" Thank you Brightwood Inn for the wonderful stay for our 21st Anniversary. John and Jo did not disappoint! Accomodations are clean, comfortable, and beautiful. We enjoyed watching birds and relaxing on the back deck or gazebo as we enjoyed the quiet surroundings and sipped wine from the nearby August Hill Winery. John's homemade breakfasts were good and the Aronia berry muffins and jelly were to die for! We liked it so much that we purchased some jelly to take home. It was nice to have complimentary sodas available and the homemade cookies were a nice touch as well. John made good suggestions for dinner and we chose Duffy's and Skoog's in Utica. Both restaurants are very unassuming from the outside, but both had outstanding meals and service. We thoroughly enjoyed our unplanned visit to the August Hill Winery where guests of Brightwood receive a free tasting, which is usually around $3 a piece. I think we tasted about 8 different wines. I wish the Inn would have told us about the discount ahead of time, though. We found out about it through casual talk with the worker at the winery. I wonder if there were any other discounts we could have received as guests of the Inn but didn't know about. The Inn is located just 4 miles from Starved Rock State Park and is surrounded by Matthieson State Park. We were a little disappointed in Starved Rock. We had a good time, but it was nothing compared to Turkey Run in Southern Indiana. However, we didn't have time to explore the enitre park and surely could have missed some of the beauty the park has to offer. Matthieson was much smaller but much more scenic and had more beautiful caverns and waterfalls. Overall, our experience was outstanding! We almost stayed at a nearby hotel that cost more than our room at the Inn and I am soooo glad we changed our plans. I would highly recommend the Brightwood Inn for anyone who wants a peaceful getaway. We will definitely be back! Scott & Diane Morrow Hebron, Indiana"