Not wanting to sound ungrateful for the extended warm season this year, BUT, the winter months can be long and gray.  In trying to overcome Winter at Bedford Landings, we have brought in some visions of summer in the form of art.

Artist in the House
The artist who’s work is on display this month is Dana Phillips.  Dana moved to the lake from northern California after having been raised in Texas. Previously a lawyer in southern California, he expanded his talents and now paints landscapes and other figures with many scenes from our lovely Blue Ridge Mountains and Smith Mountain Lake.  Bedford Landings is pleased to host these works.  If you would like to come by the see them just email Karen for a time to stop by.

Murder Mystery
Another way we are chasing away winter at Bedford Landings is to plan something fun!  And we are planning an evening that will be a Murder Mystery.  We attended one in September and decided this would be great for folks living at and visiting the lake.  Our Murder Mystery event is planned for March 5. We have space for 40 to play, eat, drink and be merry!  Get your tickets now!

Kramer Over Time

Many who have stayed at Bedford Landings have been greeted by our peke-poo, Kramer.  Kramer is now 18 years old, deaf, and somewhat demented.  He sometimes stands in a corner lost, he whines with his arthritis at nap time and in the night before settling down. He sleeps about 22 hours a day, and takes Rimadyl for the pain.  Poor guy.  But then other times, he brings his stuffed squirrel for us to throw and bounds in the door as if he was a puppy.  He still eats well but he wears a diaper for incontinence. Since he is a black dog, he doesn’t take a very distinct photo, but are some I have taken overtime.  I won’t post his photo in his diaper.  The sweet dog does have some dignity!

Don’t be Blue
Wherever you are, if you are chasing away the winter blues, remember that it is just a few months, make a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate, pick up a good book (we are loving reading the “Outlander” series), plan a movie night or game night with friends. Write a real letter in long hand to an old friend, paint on canvas, get one of those lovely new adult coloring books, dust off your sewing machine or table saw, plan a little vacation, build a fire, tune up your bicycle, clean up your workbench, give away clothes that you never wear and un-used cookware to a charity, learn to knit, refinish some furniture, feed the birds, or experiment with a recipe.  Below is one of our favorites you can try! We are  chasing away the Winter Blues at Bedford Landings.  How about in you?

Apple Butter Bread
Bedford Landings B & B
Smith Mountain Lake, VA

¾ c. apple butter
2 t. cinnamon
½ t. cloves
½ c. water
½ c. oil or applesauce
|1 ¼ c. brown sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
¾ t. salt

Mix it up and pour into one 9-inch pan or 3-4 mini pans. Cook 350 for 50 minutes for minis and 70 min for large loaf. Enjoy with a brewed cup of tea!

 www.bedfordlandings.com

Was it Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with a candlestick holder?

If having fun, playing a role, meeting interesting people and forgetting about the pushes and pulls of your real life is what you need, you will not want to miss this event!  Bedford Landings is so excited to be offering a Murder Mystery on March 5th starting at 5:30 pm. If you also book a guest room, you will get 10% off your room rate.

Murder Mystery Tickets are $40 and include the murder mystery fun, a glass of wine, other beverages, and hot and cold or d’oeuvres. Additional bottles of wine may be purchased on site.

Click to book tickets now (or later!)

How it works

Once you register, you will hold on to your e-ticket from the EVENTBrite ticketing site.  About a week before the event, we will email you a murder mystery role to play.  It will include a brief bio that you will learn. That night, we will establish just a few rules, then once the fun begins, you will “be” that character.

Jack and I went to a Murder Mystery at Chateau Morrisette back in September to check out the MM company and how these were run. We decided this would be a grand event to host this winter! You can dress for your part or just come in business or business casual attire.

Let me know if you have any questions at all!  Bring it on!

The fall weather fooled us for a while but no more. We believe it is winter at Bedford Landings. That means warm fires, mulled wine, and fewer reservations. And we miss our guests! We have only a few folks lined up for December and no reservations for January so we are offering a December special. If you reserve and for two nights and give us this code, you will get 25% off the room rate (Code: DECEMBER2nights).

Winter at Bedford Landings brings maintenance and redecorating. This winter, I had not decided what my tasks would be, but an artist called me. Lisa Floyd (Floyd Artworks) contacted me and stopped by to visit. We ended up agreeing on two projects for her to do at Bedford Landings. I am very pleased with her work and equally as pleased to have found a new and delightful friend.

First, she transformed the space in the Forest Room where the themed items are staged. Now there is a lovely birch tree haven. It brightens the space and is just lovely!

Then we took down the lattice and flowers that I had added when we first opened the B & B two years ago. She then transformed the outdoor guest hot tub area. Specializing in faux art, she added wood and stone. Faux means it looks real from a distance but is only replicating the materials. In our case, she painted on the stone and wood.

Lisa and I agreed that the long wall needed more. That’s when she decided that some FINE ART needed to be displayed there. She painted an adaptation of our Bedford Landings logo.

The fine art painting is brilliant and calming at the same time. We are very pleased and hope our guests will want to sit in the hot tub during these when they come experience winter at Bedford Landings and enjoy the warmth of the water while admiring the art! Bring it on!

Lastly, if you are in need of a unique Christmas gift, consider a gift certificate for a flight over the lake. Resident pilot, Jack has his website up and running now and you can contact him for a gift certificate. Check it out at Bedford Landings Air Tours.

And Ho- Ho-Ho until next time!

We are pleased to host this month’s artists at Bedford Landings from the Art Visions Gallery. Joining my friend, Nancy Rae Brown are Lana Mcculloch, Rose Marie Atkins, Julie English, Marie Campbell, Rita Carroll and Jane Schafer.  If you are interested in seeing this month’s works by the artists at Bedford Landings please contact us through email or phone (540-488-4600). We would be happy to show you their work when we are home! Actually they will be up for the months of December as well.

There are several holiday gifting opportunities for you that we can help you with this season.  Of course you can purchase the featured art of one of the artists are Bedford Landings.  But we also can help you with a gift certificate for a stay at Bedford Landings.  I can help you with that via email or over the phone.  Jack can set you up with a gift certificate for a flight over the lake with Bedford Landings Air Tours. We have my books in stock including my children’s book.  I also have a few copies of Sue Coryell’s books. We have a few jars of honey left from our little busy bees and just a few jars of those wonderful Methodist Men’s peanuts.

The season has slowed a bit and we miss hosting guests every day!  So think cozy and come back to see us!  Most of our returning guests are house hunting.  But then they find a house and we don’t see them as much anymore. It just makes the winter longer when we are cooped inside with no friends to serve breakfast.  But what better place to be cooped up than Bedford Landings!  We have movies, puzzles, games and hot chocolate! We are prepared for warm mornings and evenings by the (inside or outside) fire this fall and winter.  We have built 3 fires so far in the outdoor fire pit but only one inside since it has been such a warm fall so far.  If you stay with us, however, and it is below 40, we will build a fire where you can enjoy your early morning coffee.  Come see us!

Don’t you just love the seasonal change? With crisp fall temperatures, we are watching fog drifting just above the lake, picking ripe apples at nearby Gross Orchard, watching the colors as they change, and being amazed that our grass seed is growing at Bedford Landings!  This fall has been busy (once the rain stopped!) as guests realize how that the weekend weather could lend itself to a last minute getaway.

Bedford Landings has now been in business almost two years (22 months). Although we consider ourselves novices, there are still things we observe about our Bed and Breakfast clientele. These may not be trends for all Bed and Breakfasts, but it is what we are noticing.

Bedford Landings Trends

1. Traditionally B & B’s were seen as weekend getaway places but trends in the B & B industry indicate that B & B’s are being booked more now for business travelers. That is NOT a trend for us. We still get the traditional weekend getaways but we also host a great deal of spill over from local family reunions. Besides, who comes to the lake for business? Our guests are seeking either a place to truly relax and get away from the busyness of everyday stressors or a flying destination.
2. Our typical commuter guest is from 3-4 hours driving distance away. That may include the Northern Virginia area and parts of North Carolina like Raleigh, Winston Salem, and Greensboro. Common is the traveler who has left a little early from work to fight traffic, then trek over the mountain, drive in the dark, then scurry up to our door with the same tension as when they left work. They talk rapidly, look weary, and are often late. We rarely plan social engagements for ourselves on Friday nights just because of this effect. As we check them in, we try to help them relax into a slower pace, talk calmly, and help meet their immediate needs while we watch them melt a little as they begin to unwind.
3. We have many guests who arise on their first morning who say, “that’s the best night’s rest I have had in months!” Well of course sleeping on a pillow top mattress on Comphy sheets in a quite, climate controlled room is part of that formula! By the way, we can order the sheets for you and have them sent to your home! Take a peek at the great new log bed in the Forest Room!
   
4. We have more and more “over 50” and “over 60” guests arriving by motorcycle. I was wondering if that was a national trend so I looked it up and found that indeed, the demographic of motorcycle owners has shifted toward older owners.  Often they travel with another couple and need two rooms which is fine with us when we can accommodate them!
5. There are those guests who have never been to a B & B. They don’t realize that we live here. Those are the ones who walk right in the front door. That’s why I try to remember to lock the door when we are in the house. Many a time I have been in the middle of something at my desk or just getting out of the shower when I hear strange voices and realize that people think this is like any business and just walk in. Just FYI. We do live here so ringing the doorbell is totally appropriate!
   

   Just ring the bell 🙂

6. There are those who are intrigued with flying and airplanes and there are those who are frightened by it. Jack has just introduced sightseeing rides. Booking a flight over the lake with Bedford Landings Air Tours is a beautiful experience any time of year. I have to chuckle when people say, “no-ooo—oo I am afraid of heights!” Well Jack (our resident pilot) is also afraid if heights, yet he has been flying since he was 15 years old. It is different. He did not like climbing more than 4 rungs on a ladder when we were building the house but he doesn’t sweat 6000 feet up in an airplane!
   

   Smith Mountain Lake from the air

7. There are early risers and there are those who don’t rise at all. We serve breakfast at 8:00 am. Coffee is ready by 7:00 am. Sometimes folks like to come down and talk with us while we cook. We like that, but we may not engage in total eye-to-eye contact if we have to reference a recipe or measure an ingredient. Then there are those who say, “I’m not much of a breakfast eater.” Of course, after reminding them that “breakfast” is half of our specialty, we tell them that they don’t want to miss the bacon! Ninety-five percent of the guests are at the table ready to enjoy their breakfast at 8:00 am. The remaining 5% enjoy less social interaction and a breakfast that resides in the warming drawer for as long as they sleep. They are welcome to their plate when they arise, but we just hope that they remember when they write their review, that the “on time” delicacies are piping hot and arranged appealingly on the plate at 8:00am! We clean up the kitchen by 9:30.
   

   Breakfast Room

8. And speaking of reviews. Trip Advisor seems to be the most watched location for reviews of places to lodge and we thank all of our past guests (and 61 reviewers) who have written five-star reviews! Appreciation makes it most enjoyable to share our home with you!

Lastly, just in time for Fall, we are christening our new fire pit! So come warm up at Bedford Landings so we can help you turn your getaway into an experience to remember!