Barb entering the magnificent Blythewood Inn Historic Bed & Breakfast.Innkeeper,Dinah Vire was an amazing lady. She loves the history of her Inn and is truly a lady that goes all out for her guests who come as customers and leave as welcomed friends.Spoiler alert! Our room during our stay at the Blythewood Inn. It was like living in the lap of luxury, surrounded by the flavor of the past!Probably the most spectacular B&B dining room ever!! Old world charm, with AC too!!Barb admiring a display of James K. Polk, reproduction White House China dishes.Stairway to our suite!! Feels great stepping back and up in time from those antebellum days of the south.
APtravelnews – October 15th-Hamilton, GA. When we pulled in to the Holly House in the small town of Hamilton, GA. (20-miles from Columbus) we entered this truly fine home between two giant 100-year old Holly bushes. Close by the other side of the front steps stood a huge Magnolia Tree, almost ready to bust out in giant fragrant blooms. The landscaping helped frame this 6000-square foot, in the folk Victorian style home, perfectly! Barb and I entered the front door and were met by Judy Archibald, our incredibly sweet and friendly owner/hostess. Little did we know the treat that awaited us? The home was decorated with a wonderful selection of antiques and vintage clocks and church organs, a player piano that Judy; quite professionally and beautifully sang to the tune of that 1910 song; “Let Me Call You Sweet Heart”; that to a person with a nostalgic bent, would bring tears to the eyes (it did mine, remembering all my departed loved ones) of anyone who remembered the sweet pastel views of their past happiness during their formative years with their families and friends, mostly now departed. The themed rooms all lent an air of relaxation and simple, quiet contemplation of the real meaning of life and all that it truly encompasses.
A bit like a fairy tale, the Holly House B&B was so nostalgic!
We’ve visited dozens of B & B’ over the past 20-years, both privately and professionally as B&B reviewers and travel editorialists. Only a few of these are remembered with fondness. The Holly House, with everything it engendered, by far has been the best overall experience of any of the past visits we’ve made all over the south and northern parts of the USA. Just meeting and hearing Judy sing would be enough for a visit!
In 1992 the ceilings were lowered and the home made a perfect, now two-story, 6 suite room B & B with a music parlor, the Salute to Liberty Room, the all important gorgeous dining room, two kitchens and is located near Callaway Gardens, and behind a very historic courthouse.
In 2011 Don & Judy Archibald from Manhattan Beach, CA. bought the 1880, totally remodeled in 1992, Holly House and love all that it means to them, their children ( their children and grown and do not live at the Holly House) and their guests. Each guest room is uniquely named and furnished such as the “Victorian Countryside room”, the “Holly’s Haven”, the “Inspired by nature” where we slept for a night, the “Walton Romance Room”, the “Journey Suite” and the “Holly Room. “There is a billiard room, a library and just behind the property a nature walking path meanders through the wood and glade. The location is 20-miles North of Columbus, and 85-miles South of Atlanta. Our breakfast, one of the very best ever, featured a giant peach cobbler made with peaches stuffed into Croissants. Eggs and pork chops, great coffee and of the garden Rosemary, roasted potatoes-WOW!
The billiard room was the Military remembrance room too!And eggs too! Stuffed Croissants with delicious peaches, incredible pork chops, taters with out of the garden Rosemary.No I’m not making it up. Judy had a voice like an angel!
The B & B address is 127 Barnes Mill Rd. Hamilton, GA. And phone is 706-628-5634 See their website: hollyhouseofHamilton.com
American Press Travel News–July 4th, Crossville, TN. “Bob & Barb on the Road Again”–As my wife Barb and I continue searching and exploring interesting places to visit we felt that Morristown City, in Hamblen County, Tennessee would be a good one to visit within easy striking distance from our home on the Cumberland Plateau.
After calling Anne G. Ross, Director of Tourism & Program Director, Retire Hamblen County, she made it very easy for us to visit Morristown and see why it would be a fine day-trip for Crossville and surrounding residents. Upon arrival, and after working through Knoxville traffic we arrived in less than 2-hours to Morristown. First we checked in at the Hampton Inn-Morristown (West End) into a delightfully comfortable suite (terrific staff, by the way and quite excellent hot breakfasts too).
A bit about this city that’s quite close to Knoxville: With a population of about 30,000, Morristown’s Main Street area, with an approximate area of a square mile, grew up around a waterway known as Turkey Creek, and the intersection of two railroad lines. In 1962, the creek flooded, nearly wiping out the downtown commercial district. The city developed a plan to modernize Main Street by creating an “overhead sidewalk” that would turn the second floor of the existing buildings into a new “street”, while serving as a canopy for the sidewalks below.
After checking in, we then walked and gawked at various antique and other shops, both at ground level and up the ramps to their elevated second story walkways. Yes, we made some great collectible, but usable finds for our home in Crossville, and during our stay, tasted delightful meals at places such as Jersey Girls with corned beef special sandwiches, The Little Dutch with their delicious salmon entrees’, Hillbilly’s breakfast spot for Spanish Omelets’, and we lunched at Timeless Elegance Tea Room with their famous Chicken & Dumplings, run by a dynamic duo Mr. Kelly and Howard Long (more details on dining experiences in, and all the other great attractions and places we visited in the 2nd edition of our visit, next week).
Restaurants in Morristown were varied and quite excellent!
For its size, Morristown has so many restaurants that for about one year you can dine at a different one every day if you so desire. After a downtown walking tour with Barbara Garrow, Director of Crossroads Downtown Partnerships’, we really got a good look of what a fine; progressive planned downtown can be in almost any small town America.
Taking a look back in history, we visited a most famous early outdoor pioneer’s home; Davy Crockett. Crockett grew up in and around Morristown; he was born in nearby Greene County. When visiting pioneer homes you notice how small everything from the height of the doorways to the size of the beds and chairs being so much smaller than today’s cottages and homes. Old time folks were smaller in stature in the “good old days.”
For you sports lovers: In 1985 and 1987, Morristown had teams qualify for the Little League World Series; the 1985 team finished third. The Morristown teams are two of nine Tennessee teams that have advanced to the series in Pennsylvania.
In 2006, Morristown placed fourth in the Little League Softball World Series. In 2007, Morristown won the Little League Softball World Series.
Next issue we’ll present everything we just cannot fit in today including the 700-miles of shoreline of Lake Cherokee and the arts and drama programs! Go: www.tourism@morristownchamber.com for additional information.
A facsimile of Davy Crockett’s flint-lock rifle. I told Barb to take it as a souvenir.Davy Crockett’s family living room! Also served as a cooking room and workshop too!
This egg dish was baked and was the best egg dish we had on our trip to New York!To us, a porch means more than just sitting outside. Its a social area where you can visit on the street with passersby’s Welcoming all who wished to rest their weary bones-The Edward Waterhouse Inn.Detail of our stairway to our vintage decor suite room!The way it used to be. Big homes, bigger families, big charm and now today, a fine Inn!The Peterson’s in relax mode! But not for long when you own and operate an spectacularly run Inn!A delightful sitting room, comfy and beautifully appointed!Detail of a unique bronze statue on the bottom bannister pole!Enjoying me coffee, thank you!Fresh sweet fruit always a welcome starter to a fine breakfast!Three little stacks of the most delightful European style , light and delicious pancakes. They were really something great!
www.americanpresstravelnews.com – July 3rd, Bob & Barb writing from home at our Goose Holler Farm/Ranch–This home was built in 1853 by Francis Smith Edwards. The property passes through several hands before it was sold to John A. Waterhouse in 1885. He transformed the home from a square Italian villa, into the current Queen Anne style by 1888. John Waterhouse’s wife took on a mortgage and opened the home as a Sanitarium, offering cures for those suffering from alcoholism, tobacco or drug addiction. They sold the home in 1898 to the Steam’s family. The Steams sold the home to the Fredonia Teachers College for student housing. It changed hands again until Jeff Peterson, and Maggie Bryan Peterson purchased the home approximately 14 years ago. They restored the home to it’s original beautiful condition turning it into an Inn. Jeffrey Peterson co-owner with Maggie Bryun Peterson said that “We didn’t so much take possession of the house, in a way, it took possession of us.” The house is really built-14-inches of solid brick, a turret room, porches all the way around most of the first floor, delightful sitting rooms and a library room, very large dining area and the rooms were commodious and well appointed in a modern touch that blended with the antiques and early furniture. The breakfast meals were amazing!
First of all, I/we love real coffee that tastes and smells like it. The Inn had it covered! All the morning dishes were tasty and exceptionally well conceived and prepared. Jeff Peterson is a perfectionist and it showed in everything he did. Turning down the beds, creating the meals with Maggie-we were mightily impressed. Nothing was taken for granted. We were in the town of Fredonia and the streets were laced with great stores and several restaurants. Our walk was punctuated by meeting a few of the locals who were all friendly and wanting to tell us tourists all about their lovely town, just up the road from Lake Erie! Go: www.EdwardsWaterhouseInn.com This terrific B&B is located at 71 Central Ave. Fredonia, N.Y. 14063 Give a call to (716) 672-6751 or (716) 485-3388
