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r leas may bo offered Some hosts -
<br />they are more the exception than the
<br />rule — have no truck with such dainty
<br />fare; they serve such stick-to-your-rib
<br />Items as hot cereal, eggs and bacon or
<br />sausage, French toast, pancakes, waf
<br />fles, omelets, quiches, crepes, fritters
<br />and roast-beef hash. However, in these
<br />days of thinking thin, many people
<br />don't care for a big breakfast, so the
<br />continental one fills the bill nicely. If a
<br />heartier meal is preferred, it may be
<br />available for an extra charge.
<br />Most B6B proprietors do not pro
<br />vide other meals, although afternoon
<br />tea with cookies or crackers is coming
<br />into vogue. Some hosts serve wine and
<br />cheese or hors d’oeuvres at cocktail
<br />hour —a custom almost de rigeur in
<br />California and, I suspect, in other areas
<br />where there is a good deal of competi
<br />tion. (In all fairness, many proprietors
<br />offer these little extras simply because
<br />they enjoy making their guests feel at
<br />home ) A cold or even a hot meal may
<br />not be out of the question for the fam
<br />ished traveler who arrives at dinner
<br />time, and some inns serve dinner reg
<br />ularly. However, it is best to check
<br />ahead: dinner is available at some
<br />places if arrangements have been
<br />made in advance. Otherwise, the pro
<br />prietor can probably recommend a
<br />The Inn at Stockbhdge. in Massa
<br />chusetts, offers skiers a cozy respite.
<br />m
<br />■ m-m
<br />good rcstauront nearby.
<br />When you arrive, you may be greet
<br />ed by a single woman or man, two
<br />women, two men, a man and a wom
<br />an partner, a married couple or a fami
<br />ly; your host may be either young, old
<br />or middle-aged. No particular combin
<br />ation or age range seems to have the
<br />corner on success Usually, the host's
<br />personality determines if the atmos
<br />phere IS casual or formal. Guests may
<br />be welcome to wander into the kitch
<br />en, they may gather around the table
<br />for breakfast, or they may help them
<br />selves from a buffet and retire to their
<br />rooms. Some proprietors inspire their
<br />Visitors to pen poems about them;
<br />others are savvy, alert to opportunities
<br />for publicity, such as the B&B owner
<br />I encountered a few years ago in the
<br />Midw'est: when I arrived at the estab
<br />lishment, after having driven many
<br />miles, I discovered that the enterpris
<br />ing innkeeper had made arrangements
<br />for my visit to be covered by two televi
<br />sion and three radio stations a.nd both
<br />local newspapers.
<br />In choosing B&B accommodations,
<br />there are a few points to consider. If
<br />you are a smoker, find out if the place
<br />has a no-smoking policy; otherwise,
<br />you might end up out on the porch try
<br />ing to enjoy a cigarette in a gale If the
<br />house is adjacent t'' . restaurant or a
<br />tavern, your sleep mu it be pierced by
<br />the sounds of merriment m the wee
<br />Mf:ii
<br />Ben it
<br />hours. For similar reasons. S-‘e
<br />your room doesn't ‘font a t-S.- st'ee:.
<br />Be wafy if the house or me > r.'0 sro a 'S
<br />neglect, chances a^e the irs de .v". a >z
<br />shoddv.AA final Viiord of sajt.C"
<br />^all mom-and-pop estab ’ s^'-e-ts.
<br />unlike larger places, a'e ret -s-a >
<br />subject to local by ’.a^vs the-. '-'=•/ la:*;
<br />liability insurance, end their f *e P'av^"-
<br />tion features and samta-'y
<br />may leave much to be des *ed
<br />* Small children a.'e net gene'a i •**- -
<br />comeat B&Bestablishrrierts. .-tt'cse
<br />places in which they are a ev.-ed, me
<br />host's own childrer ’ may prede d .e;'-
<br />sion. Very often a friendly c:o c* cat
<br />adds a homey touch. If yc - a*e r:t
<br />partial to children and you ret cs tcr.s
<br />scattered around the ya'd, c' ' ,-cu a*e
<br />allergic to animals and see a oc-c'cuse,
<br />you'd best drive on.
<br />With the exception cf inns, mes:
<br />B&B places do rot feature s-.*. '"mirg
<br />pools, tennis cours and cthe' 'ecrea-
<br />tiona! facilities. Hewe-.er, rr.a-\- a-esu'*
<br />rounded b-/ woods or crcss-c:-'my s<
<br />trails Some places are equ peed v/im.
<br />indoor diversions, such as t>DC«;s a'd
<br />magazines, video tapes, boa'C cames
<br />and jigsav; puzzles, which ca' be a
<br />boon if your vacation gets .'■a 'ed out.
<br />The intimacy and scedb t. of a
<br />B&B home can become a b t steky.
<br />given the w-rong mix of peep e Hc-w-
<br />ever, I believe that B&B visitc's tend to
<br />be a friendly, to'e'ant let, vmc en;P.
<br />different kinds of peop'e. i'-.e "earn
<br />stories about guests w-^- c we*e eacer ::
<br />pitch in and help cut when a p*:c'e"':
<br />arose. Perhaps B63 acccmn-caat cns
<br />are answering a rea' need fc' '-ma-'
<br />contact, felt not only by Guests, b-t
<br />also by proprietors. People dc't cce'
<br />their homes to strange.-s see / be
<br />cause of the profit m.oti'.e; ng =
<br />B&B establishment is ret mat lucra
<br />tive Many B&B owners ha.-a tc d
<br />that their real reason for gc "t
<br />business was to escape f.'C'^
<br />.w W. «
<br />it
<br />pr-
<br />t i - w «porate world and live m
<br />humane v/ay. Most sad the, .-.e'e g ac
<br />they had made the change t.~c a~'
<br />jiad the-,' made the cha'oa-B&B
<br />hosts are offering g'owing r ."■be^s c*’
<br />travelers a home away fmm -erne.
<br />Norman T Simpson is the a^mc' z"
<br />the Country Inns and Back F.oadS se.ner
<br />and Bed & Breakfast, An e'C-n Stye
<br />•• V ♦ ••^ .
<br />14 AfJvcntuM' Road Januafy/FebrurKy 198b
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