John Bills, who owns the inn with his wife, Shari Alexander, said the couple's goal was to make sure that anyone sitting in any of the inn's rooms would have ``something pretty to look at." They have succeeded to the point where a weekend is barely enough time to take in all the baubles and beads, glitter and glass.
We stayed in the Duck Room, which featured bisque ducks in flight on teal green wallpaper, a duck print border, brass fireplace tools fashioned with duck heads, and a duck-shaped tissue box holder. It became a bit of a game for my husband and me to find all the duck accents in the room.
The queen sleigh bed had wrought iron scrollwork in the headboard and footboard . There was a big closet, with robes, and a dresser with a small television and DVD player. The inn has more than 700 movies on DVD that guests can borrow. A brocade settee at the end of the bed faced two upholstered wing chairs and a small green velvet footstool in front of a decorative brick fireplace. An antique sewing machine served as a bedside table. We sensed that someone had fun putting this room together.
The bathroom, however, was tiny, with a shower stall and little storage space. The most disconcerting feature was a hair dryer mounted on a wall opposite the mirror and sink, so you had to drag the cord around your neck to use it.
A ``guest station" on each floor has a small refrigerator, coffee maker, and complimentary coffee, tea, and hot chocolate (though it was not clear how to heat water for the latter two beverages). Bottled water, soda, and snacks are available on an honor system fee basis. But the refrigerator did not have a working freezer, and we had to ask the innkeeper for ice.
