Intoxicating Bend, Oregon
Who wants to move to Bend, Oregon, with me? Oh, I know what you're ...
On the Supremacy of the Bed and Breakfast
I've been staying in a lot of hotels. Some nice ones, some not so nice, most owned or at least operated by a corporate parent. There's a anonymous familiarity about them all, which is comforting or unsettling, depending on my mood.
I've also crashed with some friends on this road trip, sleeping on a recliner in a living room in Detroit and an air mattress in an extra bedroom on Staten Island. That's fine-and a fine way to save some scratch.
But it took about three minutes at the Whistlewood Farm in Rhinebeck, New York for me to finally realize that the bed and breakfast is the world's greatest form of lodging. Please hold your arguments until I lay out mine!
Gallery: Whistlewood Farm Bed and Breakfast
The size: There are just seven rooms at Whistlewood, which means my host, Maggie, knew who I was the moment I set foot in her home. We'd already spoken on the phone and arrival was like meeting a new friend in person for the first time: a little awkward, but with hope for a fine future.
The freebies: I will not be nickel-and-dimed and I know it. The blueberry crumble pie? Free. The lemon-poppy seed cake? Free. Wireless internet? Free. Tea, coffee, pretty much whatever else? Free. "Make yourself at home" is the request? Oh, thanks, I will!
The farm: There are horses here, roaming their paddocks, playfully inquisitive about visitors. There are chickens running around. A woman in a big straw hat is pruning rose bushes. There are exactly zero "porters," "valets" or "customer service representatives."
The countryside: So this one doesn't go for every B&B but the birds here make a racket. It is hard to stress over an email thread from the office when there are birds chirping and flitting around the back yard, picking up caterpillars to feed their chicks.
The breakfast: Obviously the ultimate consideration. At Whistlewood, the spread is enormous. Eggs from the farm's own chickens, bacon, sausage, French toast, pancakes, fresh fruits salad, yogurt, English muffins, quick breads and muffins, juice and enough coffee to sate an Italian village. Would you like seconds? Go on, just help yourself.
In sum: The best service, everything's included and it's insanely relaxing: Sounds like the world's best lodging to me. Don't you think?
| Absolutely. I'd gladly pay a little more for the comfort and coziness of an all-inclusive B&B. | |
|---|---|
| Hotels are better. The formal service makes up for the disadvantages of a big cookie-cutter building. | |
| Apartment and home rentals are the way to go. Why pay for a room when you can get a whole house to yourself, often for the same price! |
More Articles You Might Like
Preservation Group Wants To Save Civil War Battlefield
Wikimedia Commons "Cavalry Charge Near Brandy Station, Virginia," a drawing ...
Outdoor Rise Festival Brings Adventure To New York City
Outdoor Rise Residents of New York City who are looking to put a little ...
Photo Of The Day: A Harvest Moonrise Over Mono Lake, California
™ Pacheco, Flickr Just past the eastern terminus of the Tioga Pass, ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kirsten Alana Jun 25th 2011 1:14PM
I actually do love B&Bs and did a whole roadtrip myself last October where I only stayed at B&Bs. I have a dream to open one myself one day when I retire from full time travel. Haven't decided on a place yet but always had that dream. All that being said, they aren't perfect....they are just darn close to.
Tpb, Esq. Jun 25th 2011 9:41PM
What's a preferred website for b&b's?
Deborah Sakach Jun 25th 2011 11:33PM
I have to say that the very best website for finding great B&Bs is www.iLoveInns.com. This site actually originated from two decades of full time research on B&Bs for the publishing of bed and breakfast books - 60 editions of Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns. The writing was and is done by travel writers not the innkeepers. Of course the very best writing is from the reviews that guests give on the site.
Christine Jun 26th 2011 8:14AM
I think it depends on your destination, and what you want to do once you're there. That being said, I love the anonymity of hotels and don't love the chit-chat that comes with the more intimate setting of a B&B.
Kellvarado Dick Jun 28th 2011 7:11AM
You will need at least 40 a day if eating in places. Remember It is not now as cheap as some claim.
http://hardknight.net