Description:
"It's home," say most guests. "With the feeling of a friend's home, a family home." It is. It is comfortable. Informal. And historic.... The well-maintained gambrel-roofed Colonial, built in 1749, features wide-board floors, hooked rugs, handmade quilts, Colonial-style furnishings, their daughter's artwork--and grounds that have flower and herb gardens, sculpture, and sitting areas. Who could resist? The Adams House in Mystic, Connecticut, is just one of the 400 bed and breakfasts selected by Bernice Chesler for inclusion in the sixth edition of Bed & Breakfast in New England. Each state's chapter opens with a map that shows B & B locations by number; a corresponding list appears on the facing page. Standard guidebook information is enhanced by thoughtful descriptions that often include details about the histories of the homes and how the owners came to operate the bed and breakfasts. The stories are as varied as the inns themselves, but they all add to the character of the places. As Chesler writes, "even when you stay in hundreds, you tend to remember the hosts of each B & B more than the place.... People whose home has been a labor of love and who love sharing it with others." It's the very definition of hospitality. The uniqueness of these B & Bs stretches beyond the individually decorated rooms. If you stay for three days at Rose Apple Acre Farms in Vermont, for example, you can learn how to make a porcelain doll, which you can then take home with you. Many of the listings include comments from former guests who confirm Chesler's glowing recommendations: "If the experience of a real working farm, friendly people, a beautiful and peaceful setting near lakes, mountains, rivers, and woods is what you'd like, this place is a spot of paradise for you...." (Morrill Farm B & B in Sumner, Maine) and "An elegant, well-appointed six-story home ... superb creative breakfasts" (Beacon Hill Bed and Breakfast in Boston). It's easy to understand when Chesler writes that for these B & Bs, "the place to stay has become the reason to go." --Heidi Robinson
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