Innkeeper Escape Part Two

Whew! I'm finally back to the blog months later! (This is why busy innkeepers need to escape once in awhile.)

My innkeeper escape continued as I headed North from Clayton, Georgia taking in this view of the mountains from one of the shopping centers in town, believe it or not. I passed several elite private schools housed in impressive brick structures in these mountains. The myriad of farm stands on my way through North Carolina with all kinds of fresh from the field offerings were hard to resist, but I wanted to get to my destination by dinner time.

The weather was beautiful as I arrived in Rocky Mount, Virginia and found my way easily to my inn-mates' bed and breakfast, The Claiborne House, which is not far off the Blueridge Parkway.

Their B&B sits on a hill among other historic homes overlooking the quiet town. This gem of a place close to Roanoke, VA and not far from Greensboro, NC is experiencing quite a bit of revitalization since I was there 5 years ago but it hasn't lost its charm. My friends, the Leetes, have contributed to the town with their careful stewardship of their historic property. Tony's beautiful gardens and 3-tiered ponds are complimented by Shellie's attention to detail in all the guest rooms. After a great dinner with them on their fantastic wrap-around porch (Tony had just finished a huge restoration project on it) and some rocking time, I turned in for the night in my large and very comfortable guest room, The Cascade Room.

In the morning, I had the most fantastic omelet (I'm still trying to weasel the secret out of Shellie on how she gets them perfect every time!), an abundance of fresh fruit, and great fresh ground and brewed coffee. Shellie's motto "Life is too short for bad coffee!" is definitely true there. The Leetes' beautiful daughters treated me to some songs on their violins after breakfast ("fiddles" to us Southerners) and then we hit the road for a short drive. Shellie was able to take a bit of time to show me a tiny sampling of some of Rocky Mount's historic sites. Who else but a well informed innkeeper will send you to a moonshine shack?! Come on, this stuff you do NOT get from the concierge at The Big Chain Hotel/Motel! Pictured below is a shot of the two abandoned shacks we saw. The second is a photo of the inside of one where you can see the mason jars which hold the nectar of choice of these hills. :-)

















(Photog Note: Be careful shooting pics through overgrown green vines on buildings - this innkeeper got a bad case of poison ivy after taking the photo of the inside of the shack!)

After exploring Rocky Mount a bit more, it was back to the inn to meet up with another inn-mate from a Select Registry Inn in the Panhandle of West Virginia, The Thomas Shepherd Inn. I shared my wine from the Beechwood Inn in GA with the Leetes and our friend, Jeanne, on one of the best porches in the South. Apparently, I'm now a member of the Porchsitters Union but I haven't gotten the membership card yet. ;-) Dinner followed at a great restaurant within walking distance of the B&B, The Red Clay, and then coffee and music at Edible Vibe. Who knew that this lovely small mountain town would host these great venues? Afterwards, lots of tales of great guests and even more interesting stories of some of our innkeeping challenges were exchanged on the porch while rocking in some classic porch rockers as dusk fell around us. Then, it was off to my room for restful slumber again.

A visit to the Claiborne House isn't complete without having morning coffee by the ponds (weather permitting) which is what I did on my last morning there before I left for the drive back home. I had another great breakfast with great coffee joined by even better company with my hosts and other guests. With hugs all around, I reluctantly headed out for the next part of my short innkeeper escape adventure. (By the way, the only inkeeper "special privileges" that I got with the Leetes was dinner with them on the porch and my individual tour w/Shellie. You will be AMAZED at all the information on itineraries, restaurants, and music venues that Shellie can give you while visiting this area of Virginia! Go see for yourself!)

An Innkeeper Escape Part One

What do innkeepers do when they want to get away for a break? Well, in my case I like to escape and stay at other B&Bs or inns. I am totally hooked on B&Bs and small inns and have been for years before opening our own place. I also try to go visit other innkeeper friends so that we can talk about what's working for us and what we can do better here at Argyle Inn. "Shop talk" among innkeepers is pretty nice when you're rocking on a large Victorian wrap-around porch and listening to the crickets and watching fireflies in the evening. And, I try to make sure that my innkeeper friends might get a tiny inn-mate escape too when I'm there by taking them out to some of the places that they recommend to their guests.

In July, I took a short road trip to get out of the heat here in Columbus, Georgia and headed to the Northeast Georgia mountains for the first part of my trip. Pictured above is the view of Black Rock Mountain from the porch at Beechwood Inn in Clayton, GA. The Beechwood sits on a hill up from the main road through the town and this more rustic-looking inn is surrounded by lovely gardens, trees, and a verdant lawn area.

There's really nothing rustic about the amenities that they provide at the Beechwood Inn though. Plush bamboo towels and robes are in the rooms. Roomy guest accommodations with comfy beds with high thread count sheets make for restful slumber. It was so lovely the one night that I was there in the Rabun Suite, that I could sleep with all my windows open and drink in that mountain air. And speaking of drinks, the Beechwood Inn offers a nice "Wine Thirty" in the evenings which I unfortunately missed due to a minor automobile tire problem on my way to the inn. Innkeeper David Darugh was gracious and did offer me a glass of one of their white wines. David is well versed in wines and wine making since he hails from California Wine Country. They offer highly praised wine dinners on Saturday evenings (advance reservations are a MUST as these sell out!) and I hope that I can bring my hubby back to enjoy one those. Luckily the next morning, I got a sample of the wonderful cuisine at the Beechwood. A truly gourmet breakfast starting with the most flavorful local melon and a tasty heart shaped muffin, was followed by quail's eggs on toasted baguette slices with fresh herbs and grape tomatoes from their gardens. I enjoyed my chat with Gayle, the other half of the innkeeping couple at Beechwood Inn, as I was leaving and paying for a couple of bottles of their wine to take with me to my friends.

My stay was way too short to really take advantage of the big front porch decorated with seasonal flowers and lodge-like furniture. I did enjoy the cute little porch off my room in the evening after I returned from getting a dinner snack in town. I also wish I would have had more time to explore the historic part of Clayton and maybe see some of the many sites in the immediate area, such as some of the 27 waterfalls in Rabun County, the Tallulah Gorge, and perhaps a few local wineries. There's definitely plenty to do in the area and since it's only about 3 hours from Argyle Inn, this inn is a great stopping point for folks traveling to the North from Columbus.

Stay tuned for Part Two of An Innkeeper's Escape......

The 4th of July was a Blast in Columbus

The 4th of July on the Hooch was a blast! Nice weather (a tad hot but hey, it's Georgia in the Summer!) with beautiful blue skies all day. We had a great fireworks show along the river at dusk which lasted a good thirty minutes or so. Our guests were biking all around UpTown on their tandem bike and along the RiverWalk. They really enjoyed the outdoor aspects of our Southern town. Despite the heat here we have nice comfy and cool guest rooms and suites. So if you're in our area of Southwest GA, we hope you come see us.

Keep the flags flying!

Blessed with Great Guests at Argyle Inn B&B

What an amazing week we had last week with the most fabulous guests!

We always say that we host "the spice of life" guests because we have such a great variety of folks that stay with us. We had some parents here to visit their son who is completing the Captain's course at Fort Benning. This course is challenging and shows the commitment of a career officer in the Infantry. A lovely young couple stopped here for two days to celebrate their first anniversary. Such serendipity that they chose Columbus, GA on their way home and found us in their search! This young man has an exceptional talent for capturing the essence of people in his wedding photographs and his beautiful bride supports him with his business and is just so sweet. His business card is tucked in a safe spot for that day when our son will walk down the aisle with his own sweet bride by his side. Another lovely young couple stopped here on their way to a family gathering in Alabama and it was their 2nd Anniversary and his birthday. Since they were pretty chatty, I think we covered quite a few topics in their short time here! They were so cute when they asked us about the bed in their room. My husband always likes to tell people that it's not the mattress, but that we sprinkle "magic house elf dust" in the rooms for restful slumber. :-) A small group of folks from another town in GA were here for the Willie Nelson concert at the Civic Center. We had Willie's music playing on the CD player for their arrival. For some reason, I always think of the TX Hill Country near where we lived in Austin when I hear his music (hmmm..."Luckenbach, Texas" & the Gruene Music Hall could be the key here). I had a good chuckle when I mentioned Texas during breakfast service and was greeted by a chorus of "God Bless Texas!!" Then, we had the Honor Graduate from last week's OCS class and his wife. Another very, very nice young couple who we wish well in their journey with their Army career! A family group drove down from about an hour away just to explore Columbus and visit Fort Benning with their out of town visitors. They enjoyed our nice June weather after leaving the cooler temps in the Midwest. I loved the 91 year-old gentlemen, who despite his arthritis, was such a trooper with their sojourns around town. Our young wedding night couple hopefully got to relax and enjoy their hideaway in our Gruene Suite. He had just completed Basic training at Benning and they were in a whirlwind planning the final details of their outdoor wedding near the Chattahoochee River. Their quiet time and privacy were of paramount importance to us. And lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast chats with a returning guest here for the Southern Methodist conference. I think we solved most of the world's problems the last couple of mornings while she munched on her Southern style biscuits and Lemon Ginger Scones. This is truly the gift of innkeeping...the people that enrich our lives, each and every day by spending time with us! Thanks for visiting!

A Visit to the National Infantry Museum

We had a nice Friday evening visit last week to the new National Infantry Museum . (Click on the link for information about the June 19th Grand Opening and details about the exhibits.) What an impressive site! Huge flags line a walkway on the left side of the museum as you approach it from the ample parking area. The rotunda as you enter showcases the massive bronze statue, "Follow Me". It was raining when we left and the sound on the roof of the rotunda was really something.

We met up with some friends for appetizers and drinks in the cozy bar area of the Fife and Drum Restaurant. The appetizers are all first rate and the bartender was spot on with our drinks. The only downside to this nice dining spot is that the entree prices might be out of reach for the average infantryman. The servers were dressed in Revolutionary War period costumes which was a nice touch.

Next up was our first visit to the IMAX theatre here. We've been to many IMAX shows in other areas of the country and they did a really nice job on this theater. There's also a small refreshment stand outside. All the staff were attentive and helpful. We saw the theatrical release, "The Dark Knight" and the special effects and shots in IMAX were unbelievable! Be prepared to have 12,000 watts of 6 channel sound hit you.

We've already hosted several families of Fort Benning soldiers at Argyle Inn who had their graduation ceremony at the parade field at Patriot Park. The 5 acre park also has a memorial walk of honor and an authentically recreated WWII Company Street.

We can't wait for the museum's official opening on June 19th with all the state of the art interactive exhibits, the galleries, and amazing tributes to the infantryman!

Happy Mother's Day from Columbus, Georgia

A wish for a wonderful Mother's Day this year to all readers of "Porch Chat"including our previous guests (we've had quite a few mothers of infantryman stay with us) and any future guests. We'll be spending the day with our son and celebrating his recent accomplishment of earning a Master of Architecture degree with a focus in Sustainability from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. I am a proud Mom all the time but this is a great cause for celebration this year. All the best to Moms everywhere, from your innkeeper at Argyle Inn Bed and Breakfast!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

We have really had a wet Spring this year here in Columbus, GA and some wacky weather too. Lots of rain brought beautiful blooms but more rain seemed to actually knock them down! Plants, trees, and shrubs are starting to bloom for the next round of flowers in May. Our Confederate Jasmine has just popped and the air will be filled with its sweet smell. Pretty soon our beautiful blue hydrangeas will be blooming on the side of the house.

When Spring comes to Columbus, we also have an abundance of things to do. Many of them revolve around Columbus State University and the Schwob School of Music or the university's Department of Art. We've been blessed to have a lot of fabulous guests of the University recently. Columbus is really becoming a destination for the arts. When you visit Columbus, take time to check out our beautiful RiverCenter for the performing arts. Many performances by students of the School of Music take place in Legacy Hall which has fabulous acoustics. Coming up is Rivershakes Weekend, May 7-10th with "The Taming of the Shrew". Director Troy Heard sets the play in 1950s Italy, with the style of early Fellini movies, complete with speeding Vespas and flying pizza. All shows are preceded by music and there will be food vendors. Spectators may also bring picnic baskets. After the matinee performance on Saturday, there will be a post show discussion with the cast members. And, at our murder mystery theatre here in UpTown, Sherlock's Mystery Dinner Theatre, a new show is opening up on May 8th. A new super-villain has emerged who is threatening to take over the world! The Union of Spies, Ninjas, Eagle Scouts, Assassins, and Killers (or S.N.E.A.Ks for short) has called a special session of all spies to band together to restore the balance of good and evil. Join in the game, enjoy dinner, and help thwart this power-hungry fiend in Sherlocks original new spoof. Okay, it's not the originators of the show that we've seen perform in Austin, TX but "Red, White, and Tuna" is back at the Springer Opera House. The Springer,The State Theatre of Georgia, is a great setting for any show and this is a good time for all! Visit the Argyle Inn Bed and Breakfast website and book your reservation online and mention "Spring Arts in Columbus" in the reservation notes if you're attending any of these wonderful shows and we'll give you a special rate for your stay with us.

Our Friday evening FREE concert series and Saturday Market Days are back in UpTown. Check out the art work in our Sculpture Walk on Broadway. There's plenty to do here in our historic district and our UpTown business district. We'll see you soon on the Hootch!