Dinner concluded with an exceptionally good tiramisu. The next chef's table will be in November. The McKenneys bought Murphin Ridge from Mary and Bob Crosset, who opened the 10-room frame guest house in 1990. It sits next to the brick farmhouse where meals are served. Guest rooms are simple but tasteful, with one or two queen beds and private bath.
Some rooms have fireplaces, others have private porches.
It wasn't possible for the McKenneys, who moved to Murphin Ridge from Dayton to improve on the view from the inn. Young deer might be spotted frolicking in a meadow under the distant peak of Peach Mountain, which at 1,260 feet is the highest elevation in Adams County. But last year, on a wooded portion of the property, the couple had three cabins built of squared larch logs shipped in from Montana. The inn has a swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, and shuffleboard. And guests make frequent use of more than 8 miles of private nature trails, including one creek-side path graced by three small waterfalls.