THE ALBEMARLE INN - ASHEVILLE, NC

FEBRUARY 20, 2007

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No doubt about it, the Inn at the Biltmore Estates was a tough act to follow. Maybe you could say it was an impossible act to follow for little Asheville, North Carolina. We wanted to stay at the Inn at the Biltmore Estates one more night, but it was expensive and we thought we should leave the Estate and see the town of Asheville. So I called a B&B listed in our Select Registry book, The Albemarle Inn, to see if there was a room available for the night of February 20, 2007.

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We were in luck - the Blue Ridge Room could be ours and even the rate was 30% off at $165.00 per night, so I was thrilled. This B&B looked gorgeous from the picture in the book - another antebellum mansion, it appeared. It was still a gray and chilly day - even sprinkling when we arrived at the Albemarle Inn. I have to say I was disappointed in the neighborhood and the size of the Inn property. It was much smaller than I expected and the houses on all sides were small and looked rundown with junky yards. Even the front of the Inn, although quite beautiful in architecture, seemed in need of some sprucing up. But it was winter and it was raining, so I had to take that into consideration.

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Our hostess was welcoming and escorted us to our room in a corner on the 2nd floor. Needless to say, it was VERY blue! And it looked like it had seen better days.Nothing looked crisp or bright, but rather used and worn, I thought. I was beginning to get bummed, but Bob reminded me again that we had just come from a five star inn on an estate and the B&B was just fine.

We went to the parlor with the other guests for wine, tea and canapes and a bit of conversation. There were six other couples, a mixed lot: two woman from Riverside, California traveling together, an older couple headed to Florida from Vermont, a very young couple who were just married, a young married couple vacationing away from their three young daughters, and two women from India who claimed to be German and English as they lived in Munich and London. These women were critical of the US government and commented that they were surprised to find Americans so friendly when their government wasn't. Well, enough of that. No politics or religion, right?

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The innkeeper informed us that breakfast was usually served promptly at 8:30 AM, but because there were so many of us, they would extend it to 9:00 AM. How generous! I was a bit put-off. It's not much of a vacation if you have to get up at 7:30 AM in order not to miss a breakfast that you've already paid for. I much prefer the B&B's that serve breakfast until 10:00 or 11:00 AM, giving you time to sleep in, if you want.

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Breakfast was nice, though: poached pears with cherries and mascarpone cheese, an egg souffle and strawberry bread. And the innkeeper's husband was a character. But all in all, we would likely not stay at the Albemarle Inn again. Maybe I just don't care for the Victorian decor. When I saw the outside of this structure, I expected a southern mansion inside. But instead it was dark wood, dark furniture, and dark accessories. I needed to see yellows, light blues, and creamy layers of beaded crown moldings! It was not to be at the Albemarle Inn in Asheville, NC.

THE INN AT BILTMORE ESTATES - ASHEVILLE, NC

FEBRUARY 18, 2007

We arrived on the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC on Sunday, February 18, 2007 not knowing what to expect. We knew we wanted to see the Biltmore Mansion, the largest and perhaps the only real castle in the US, and I had booked us into the Inn on the property. When we drove into the estate, however, we were mesmerized. We passed the guard gate and entered a ribbony, tree lined road that took us about 3 1/2 miles upward. When we saw the elegant Inn resting on the hilltop slope, we knew we were in for a treat.

With the valet parking, the gold trimmed double doors and the beautiful, huge lobby that was full of overstuffed, elegant yet comfortable, chairs, fresh cut flowers and a fantastic view of the Blue Ridge Mountain range in the distance, we knew we were going to be impressed. We upgraded to a room with a view of the mountains on the 4th floor and when we walked into the room, we just smiled at each other - the room was lovely and we knew we were going to have a great time there!

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Not only did we love our room, but we also loved the public areas and parlors throughout the hotel. There were many places to sit and read, particularly in front of the huge fireplace.

You could have your favorite beverage and just wile away the hours in peace and comfort. The beautiful "library" which also served as the dining room, was a perfect place for lunch or better yet, afternoon tea. With your choice of tea, little sandwiches and desserts were served. It was wonderful and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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It was gray, cold and rainy while we were there, so it was the perfect time to sit indoors and enjoy all of the hotel amenities, which we did. But there was so much to see and do outside on the Biltmore property, that we actually were outside as much as we were inside. We went to the Winery and theMansion, both were wonderful, in particular the Mansion. We took the audio tour twice and enjoyed both visits immensely. We also loved the Stable Shops and restaurant. And the cheese danishes in the little bakery were delicious!

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We had a wonderful little 3-day vacation at the Biltmore Estates, so much so that we've booked another trip there in April 2007 for our 41st anniversary - we're looking forward to returning!

THE DUKE MANSION, CHARLOTTE, NC

FEBRUARY 6, 2007

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We have two little trips for the month of February, the first being The Duke Mansion in Charlotte, North Carolina and the second being at the Inn on The Biltmore Estates in Asheville, North Carolina. Unfortunately, from what we understand, the Inn on The Biltmore Estates won't be a B&B and you can't actually stay in the Biltmore mansion, so that trip won't qualify for this blog album. But The Duke Mansion most definitely did.

We found The Duke Mansion in our Select Registry book. We've visited a number of the Select Registry B&B's since 2005 and have never been disappointed. They all seem to have to maintain a high standard to keep their status with Select Registry and we like that. No surprises.

The Duke Mansion, built in 1915 by Zebulon V. Taylor, President of Southern Pacific Utlities (now Duke Power Company) is located in the heart of the historic Myers Park which was a lavish, sophisticated streetcar suburb in Charlotte, NC at the time. All the homes in this area are huge mansions and gorgeous. The neighborhood is beautiful with all the homes built on large, well landscaped grounds. Of course, The Duke Mansion was the largest and most elegant. You can't see the mansion from the street, but instead you drive up a beautiful circular driveway. Once you see the huge white building with the beautiful fountain directly in front, you are amazed!

The property was purchased by James B. "Buck" Duke founder of The American Tobacco Company and Duke Power in 1919. He tripled the size of the home and expanded the grounds. His legacy includes Duke University, Duke Power Company, and The Duke Endowment.

We found the foyer to be huge, with gigantic crystal chandeliers hanging everywhere. There are beautiful huge windows with views of a lovely garden, gorgeous tile flooring and decorative millwork and moldings. I tried to imagine coming home to this home every night after work - that's what Mr. Duke did when he lived in the home in the early 1920's. You honestly wouldn't have had a clue as to who else was in this gigantic home! People were all over the place, but we felt like we were the only ones there.

This B&B was advertised as having "residential" guest rooms. I wasn't sure what that meant, but found out when the door

to our suite was opened. The room was exactly what you might expect to see if you lived in a mansion - it didn't look or feel like a hotel or B&B at all. You felt like you were staying in someone's beautiful guestroom. Everything looked like it did in the early 1920's - old, kind of worn, and expensive furnishings. The bathroom was up-to-date, but the tub was free standing with the faucets on the outside of it. Nonetheless, it had a great shower head with a strong spray - wonderful!

The best part of our room, #207- the Nesbit Room, was the screened in porch outside double French doors. On the huge porch was a double swing and two rocking chairs. It was a beautiful place to sit, rock, swing, and relax. Unfortunately, the weather was a little chilly and we didn't get to make use of it for long.

We left a wake-up call, but they didn't call us and we almost missed breakfast. Seemed a little strange to us that the call was missed as we think there was only one or two other rooms being used that night - they were not booked up, that's for sure! When we arrived in the beautiful dining room, we discovered one large round table. There was one couple already seated. I don't usually like family-style seatings, but this couple from Atlanta were very nice and we ended up talking a lot to them about their travels and ours.

I would recommend The Duke Mansion to anyone who is interested in history and who appreciates older, authentic furnishings. This was most certainly a place to stay to unwind as there wasn't much to do in and around the area, although a walk or a jog in the neighborhood would have been wonderful if the weather had been slightly warmer.

THE RHETT HOUSE INN - BEAUFORT, SC

JANUARY 21-22, 2007

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Bob was in charge of planning little 2-3 day trips in the Carolinas and Georgia, and he was taking this responsibility very seriously. He planned a trip to Beaufort, SC, a small community located between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, SC and about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Aiken.When we went to bed on Saturday night, I really wasn't in the mood for a roadtrip the next morning, so we decided not to go. When I awoke on Sunday morning, it was bright and sunny, although chilly, but for some reason it energized me and I was ready to quickly pack and get on the road. Bob, being so agreeable as usual, had no problem. We each packed an overnight case in case we found a neat place to stay.

When we arrived in Beaufort, we were immediately impressed with all the antebellum homes in the historic district - we didn't think we had ever seen so many truly antebellum structures in such a small area. We had been particularly interested in The Rhett House Inn, a B&B that was listed in our Select Registry book. We headed over there immediately as it was the middle of the afternoon already and we weren't certain there would be availability in case we wanted to stay the night.

Fortunately, several rooms were available and we had our pick. We decided on Room #10 at the back of the mansion because it was quite large, had a great bathroom with Jacuzzi tub, and a screened-in porch overlooking the garden and patio in the backyard. The parlor was very inviting with a fireplace that made the room smell wonderful. There were cookies, lemonade, and tea, as well as a cheese platter later in the afternoon. We spent the afternoon on a carriage tour of the neighborhood and then had dinner in the historic downtown area. We saved room for dessert that was served back at the B&B and we weren't sorry. There were 3-4 desserts to chose from and each one was delicious.

We would highly recommend The Rhett House Inn. Steve Harrison, the owner, was very personable and made us feel welcome and comfortable. The breakfast the next morning was wonderful and the dining room was lovely. We hope to return sometime when it's warmer so we can enjoy the cuisine at a white tableclothed table on the front veranda.

BLUE WILLOW INN - SOCIAL CIRCLE, GEORGIA

JANUARY 18, 2007
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The Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, Georgia, about one hour's drive southeast of Atlanta, is not really a B&B, but it certainly could be. Instead it is a restaurant, a southern cuisine buffet set inside a beautiful antebellum mansion in this small community. It was recommended to us by our neighbor as a special place to eat. I decided to include it in this blog about B&B's because the structure really falls into the category.

We had been in Atlanta to visit with Troy, who was there on business for a few days. On our way home, we decided to stop in Social Circle and give the buffet a try. We were not to be disappointed at all - in fact, we were lucky to have gotten in without reservations. This was the most beautiful home, the interior all furnished in period furniture and accessories. It was very warm, welcoming and inviting. The hostess was extremely friendly and personable and made us feel right at home, even though we didn't have reservations.

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We waited only a couple of minutes and then the hostess ushered us to a table at the back of the mansion. It wouldn't have been our first choice of dining rooms, but without reservations, we couldn't be picky. Besides we were there for the buffet - and we weren't disappointedThis was truly a southern buffet specialty. All the favorites were there for the taking. We started with a chicken and noodle soup that tasted exactly like the noodles and gravy my mother and grandmother used to make. I hadn't had that taste in probably 30 years and it brought back some fond memories. But that was just the beginning.

The ambrosia was to die for, so rich, creamy and delicious. There were many other salads too, but I didn't want to fill up on salad. The fried chicken was the best I've ever eaten. There was ham and sausages too. The vegetable dishes included fried okra, fried green beans, fried green tomatoes (that were wonderful), Lima beans that were delicious, sweet potatoes, whipped potatoes and gravy, and on and on.

Then for the dessert table. Where to begin? Everything was there, all homemade and decadent! By then we were almost too stuffed to try any, but we persevered!

At the end of the meal, we waddled out and over to the darling little gift shop on the grounds where I bought three pink plates to hang above the desk in our bedroom at home. We were too full and it was too cold to walk to the little historic downtown, but it looked kind of cute, so I'm sure we'll be doing that next time - and believe me, there WILL be a next time! I see in this picture, though, that I better stop with the buffets - looks like I've put on a few extra pounds in the last few weeks! Bummer!

1842 INN - MACON, GEORGIA

DECEMBER 5, 2006

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On our way back home from New Orleans, we decided to spend the night in Macon, Georgia, a city we'd never visited before. We took the historic city bus tour and we impressed with all the antebellum mansions in the historic district neighborhood.

We were especially enchanted with the 1842 Inn, a gorgeous antebellum mansion B&B located in the heart of the historic neighborhood. I should explain that although we stayed one night in Macon, we did NOT stay at the 1842 Inn on this trip.We did go inside to get information on staying there in the future and were invited to look around at our leisure. We took lots of pictures both inside and outside around the property. Each room was beautifully furnished in period pieces and accessories - quite lovely. I could imagine sitting in one of the parlors all day sipping on a cup of tea while reading a book - oblivious to what was going on around me.

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We are planning to return to Macon for the Cherry Blossom Festival held on March 16-17, 2007. If we go to the festival, we'll be sure to stay at the 1842 Inn.

THE FIFE AND DRUM - WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2006

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We arrived in Williamburg, Virginia via Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. We agreed to babysit for our 16-month-old twin granddaughters, Lauren and Justine, while our son and daughter-in-law, Troy and Connie, went to a wedding in Illinois. On our trip home, we decided to go to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where we lived from 1979-1993, north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, east through Ohio and Pennsylvania and south through Maryland and Washington DC to Williamsburg, Virginia to stay at The Fife and Drum, a B&B just steps from the College of William and Mary.
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We drove into Williamsburg after battling horrendous freeway traffic through Maryland and Washington, DC. We vowed never to take that route again. We caught the innkeeper just as he was ready to leave for the evening. Although he would have left the key for us to get in on our own, we were glad we caught him so he could give us a tour before he left. We loved the B&B, although it was a little less upscale then we anticipated. This was not a property in the Select Registry as The Inn on Oak Creek in Sedona and El Farolito in Santa Fee had been. Nonetheless, we loved it and immediately grew accustomed to our rather small room.

We were directed to The Yorktown Room. A 1770 French map and Yorktown memorabilia adorn this room. The rare prints in this room include scenes from the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. The decor is especially appropriate when you hear the echoes of musket fire from the nearby Historic Area. This room featured a queen size York County Highpost as well as a twin. The room also had original heart of pine floors and north and east facing dormered windows.
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After exploring quaint and delightful Williamsburg and taking in the museum in Jamestown, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast at The Fife and Drum before heading to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, SC on our way home.

I would recommend The Fife and Drum as the location was perfect, the price was right and the hospitality was very inviting. The innkeeper and his wife were lovely people.

EL FAROLITO'S B&B - SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

October 1-5, 2005

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Our children gave us a trip to Santa Fe, a place we had never visited before, for our 60th birthdays. Trent arranged for us to stay at El Farolito's, a darling little B&B just blocks from the town square. We drove into Santa Fe later in the afternoon from Las Vegas. It was a long trip, so we stayed one night in Sedona, Arizona, a favorite destination of ours. We didn't stay in a B&B there, though, so the Cedar Resort wouldn't apply to this blog album.

At first we were a little surprised because the B&B didn't look up to our customary standards as a Select Registry property. Each room was in a cabin-like structure with the main structure being a few steps away. When we were escorted to our room, we found it to be done in a traditional southwestern style and somewhat Peruvian in theme. It was very different and rather smallish. It was cold and gray that afternoon, so all in all, our first impressions of Santa Fe and the B&B weren't wonderful.

We got settled in, unpacked, put on coats and gloves, and walked to the town square, about six-seven blocks away. It would have been a nice walk, but it was very cold that night. We didn't see much along the way as it was dark, but nothing looked particular memorable. We ate at a non-descript diner and had an OK dinner - certainly nothing to write home about. The other restaurants on the square were either closed, not serving that late, or too high end for us.

We were in Santa Fe for five days. We spent most of that time hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest and really enjoyed it. We aren't interested in Indian artifacts, clothing or jewelry, so the shops and galleries in Santa Fe didn't appeal to us.

El Farolito's was nice, we decided, and the breakfast was wonderful. The innkeeper's hostess was interesting to talk to and we met a few other guests and visited with them at breakfast. I would recommend El Farolito as it really was a nice place, although I'm not sure we would stay there again. There seemed to be a few other very nice places nearby and should we return to Santa Fe (which I doubt now that we live in South Carolina), we would probably try one of those instead.