In the “Boom Days” of the 1920’s, Carl and Bertha Hinshaw Sr. moved to the quiet community of Lake of the Hills, Florida. During a harsh winter in 1931, Carl, age 47, developed pneumonia and passed away. Carl’s widow, Bertha, was left with their home, one “do-everything” servant, and two young children. A determined and gutsy lady, Bertha decided to make a living for her family doing what she knew best... making people feel at home. Thus, in 1931 was born Suzanne’s Chalet, named after her only daughter.

Known today as Chalet Suzanne, four generations of the Hinshaw family have lived and worked on the property. Dispite fires and hurricanes, the Chalet continued to grow. The property now has five dining rooms, 30 guest rooms, a landing strip for airplanes, a gift shop, Spa, Ceramic Salon, a Cannery for soups and sauces, citrus groves and a small experimental vineyard.

I've spent several weekends at the Chalet. Two of my favorite things keep me coming back: airplanes and dinner.

I'll admit it. I was hooked when I found the airstrip. The 2500 foot runway is a manicured grass strip with a small lake at the north end. The runway is identified as X25 on the Miami sectional chart. One of my visits happened to coincide with the Carl Hinshaw Fly-in. What an event! Here are some pictures.

Chalet Suzanne's 6-course dinner is indescribable. It simply must be experienced. I never knew I liked broiled grapefruit! The second course is "moon soup." Visiting astronauts demanded NASA include this soup on Apollo and even Soyuz missions. For the main course, I highly recommend the Filet Mignon. Encourage your date to have the Lobster Newberg. When she's distracted by the pianist playing "your song," scoop up some of her lobster and top your steak with it. Phenomenal.

If you're interested in visiting Chalet Suzanne, their website can give you all the information you'll need.