The lovely reception area at Soothing Touch Massage

As many of our guests have experienced, we offer in-room massage services at The White Oak Inn.   These services have been provided by the excellent and professsional ladies from Soothing Touch Massage in Mount Vernon, Ohio.    Recently the business was purchased by one of its long-time employees, our very dear friend Kim Dean.    Kim has been coming to the inn to provide massages for our guests for a number of years.    She has relocated the business to a larger facility to allow more services and additional therapists.    All of Kim’s massage therapists are licenced and insured. 

Although most of our guests prefer to enjoy a massage in the comfort and privacy of their own room at The White Oak Inn, some of them enjoy it so much they decide to continue enjoying the services of Soothing Touch when they aren’t staying at the inn.    Ian and I recently went for a visit to see the new office.    Kim and her talented husband Greg have renovated and decorated the Victorian style building to reflect a calm and tranquil atmosphere, and provide comfort and privacy for their clients.   Soft music plays in the background.   Small water fountains trickle gently.   Live plants and flowers abound.     An eclectic collection of art graces the walls.     It’s soothing, comfortable and relaxing – exactly what the whole massage experience should be.

In addition to standard massage, Soothing Touch will be offering hot stone massages and body wraps.    A small gift area sells massage oils, lotions and essential oils.   Gift certificates are available.

For those guests who book a massage at the inn, the therapist will arrive shortly before your appointment time and set up her table in your room.    She’ll start soft music, perhaps light a scented candle.   The tables are heated in the winter time.     You will undress to the degree of your own comfort and slide under the sheet on the table.     And then the bliss begins….

We love to see the faces of our guests after a session with Kim or one of the other therapists.   The best description would be that they ooze into the room.    Totally relaxed.   All stress gone.     Guests who have never experienced a professional massage before will rave about the experience.

I think I’ve just talked myself into booking a massage with Kim right now!

Your table awaits!

After a snowy February, March has been lovely here in Knox County.   Our brave little snowdrops were the first to poke their heads above ground, followed quickly by purple and white crocuses.   The first daffodils have just opened up, and we should have quite a show right in time for Easter.

Wedding fever struck early this year.    We had three elopements and one vow renewal at the inn  in March, and for each one the day was bright, sunny and warm, so the couples were able to use the gazebo for their ceremonies.

Our rhubarb is already a few inches high, our chives are greening up and tiny little lemon balm and mint leaves are bravely poking up in the herb garden.  We can’t wait to start planting the rest of the more tender culinary herbs.   I’m dreaming of salads with fresh basil….mmmm.

Elopement at The White Oak Inn

Bald Eagle spotted on Kokosing River

As some of you know we have a bald eagle nest close to the inn, alongside the Kokosing River.     This particular nest replaced one about three miles upriver.   The two nests have been active for the last ten years or more, with one or two chicks surviving each year, so now we have quite the population of bald eagles in the area.

We were out with friends last week, driving home around 4 p.m. and I saw a large black bird with a white head and tail rise up from the ditch, not more than 30 feet from us.     I immediately knew what it was and stopped the car so we could get a better look.   The bird circled and landed again, about 75 feet away from the road.    He waited patiently for us to move on.   Apparently he was feasting on a dead deer in the ditch and we had interrupted dinner.      In the meantime an immature eagle also circled around us .

We often see the eagles flying over the inn or along the river.     They are simply majestic.    Every year during our Spring Nature weekend at the inn, local eagle expert Brad Perkins comes and shares his latest slides of the eagles, and stories about activities he and other volunteers have undertaken to ensure the survival of this magnificent species.     Then he takes all our guests to a spot where they can observe the nest and the parents feeding the young eaglets through a telescope.

The photograph at the top of this post was actually snapped by one of our guests.   He and his wife were driving along our road, and as the came close to the river spotted a mature eagle perched on a rock in the river.   They were able to take several photographs before the bird flew off.

For more information about the Spring Nature Weekend, give us a call or visit our website.   The date for 2010 is April 30 to May 2.

This coming Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 & 12 will be the only dates this year we are offering the Dickens Christmas Carol package.   Our very talented actor Brent has been signed to a contract with a theater in Cincinnati, and this could be the last year he’s available to perform at The White Oak Inn.

We still have a few seats available for each performance.   The package includes a traditional afternoon tea and Mandy and Yvonne spent Tuesday afternoon making sweet treats for the tea.    They’ve made lemon curd, fruit and nut loaf, almond macaroons, mint brownies, raspberry almond tassies, chocolate apricot bars, Scottish shortbread, walnut crescents, turtle squares, lemon creme bars, and peanut honey crisps.

Tickets are available for the play and tea for $45 a person or overnight packages including the play, tea, light buffet supper, overnight stay and breakfast start at $259 a couple.

Here’s one of the recipes from yesterday’s bake-fest:

Almond Macaroons

1 – 14 oz. package sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon of salt

4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.   Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl.    Drop mounds (1 or 2 tablespoons in size, depending on how large you want your macaroons to be)  onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing an inch apart.   Bake about 20 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.      Let cool slightly, then remove from parchment and finish cooling on wire racks.   (Do not allow to completely cool on parchment, as they will stick).

Actually we’re not sure he ever got in to the building in the first place!    What a fun day we had at the inn yesterday.   Good friends Greg and Kim were going to go to Las Vegas for a wedding at the Elvis Chapel, but decided instead to hold their nuptials at the inn.    They wanted something unique, and it certainly was that.    The officiant arrived in style in a 1949 White Dodge Coronet, and when the chauffeur (in cowboy attire) opened the door, out popped….. ELVIS.    After a short and entertaining ceremony in the gazebo, the newlyweds were handcuffed together to seal the deal.     Then we all enjoyed a lovely reception outdoors, during which another Elvis lookalike served peanut butter and banana sandwiches.     Congratulations to Greg and Kim.    Thanks Elvis.  Both of you.

Elvis arrives at White Oak Inn

The happily handcuffed newlyweds with Elvis

Elvis serves peanut butter and banana sandwiches

Unemployed Superhero at White Oak Murder Mystery

We’re delighted to announce our schedule of murder mysteries for the 2009/2010 season.     If you’ve never attended one of these you don’t know what you’re missing.   Our incredibly irreverent, hysterically funny group of improvisional actors keep everyone rolling in laughter all night long.

The most frequently asked question about our mysteries is, “do I have to dress up?”     Nope.   You can come stark naked for all we care, but you’re going to have a lot more fun if you create a costume for your character.   Everyone else is going to be dressed up, so you’ll feel left out if you don’t.   We aren’t going to make anyone learn lines or do anything difficult.   Except that maybe we’ll kill you.  But it’s painless.   Honestly.

Some other questions:

Are they serious?    Are you kidding?    Not in the slightest.  We go for the cheap laughs every time.

Are they hard to figure out?    Nope.   If you’re paying any attention at all you’ll get it.    Although it’s hard to concentrate when you’re busy watching Jeff perform his magic, or savoring your delicious dinner.  (Yes, that’s a shameless plug for the food here.)

Anyway in case you hadn’t figured it out, our mysteries are a little bit of music, a little bit of magic and a whole lot of fun.

We’re offering 6 different dates and plots for individual couples and small groups this season.   For groups of 12 or more people we can schedule other dates, subject to the inn and actors being available.   Regular rates start at $279 per room including dinner, the mystery, overnight stay and a hearty country breakfast.   Group rates can be as low as $239 a couple.    For full details of schedule, plots and pricing, visit our murder mystery page.

Give us a call if you’re interested in booking a mystery for a group.   We even have a special mystery written for Red Hat Clubs.

The new season’s dates and plots:

Friday November 20/09   The Class of 1969 Reunion

Saturday November 21 /09 The Games People Play

Saturday January 23 /10  The 2010 Hiney Awards

Saturday February 27 /10  Bigfoot

Saturday March 20/10    The Lounge Singers Convention

Saturday April 20 /10  The Unemployed Superheroes

Murder Victim at Red Hat Murder Mystery at White Oak