Until the early 1980s, the hotel remained a destination for the rich and famous looking to get away from it all. Yet the weight of the grand resort suffocated it, and the Springs shut its doors in 1986.

Just over a decade ago, a group of investors acquired the property with the intent to bring it back to its former glory. With a budget of $120 million, the restoration was completed, the hotel reopening as a resort in July 2007. Now owned by Omni Hotels, the Bedford Springs takes visitors back to the days when a hotel stay was a truly special event.

Driving our Dodge Durango from the Pennsylvania Turnpike through the town of Bedford, the time travel begins. Riding through town on Richard Street, the lack of flash is evident. The downtown doesn't have a single fast-food joint, and few franchise stores of any kind. On the block made up by Richard, Penn, Juliana, and Pitt Streets, the stores are noticeably local and niche oriented. From locally made crafts and antique stores to specialty retailers like the Banjo Shop and the He-Brews coffee shop, Bedford is a piece of Americana that is missing from today's frequently cookie-cutter, name-brand Main Street.

Richard Street heads south a couple of miles from town, passes by the 215-year-old Naugle's Mill, and cuts through the recently cleared hillside before hitting Sweet Root Road on the left.

Coming into view, the sheer scale of the Bedford Springs Hotel is astounding after the small-town atmosphere of Bedford. From end to