournaments, outings, and family and friend events. Complete information can be found on their website at http://www.golftheforest.com/ or by calling 440-323-2632. These pictures show the winter scene so imagine what beauty there is in the spring and summer scene!

So if you are a golfer go ahead and plan that getaway to Lorain County, Ohio. On our website's Attraction page, we have listed quite a few additional courses which means you can golf at a different course each day of your stay! And remember that Hallauer House B & B is only 10 to 30 minutes from each and every one! Come for a visit! You know you want to! And you won't be disappointed!

A True Bubble Bath!

A favorite room for guests here at Hallauer House is the Asian Spa with its whirlpool tub and far-infrared sauna. Spend a half hour in the nice hot sauna where you can just relax and dream or use the time to delve into a good book.








Then fill the Jacuzzi up with warm water, light the fragrant candles, insert a serenity music CD into the Bose stereo, lay out the fluffy towels, turn on the jets, and step into the melting pot of total relaxation! Sip some wine and let the cares of the world just slip away. There is no better way to spend an evening alone with yourself or with the one you care the most about.



But beware! Putting in a few drops of bubble bath and turning on the jets will result in an explosion of bubbles that go everywhere!!! It has happened here!



So come and stay for the weekend and enjoy the Spa! We would love to have you visit but leave the bubble bath at home!!!

25 Unique Things

Our daughters on Facebook wanted to know 25 unique things about us, as their parents that they do not know, so I thought I would share 25 unique things about Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast that you will not find on our website! So here they are!

1. The house was built in 1830 and the bark is still on the basement and attic tree beams!
2. The attic tree beams are attached with wooden pegs!
3. The basement walls are constructed of field stone which is about 12 inches thick!
4. The front door and the door bell were installed around 1860!
5. The wormy chestnut floors in the Music Room and Dining Room are original to 1830 and in excellent condition!
6. The floor in the Mason/Dixon Suite is made of six different woods - cherry, poplar, pine, black walnut, walnut, and oak.
7. One of the main beams of the house runs through the Suite and is really unique!
8. One of the buffets in the Dining Room was made from the felled black walnut tree in the back yard. It was kilned, planed, and constructed by local Amish in Medina County!
9. In the Music Room we have a walking cane which is actually a sword made to look like a cane!
10. The upstairs hallway has a courting candle. Now this is a candle used by a young girl's father when her suitor came "a courtin' ". If he liked a particular suitor, the father might set the candle on one of the higher rings, giving the couple a long visit in hopes that this lad might become his son-in-law. If the young man wasn't a favorite, the candle would be set on a lower ring allowing just a short visit. When the candle burned down to the metal, courtin' time was over! Oh, those were the days!!
11. In the Music Room there is an extensive collection of 1930's and 1940's sheet music. Guests can have fun playing our a tune on the digital, baby grand piano!
12. Guests can also read through a book written in 1882 about the first 50 years of Oberlin College. A real eye opener about life in the past!
13. The front stairway has one squeaky step that signals when someone is going up or coming down. Now this was a great signal that one of our four daughters might be trying to sneak out! And no one, daughters or guests, can seem to remember exactly which step is the one that squeaks!
14. Some guests have said they have gotten a 'spirit feeling' in one of our guest rooms. I won't say which one! Come and stay and see if you agree!
15. Just this past weekend our granddaughter counted 38 teas in our tea selection! And the collection keeps growing! Something for everyone. Come and enjoy!
16. 'Duke' is our resident yellow lab. He is 12 years old, loves guests, and especially loves bacon! He's not real fond of visiting vegetarians since they have no left over meat! He actually belongs to our daughter who is in the Coast Guard and when she gets her permanent station in July, he may go to live with her and then we will cry.
17. Our 20 X 40 foot in-ground swimming pool was constructed in 1984 (25 years ago) and still looks like new! We have the original building receipt but we have replaced just about everything from liner to pump, to filter, to underground pipes. Can't wait for spring to get that winter cover off! Maybe we should have a silver anniversary party for it!
18. During a stroll through our garden you will find six - 3 foot tall old letters that were taken from an old DRIVE-IN sign. The only letter missing is the V and the other letters are scattered through the garden. The R E D letters are being used to call attention to Red Hill!
19. We are in "The Dead Zone"! You know those Verizon commercials which show the people using their Verizon cell phones even in the "Dead Zone". Well Verizon is the ONLY cell phone that has a problem working in our house! Now that is really weird since we have Verizon DSL, and a Verizon land line! No one at the Verizon cell phone stores has been able to help with the problem so I think I will call AT&T and volunteer to do a commercial about living in "the Verizon Dead Zone!"
20. In our large pond there lives a koi fish named Goldie who appears to be about half a yard long and about 12 pounds, or so Joe thinks! She loves to float on the surface in the sun and you can usually catch a glimpse of her when you walk by.
21. There are many other fish in that pond and if you start to feed them they will remember you and when you approach the edge, they will swim over to see what you have to feed them! They love hot dog pieces!
22. Some people love to go for walks around blocks. Well, the block here at Hallauer House is exactly 4.2 miles in distance! Can you walk it in less than 60 minutes?! Come and see!
23. In the summer and fall we've been known to have a bonfire back by Goldie's Pond. You know the kind like you used to do as kids at camp. We sit around and toast marshmallows or roast hot dogs, tell campfire stories and ghost stories, and some of us sip our glass of red wine!
24. There are many unique things in the garden: hanging windows and mirrors, a flying witch, a glass block pyramid, hanging chandeliers and glass bottom mugs, fairies and little children, a tree with a face and a top hot, a tree spigot, and much, much more! Come and see!
25. There is a room with your name on it! We would like to meet you, have some tea with you, share some Oberlin stories, and serve you a great breakfast! We know you want to come! And we know you won't be disappointed!

Are You A Photographer?

Are you a photographer? Do you like photo exhibits? If you answered yes to either one or both of those questions then you might want to schedule a visit to Oberlin.


From March 1 until April 10 amature and professional photographers are being welcomed to Oberlin to attend the 29th annual Firelands Association for the Visual Arts regional juried photography exhibition. Photographers from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia will be chosen to display their photographs. This years juror will be Christopher A. Yates (Assistant Professor of Art at Columbus College of Art and Design. Independent Art Critic and Contributor to the Columbus Dispatch).



The opening reception will be held on Sunday, March 1 from 2:00 - 4:00 P.m at FAVA located at the New Union Center for the Arts, 39 South Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio. Their phone number is (440) 774-7158. Hours to visit FAVA and view the exhibit are Tuesdays through Saturdays 11 am - 5 pm and Sundays 1-5 pm. They are CLOSED Mondays.


So make your plans now to visit Oberlin. Stop at the New Union Center for the Arts and view the exhibit, stroll down town Oberlin, have lunch or dinner at one of our fantastic restaurants, and then come out to Hallauer House B & B for some relaxation and recharging! Be sure to make reservations ahead of time. Check our website for availability calendar. You know you want to come! And we know you won't be disappointed!

What do you think of my four photos on the left? Do I stand a chance for a prize?!!!

A Bit of Oberlin History!

Did you know that an inexpensive process to produce aluminum happened right here in Oberlin, Ohio?! That's right! It actually happened 123 years ago when Charles Martin Hall made his claim for the U.S. patent and next week on Feb. 23, the American Chemical Society's Division of the History of Chemistry will present Oberlin College and the Oberlin Heritage Center plaques in recognition of this achievement.

Hall graduated from Oberlin College in 1885 and then set up shop in his home and began work on the purification of aluminum. It was on that Feb. 23 date that he found the solvent that he needed and so he produced his first small globules of aluminum. When he was unable to find local funding, he moved his process to Pittsburgh and began the American Aluminum Company (ALCOA).

At the Oberlin Heritage Center, visitors can tour the Jewitt home and see the display of this very important aluminum discovery.

So when you make plans to come to Oberlin, be sure that you plan time to visit the Oberlin Heritage Center where you can learn all about our famous son. And plan a stay at Hallauer House B & B where you can view our aluminum tray collection and explore the history of the Civil War.

More pictures of the Mason/Dixon Suite

In recent weeks, we have had several potential guests calling for more information and explanation of how our Mason/Dixon Suite is laid out so I thought it might be a good idea to give more details on a blog post.

The Suite received it's name from a neighbor who, after she saw the Confederate and Union Rooms, just popped out with the Mason/Dixon name! We thank her as this name has fit nicely with the layout and theme of the B & B. The Mason Dixon Line was a name used to acknowledge a separation of the north and the south during the Civil War.
At the B & B it doesn't actually separate our Union and Confederate Rooms but it does run the entire width of the house and comprises two separate rooms.

The entire living space that guests will have is approximately 550 square feet with a view out of 20 casement windows! On the northern side of the room the view is of the pool and gardens and on the southern side your view will be of the treetops, the driveway and the wildflower garden. On this side also in the spring there is a fantastic view of the flowering magnolia tree where you can almost reach out and touch the petals! I would take a picture of this beautiful tree but it will have to wait until spring arrives! At that time I will post an addendum to this post with that picture so do come back!


The first room of the Suite houses a queen canopy bed, antique furniture, a satellite TV in a corner cupboard, a mini refrigerator in the closet, a leather like swivel chair and a very comfortable wing back chair. In the corner of the room we have placed the antique dresser plumbed with an above bowl sink.

Beside the dresser/sink is the sliding door leading into the actual bathroom which houses the corner
whirlpool tub, the toilet, and the free standing shower. For those romantic occasions, the Jacuzzi tub is surrounded by mini lights hidden in green ivy.

In order to separate the bed from the view of the bathroom and the sink area, there is a full curtain that affords a guest in the queen bed complete privacy from the side of the room with the sink


Moving through the door and into the connecting room, you will enter a space that is so large that it houses a queen bed, a full bed, a sitting area, a desk area, and a reading area!

The double or full brass bed is situated on the southern side of the room with a reading light on each side and a Birdseye maple dressing table next to it. This is a great place for applying makeup with lots of light

On the opposite side of the room with a garden and pool view, is located the queen bed with a checkerboard patterned padded wall used as a headboard. Tall lights allow reading on both sides of the bed.

The conversational sitting area is in the middle of the room separating the two beds. The sofa converts to a single sofa bed for either a 4th or 7th person. From this area, one can converse, read, or watch the satellite TV.

And the room is still large enough to have a bookcase full of antique and modern books with another lounge chair to relax in while reading or move it over to expand the conversational area.

Sitting at the antique desk, a guest can look out over the pool and garden while working at a wireless computer or doing other business.

Because each room has a closet, there is plenty of room for hanging up clothes or storing luggage. Or slide the luggage under the bed. Who wants to trip over suitcases when you're trying to relax!

And the tour of the Mason/Dixon Suite comes to an end. We hope you enjoyed it and can get a better visualization of the space that will be yours when you book accommodations for yourself and friends or family in what is also known as 'The Blue Suite!' We are looking forward to your visit. Give us a call. You won't be disappointed!