Grand Detour and Oregon lie along the Rock River Valley, about 100 miles west of Chicago. The Colonial Rose Inn, a pre-Civil War brick residence, is a comfortable, quiet winter retreat. A large-screen TV in the family room, apiano in the parlor and a small library are available to guests. Children over 14 years old are permitted. The cabins are equipped with fireplaces, air-conditioning, heat, phones and televisions.
Cabins can sleep up to two adults and two children.
This first thing that struck us was that the entire restaurant, including the bar, is non-smoking. And the third was the variety of meat, fish and fowl on the menu. Jeff Rose is both owner and a trained executive chef, who also prepared our gourmet breakfast the next morning. We could understand the draw to the restaurant after we saw the extensive number of main courses, from familiar pastas to epicurean showpieces such as osso bucco. There are no rental facilities for snowmobiles, cross-country skis, snowshoes or sleds in the area, but recreation areas are plentiful.