Elegant Getaway Tucked amid Pastoral Surroundings

Outside, Mother Nature has been given every advantage. From the 11,000 feet of garden space that erupt in bright hues in the spring to the tree-lined ponds where leaves herald the coming of autumn in bronze and gold, the 111-acre estate of Cedar Crest Lodge celebrates nature's potential for the picturesque. Trails wend through the landscape, and six stocked ponds teem with fish, inviting guests to interact with the bucolic abundance.

Each of the inn’s luxury rooms provides a striking setting of its own. The Tuscan Manor suite provides 1,200 square feet of luxurious living space with exposed beams, hardwood floors, and angular spaces complemented by a hand-painted king-size bed and a sunken tub. In the French Quarter room, accents carved into the furniture capture New Orleans flair, and the corner jacuzzi provides a more suitable soak than the piranha-infested waters of the Mississippi. A tulle-draped bed appointed in lavender and amethyst hues helps evoke the breezes of the California coastline in the Wine Country room.

Travelers can fuel up for exploration with multicourse breakfasts that can include eye-openers such as egg dishes, pastries, and fruit salads. Further comfort can be found at the on-site Cedar Crest Spa (spa treatments are not included in this deal), where individual and couples massages range from hot-stone treatments to Hawaiian lomi-lomi massages.

Pleasanton, Kansas: Civil War History among Natural Beauty

Named for Civil War general Alfred Pleasonton, Pleasanton is steeped in the history of the War Between the States. The town is located near the border between Kansas and Missouri in an area that witnessed fierce battles and skirmishes both before and during the war. Although Pleasanton's Mine Creek Battlefield is closed between late October and early April, the John Brown Museum in nearby Osawatomie offers year-round tours of the cabin that served as Brown's base of operations.

Those whose appetite for nature is piqued by the lodge's grounds can head for the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, a 7,500-acre tract of forest and prairie in Pleasanton. The area around the refuge is home to dozens of species of mammals, including red fox, mink, and mountain lions as well as an enormous array of birds ranging from herons to red-tail hawks.