The number one thing we hear from fellow travelers is that they crave local experience during their trips. It's incredibly important to support local businesses, hire local tour guides and eat at authentic local restaurants. It also builds character, knowledge and cultural understanding to spend time around locals and to have meaningful conversations with the people who know their town, city, state or country best. So often we get online and search for hotels for overnight accommodations. Hotels are great in many ways but don't always offer a true local experience.
We recently partnered with Rebecca and Dave Gallagher, owners and incredibly wonderful and involved hosts at the Historic Smithton Inn Bed & Breakfast located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Not only did we spend the night to get a true authentic experience, we were able to discuss with them about how their accommodations offer a wide variety of options for any traveler. We focused on their adaptability during COVID and how their Inn offers the perfect home away from home for those who might have to take their work with them or for those who work remotely and need a change of scenery and some time to explore a new area. The modern amenities such as high speed wifi and smart tvs helped us to get work done AND relax with a movie at the end of the night. One of our favorite aspects about the B&B is that Weathered Vineyards Winery is onsite. Who doesn't love a good wine tasting sesh?!
After our experience, we found ourselves wondering why we don't stay at bed & breakfast style accommodations more often. We knew what our answers were but we also wanted to head to Instagram to ask our followers what they thought.
"We have never stayed at a B&B. We generally stay at a hotel."
"I never think of B&Bs."
"What comes to mind is a quaint place, usually an older establishment that has been around for a long time. Not many modern amenities."
"They seem like a place only for couples."
"B&Bs seem like they are targeted for older folks."
Guys. We get it. We've had the same thoughts. We felt that a bed and breakfast was a place that you stay when you're older. Like all of a sudden you're 80 and trying to get away and some bizarre magnetic force drops you from the sky right into a bed and breakfast. In all seriousness, they are great for older travelers but they are great for people of all ages as well. We even feel that they are fantastic for solo travelers who aim to get the most out of a particular area! While many bed and breakfast locations are historic, they offer a lot of charm and education. They provide a cozy, intimate and relaxed vibe. Prices generally don't exceed those of hotels and a B&B offers much more. Free breakfast, free parking, advice about the area, special requests, a homey feeling for those who prefer to stay inside or have to stay in to complete work, free wifi, etc. For us, you can't beat local recommendations from local people.
After spending the night at the Smithton Inn, we can't wait to stay at our next bed & breakfast! Check out our highlights on our Instagram page to see our experience.
Safe travels,
Meg & Derek