The Walden Country Inn & Stables, Aurora, Ohio
By Annette Gallagher Weisman
THE WALDEN Don’t look for a quaint clapboard house 
with rocking chairs lined up on the front portch if you go to the Walden Country Inn & Stables. With its contemporary lines, high-tech amenities and attention to detail (turn-down service included votive candles flickering beside the Jacuzzi), the Walden, in Aurora, Ohio, offers a new spin on the word “inn.” There’s tennis, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a state-of-the-art, indoor equestrian center. Set in the midst of Ohio’s horse country (it looks like New England, but Cleveland is just twenty-five miles away), the Walden has three delightful restaurants, where every dish is scrumptious. Of the Walden’s twenty-five suites, we particularly liked our “Loft,” with its vaulted ceilings, Italian lines and balcony that frames perfect pastoral views. Rooms from $195 to $300, including breakfast. 888-808-5003; www.waldenco.com.