On Staying at a B&B

When we travel, we love to stay in B&B's.  What is the plural form?  Beds and Breakfasts?  Anyway, staying in a B&B (I'm going to stick with the singular.  I'm an English Major who apparently can't master her own language, people) is a good way to experience the local area.  B&B proprietors usually have connections with the town folk and can hook you up with great deals and "off the beaten path" experiences.

For example, we once stayed in a B&B in Pennsylvania while G attended a nerd conference.  I had planned to just explore around town, but I found myself in a conversation with the owner and it came out that she knew a local Amish family.  She asked if I would like to have dinner with them.  I was like, "DUH, lady!  Sign me up!"  That sort of experience would not have presented itself if we'd stayed down at the Super 8. 

Local Culture and Local Peeps - the good the bad and the ugly

It's also nice that B&B's usually fit so well into the local environment.  Case in point, this is a place we stayed in Page, AZ:

Arizona

See the separate garage on the left?  On top of that building is a wonderful jacuzzi.  G & I would sit in it at night and watch the stars (you can actually see the stars in Arizona!) and count satellites as they zoomed overhead.  This place is owned by two guys who are hysterical.  They are jokesters and we got along with them really well.  They knew we went up to the hot tub every night, so one night, they snuck up to the top of the building, jumped around the corner and went "BOOOOOOOO!"  Imagine their surprise to find an elderly couple frightened out of their wits.  We had decided to spend that evening in town.  Haaaaaaaaa.  So funny.  They were mortified.  It was awesome.

Ireland

                           
On the other hand, we once stayed at one of the oldest buildings in the U.S., in Valley Forge.  The walls were 2 feet thick and made of stone.  The floor creaked and there were practically no right angles in the entire structure; everything leaned this way or that.  It was a charming, historic building but the owner had a chip on her shoulder the size of a cannon ball.  She would serve us breakfast and complain about the three economics degrees she had but was not able to use in her business.  She would answer our questions about local attractions by turning up her nose at the traffic or small parking areas.  Buzz.  Kill.

We've stayed in many B&B's and by far our good experiences have outnumbered the bad.  When we stayed in a B&B in Ireland, I spent the entire week never understanding a single word the owners said (and they spoke English) and I totally love them to death.

This is one of our favorites, located in Gettysburg:

Pennsylvania

It's also one of the oldest (continually operated) inns in the country.  The confederates retreated there during the battle, Generals have eaten there, and it was part of the underground railroad.  Part of the attic is restored to demonstrate what it probably looked like at the time, and how it was used to accomodate slaves on their escape to freedom.

Our very fave:  southern Virginia

The Devil is in the Details

The beauty (or not) of a B&B is in the details.  Many of them - I would venture to say, most of them - are exquisitely decorated.  These pics were taken this past weekend on our get-away:

One of the smaller bedrooms.

The Sitting Room - we had the place all to ourselves and camped out in here to read.

Beautiful details.

Lovely colors.

The Formal Dining Room.

The Informal Dining Room - we have breakfast in here and talk story with Betsy.

One of my friends says, "I love a good Bed and Breakfast, but my problem is the Breakfast!  Who can eat that much, first thing in the morning?"  Um, ME.  The breakfast is so, so good!  Of course I don't have any pictures because I wolf it down too quickly.

If you have not stayed in a B&B before, I would suggest doing your research before you stay in one.  Take a look at the website, call and talk to the proprietor.  First impressions are almost always correct; if you have a good chat with the owner on the phone, you'll most likely have a comfortable stay there.

Also, try it more than once.  Our first experience at a B&B was so phenomenal that it set the course for our whole vacationing future.  But if it had been bad, say, that lady in Valley Forge, I'm not sure we would have had the courage to try it again.  On vacation you're spending your hard-earned money and time, and you don't want the experience to be stained by a surly proprietor.  But I would highly suggest that if you don't enjoy it the first time, give it a second, even a third try before you rule it out.

Happy Bed-and-Breakfasting!