Bed and breakfast perfect for anniversary do-over
Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast in Midway is a great idea for a quick weekend escape.
The Honeymoon Suite, shown hear during a snow-filled winter, is an inviting and secluded abode, perfect for creating some romance.
The gazebo on the 5-acre pond was the perfect location for spotting a baby beaver, muskrat, birds of every feather and the geese guests.
The Waterfall Room at Johnson Mill is located above the rushing waters of a 40-foot waterfall that feeds into the Provo River.
It was one of those weekends where nothing went quite right. But it was supposed to! It was, afterall, our very first wedding anniversary and anticipated to be a perfectly romantic renewal of our love.
A series of follies is actually what ensued.
Our wintry two-night stay in beautiful Park City, Utah, last year had been planned months in advance. We would be staying in a one-bedroom condo that boasted a comfy queen bed, fireplace, sofa-sleeper, flatscreen TV, hot tub in the complex, and large kitchenette.
What the owner neglected to tell us was the bed was actually a very small queen that was bouncier than a trampoline (nicknamed the bucking bed), the mattress on the sofa-sleeper had been flattened after years of use, and that the walls of the three-story condo complex were paper thin!
Needless to say, our anniversary weekend was spent with each of us sleeping, very poorly, in separate beds and waking before dawn as the upstairs neighbors decided to slam every door and play video games with the speakers at max volume.
Always better the second time around
My husband, Steve, and I had the chance to rewrite that anniversary weekend recently. Instead of the wintry, snow-filled streets of Park City, we were treated to the green lawns and budding trees of a springtime weekend at the incredibly romantic Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast in Midway, Utah.
The romance began as soon as I pushed open the huge, perfectly creeky door of the main house, instantly treating us to the Mill’s history. Dating back to 1893, photographs and implements of the old flour mill decorate the foyer and barn-like door to the office.
After collecting our key to the Honeymoon Suite, we unpacked the car and headed to our room. We would have to explore the main house later, I was too excited to see our accommodations for the next two nights.
The vastness of the Honeymoon Suite was a welcome surprise, enhanced by the large windows flanking three walls of the room. Not a cold- or sterile-feeling hotel room, our new sanctuary exuded a comforting warmth, a sense of home, which may have come from the fireplace, cozy blankets draping the loveseat, elevated king-sized canopy bed turned down for the evening, or maybe it was the simplistic, beautiful decor.
The highlight of the suite, and just one of the reasons it is so perfect for a new bride preparing for her big day or newlyweds embarking on their romantic honeymoon, is the incredible bathroom. Decked with beautiful stone floors and faux river-rock walls, the bathroom was a pampering dream come true with a large jetted bath filled by a stone waterfall as well as a large walk-around shower featuring not only two powerful shower heads but another stone waterfall.
Although the water pressure on the waterfall wasn’t as powerful as the showerheads, the nice hot cascade was a fun surprise.
Once settled in our room we decided to explore the main house while munching on very tasty, complimentary gooey bar cookies. The living room and dining areas were cozily warmed by a beautiful fireplace — a great place to enjoy a good book or grab the binoculars to gaze out the large windows at the flora and fauna. According to Carrie Purdy, Johnson Mill general manager, the area is known for being a wonderful bird refuge.
Winding down the grand spiral staircase, we stumbled on the entertainment/game room, complete with a wet bar, bookshelves stocked with movies, oversized couches and foosball table.
With the conclusion of our explorations, we decided it was time to find some dinner. I knew just the perfect spot — Café Galleria.
After a delicious dinner of gourmet pizza and salad, we headed back to our room to settle in for the evening and take a dip in that giant bathtub.
Breakfast with the birds
Our morning wake-up call wasn’t the planned 9 a.m. breakfast-at-the-door knock, but rather a 6 a.m. noise sounding like someone was chopping a cord of wood outside. After an hour of tossing and turning, we opened the shutters to discover the loud noise was actually the result of birds crashing into the windows, apparently trying to “attack” their reflections. Worried about the birds and the safety of the windows, we later told Carrie and Chef Jill about our early-morning alarm. “I guess they’re called bird-brains for a reason,” Carrie joked.
Being in the Honeymoon Suite, Jill brought our delicious breakfast to our room — spinach and ham quiche with country potatoes, cantaloupe and kiwi. A truly enjoyable way to start our day that would be filled with explorations of the 14-acre property that borders the banks of the Provo River.
While lounging on the front porch, we watched as a bride arrived for her photography session. It’s no wonder Johnson Mill is such a popular spot for glorious weddings with the abundance of lush foliage and well-groomed lawns. Assisted by her family, the bride was even able to set adrift on the pond in a little canoe for a truly unique image.
Relishing the early-spring day, with camera in hand, Steve and I wandered all along the property. I was captivated by the rotations of the decades-old waterwheel and the crashing waterfall that echoed so wonderfully, while my husband was eager to canoe out onto the pristine pond among the Canadian Geese and graceful swans.
With Steve at the helm, the canoe silently sluiced through the glassy water and we were able to watch a roosting goose attend to her nest, follow congregations of other geese along the banks, and watch a pair of majestic swans gobble up their watery lunch. After our cruise, getting out of the canoe proved a bit tricky as I nearly flipped the narrow boat. All part of the adventure, right?
Our evening rounded out with a delicious barbecue dinner at The Angry Bull Restaurant and Saloon in nearby Heber City that Tabitha, the evening Johnson Mill receptionist, was quick to recommend. Following dinner we embarked on a scenic drive through the valley and into Wasatch Mountain State Park.
Reluctant goodbyes
Wanting to meet the other guests, Steve and I ate Sunday morning breakfast in the dining room. While we feasted on a beautifully plated breakfast of blueberry-stuffed French toast and bacon, we enjoyed the company of three other couples — two of them celebrating wedding anniversaries and one celebrating their college graduation. We also met Innkeeper/Owner Charlene Johnson and enjoyed hearing her animated stories of the wildlife she has seen on the grounds of The Mill.
A practically perfect weekend, it was awfully difficult to pack up the car and leave Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast behind. What a stark contrast from our comical, somewhat disastrous anniversary just five months before. (I still laugh as I tell people about the anniversary where the lovebirds were forced to sleep in separate beds!)
Thank you, Johnson Mill for helping my husband and I create new memories — a weekend that will now be known as First Anniversary Weekend Part Deux.
Johnson Mill Bed & Breakfast
Where: 100 Johnson Mill Rd., Midway, Utah
Info: (435) 654-4466 or www.johnsonmill.com
Café Galleria
Where: 101 W. Main St., Midway, Utah
Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday
Info: (435) 657-2002 or www.cafegalleriapizza.com
The Angry Bull Saloon
Where: 139 N. Main St., Heber City, Utah
Hours: Noon-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday
Info: (435) 657-1800 or www.angrybullsaloon.com