This deluxe beautifully landscaped country inn complex is located on 100 acres in a quiet valley ten miles west of Allentown, Pennsylvania. When Al and Beth Granger purchased the property in 1985 it was a rundown farm that had been unoccupied for thirteen years. (Beth passed away in 2006.) It’s hard to believe it now. The farm buildings were turned into deluxe accommodations with fieldstone fireplaces and large baths with whirlpool tubs. They’ve added two new buildings with facilities for groups, a fitness room and spa. There’s a large organic garden and a working farm with Scottish Highlander cattle, Black Welsh Mountain sheep, pigs, chickens and Muscovy ducks.

Rooms are in the Barn, the Carriage House, the Farmhouse, the Gatehouse, the Garden Cottage, Stables, and Pack House. The Garden Cottage, the most recently renovated (2007), is on two levels. The sitting room is spacious with a wood-burning fieldstone fireplace, a couch, big chairs and wet bar. A few steps lead to the second level which has a king-size bed as well as a double whirlpool tub positioned so you can see the second fireplace from either the tub or bed.

The lower level of the Farmhouse is a huge room with two wood-burning fireplaces in the middle of the room separating the sitting area with a double whirlpool and a steam shower from the bedroom area. An additional plus is the 42” flat screen television.

The Farmhouse Suite is a favorite if you want to sit outside and have sitting areas that are separate from the bath and bedroom areas. The large sitting room with a wet bar opens to a private patio; an adjoining sitting room has a double whirlpool, steam shower and wood-burning fireplace; and stairs lead to a small bedroom and bath on the second level.

The Stables Suites are on two levels. The lower level has a wood-burning fireplace visible from the sitting area and from the king-size bed as well as a full bath. A spiral staircase leads to a spacious cathedral-ceilinged loft area with a double whirlpool tub.

Carriage House Suites are next to the pool. The two on the first floor are larger and are our preference (room 41 has been renovated). These have king-beds, wood-burning fireplaces, and adjoining sunrooms with a cathedral ceiling and whirlpool bath. Rooms in the barn are less expensive. The lower level rooms have whirlpool tubs and an outdoor sitting area. These can be noisy as they are under the dining room and kitchen.

For weddings or meetings the Pack House and Lodge are ideal as they are a bit removed from the other buildings. These are the two newest buildings. The Pack House, a converted barn, has twelve rooms with gas fireplaces and whirlpool baths as well as a large meeting room. The Lodge has meeting spaces and a full kitchen.

They also have a heated outdoor swimming pool, a spa with a full range of massages available and a fitness center.

The main dining area in the renovated barn is particularly impressive with stacked shale and slate walls, a 26-foot cathedral ceiling with exposed beams, a gas fireplace and cherry tables. The sun porch has a single table and the granary has tables with views of the hillside. Breakfast includes a cold buffet as well as a choice of hot dish such as eggs florentine, pancakes, or omelets.

We’ve had numerous exceptional meals here over the past fifteen years. For starters there’s a wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil, pan seared scallops, beef tenderloin carpaccio, Caesar salad, and Glasbern salad with apples, feta, caramelized walnuts and dried cherries. The menu indicates which items are organically raised in their pasture or garden. Currently these include lamb chops with a red wine sauce served with wilted spinach and canellini beans and oven roasted chicken with a vegetable ragout and roasted potatoes. Other main dishes on the dinner menu are wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon served with braised fennel and potatoes, olives and tomatoes; roasted Gulf shrimp with apples, onions and bacon; and seared sirloin steak with creamed peppers, onions and asparagus.

For lighter meals or just a drink they have a pub, adjacent to the dining room, with a fireplace and wood tables.

Rooms, rates, etc. — Thirty-five rooms and suites, all with private bath.

• Weekend $225-$475
• Midweek $150-$300.
• Breakfast included.
• Children welcome.
• Pets permitted in a few rooms.
• Dinner nightly, entrées $18-$35.
• Saturday prix fixe $55.

2141 Packhouse Road, Fogelsville, PA 18051
(610) 285-4723

What to Do: Arrange for a spa treatment at the inn. Take a day trip through the beautiful farmland of south-central Pennsylvania on back roads to Lancaster County, home of old order Amish and Mennonite communities. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the grandaddy of lookouts for the autumn hawk migration, is 30 minutes away. Head north to Jim Thorpe which is reminiscent of a small European hill town with many 19th century Victorian structures, narrow lanes, antique shops, restored railroad station, boutiques, and galleries built right up against the steep hillsides of the Lehigh River Valley. The town is a center for river rafting, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. For antiquing head to Adamstown on Sunday where hundreds of dealers and thousands of buyers converge in indoor and outdoor malls. Stoudt’s and Renninger’s are our favorites. Bethlehem and Allentown are well worth exploring.