The first Bountiful Blessings Mystery Trip is in the books! When I saw that Little Women was going to be performed at the historic Sorg Opera House, I thought others might enjoy making a weekend out of it, too. That’s when the ladies’ trip began to transpire.
After posting the trip invite online, all the rooms filled up within a week. From there, I began contacting local business owners and the Middletown Visitors Bureau to arrange personalized tours and perks. Everyone was so generous with their time and resources, and it was a pleasure planning everything. The attendees knew they would be watching the Little Women musical and staying in a boutique hotel, but beyond that, everything was a surprise.
Arriving in Middletown
The Indigo Pass boutique hotel was our designated meet up location. Everyone checked into their individually decorated rooms and discovered their goodie bags that had been graciously donated to our group by the Middletown Visitors Bureau. We peeked in the other rooms as the ladies began to arrive. Our reservations included all six rooms which gave us access to the entire third floor. The rooms have a modern + vintage + industrial vibe that share the same color scheme but have an individual twist from room to room. The bathroom tile was a favorite for everyone.
Heading out as a group, we enjoyed seeing some of the town’s murals as we walked down to The Windamere. Once a prominent bank, this building has been restored and revamped as a large event venue. The owners have done an exceptional job preserving the bones of the building all while accommodating their clients in the most meaningful way.
There are separate rooms and areas on all three levels of the building for the bridal party to gather in before and after the ceremony. One of the group’s favorites was the huge basement vault that has been transformed into the guys’ Stag Room. Both upper and lower vaults are open and are eye candy not to be missed.
Dinner in Middletown
As we walked into West Central Wine, we were greeted with a large table all set for fun and fellowship, complete with a charcuterie board and wine. Along with the grown-up snackable, we enjoyed fresh from the oven flatbread pizzas for our evening dinner. Monica, the owner, was able to take time out of the busy supper hour and talk to us about her entrepreneurial endeavor. It’s always great meeting the business owners and hearing more about their ‘why’.
Little Women at the Sorg Opera House
Before we knew it, the time had come to head over to the Sorg Opera House for the evening’s show. We arrived a few minutes before the doors opened, so it gave me time to give a little history lesson to the group. The Sorg was THE theatre of its time but has had some dismal decades since its heyday. Fortunately, a group of local citizens have begun restoring the massive building. An eclectic variety of shows are hosted most weekends, attracting more and more attendees.
This extra time also gave me a chance to explain to the group how they can become a volunteer at the Sorg. In return for their time, the opera house gifts the volunteer two tickets to an upcoming performance. It’s a win-win for everyone. With front row seats in the balcony, we had a fantastic view for the three-hour musical.
A Nightcap at the White Dog Distillery
For many of the ladies, it was time to call it a day by the time we got back to our hotel. A few of us had another hour in us until the magic pumpkin wore off, so we headed down the street to the White Dog Distillery. Meeting our third business owner of the night, we got to hear another inspiring story of dreams, perseverance, and grit. Little Beers were on tap and appropriate for the evening’s theme.
Our Morning in Middletown
To start our day, we checked out of our hotel and walked across the street to Triple Moon Coffee for drinks and food. The café has a lot of indoor seating which is great for a group our size. The setting made a nice place for conversation and laughter.
From there we walked off our breakfast calories just in time to find ourselves at Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop. Nostalgic candy, 250+ varieties of pop, and a candy buffet was a perfect mix for reminiscing and giggles. The Middletown Visitors Bureau was very generous and provided each person in our group with boxes to be stuffed with our favorites from the Candy Buffet. Decisions, decisions.
After that, we zigzagged around town admiring the various murals and eventually made it to Central Pastry Shop for a delicious donut. This business is one of many that make up the Butler County Donut Trail. We learned that the recipes used to make all of the pastries are over 75 years old. The selection is fantastic, and the decisions are hard.
Walking Off Our Calories
Nibbling on our donut of choice and taking in a few more murals, our last stop of the trip was the Pendleton Art Gallery. This two-story building is the host to several artists who have their own ‘shops’ set up inside.
Exploring Middletown is so convenient because everything is in such close proximity to each other. The weather was pleasant, and the exercise aided in the ability to talk with each other while seeing the sights. We didn’t have to get back in our vehicles until it was time to depart for home.
I’d like to give a huge THANK YOU to the business owners of Middletown who made this trip so successful as well as the Middletown Visitors Bureau. It was a great sampling of Ohio and small-town America.
To learn more about what is available to enjoy in Middletown, check out everything on TripAdvisor. Further reading can be found in my additional article: An Easy Guide to Middletown.
