We have now been open 50 days.  That’s hard to believe, but, we are having fun hosting guests!  Now, if I can just get Jack to listen for the dryer and fold those towels and tuck the sheets in at the foot of the bed, we are good!  Doing business with your spouse is sometimes not advised.  But we are doing fine.  We are even getting along in the kitchen for the most part.

I have sorta of missed blogging, but we have been really busy not just with guests but this winter in staying warm!  Jack has built many fires and we are continuing to work toward our Permanent Certificate of Occupancy.  Since it has been so cold, we got a 30-day extension on those porch railings.  We have the main deck complete except for the top caps.  And, Jack has the posts put up for the star-gazing deck

 

When it is cold outside, I am busy at my computer planning class lectures and Jack works inside.  Here are a few things he has done:

Laundry room shelves (a cubby for each room’s sheets and towels) with a folding table that will fold up against the wall.

He finished the window seats for the two large windows.

And I have made one of two cushions for the seats. Did you know that foam is about $30 per yard?! Outrageous!

 

The trim carpenter finally came back and trimmed out my stained glass so it looks must more finished.

I have stained every 6-panel door in the house except those that Sherry and Carolyn helped me with.  I determined there about over 60 sides to stain. Plus all of the trim.

Cooking wise, our signature item is becoming the pecan encrusted bacon. Jack’s biscuits are very popular as well as the Kahlua Caramel French Toast.  We have other dishes we are still testing.

We are already booking reservations into June and July so let us know when you are in the area and can spend some time at Bedford Landings!  Ya’ll come!

Since we opened December 17th, we have had 15 rooms nights and wonderful guests! Jack even prepared his Creme Brulee oatmeal for some guests.  He didn’t like the way the broiler made the crust so dark, so later that day, he ordered a food torch. Watch out next time we serve this!

We have found our rhythm in the kitchen and have been enjoying inn keeping!
As this was our “soft” opening to figure things out, we have now started to consider some marketing.  We have added ourselves to Trip Advisor so you can do reviews and we have  become members of the Virginia Tourism website as well as the local Bedford County Visitor’s Center. Here is how we are listed in the Va Tourism site but it took even me 4 times to find it! and in Trip Advisor, it looks as if there needs to be some reviews added to get this going. Visit Bedford (the area visitor’s center) lists our B & B.

The local magazine, the Laker did a really nice spread on our Bedford Landings opening for their special lodging issue. The Laker Weekly is visiting us again next week.  We have been very fortunate with local media outlets!

Upcoming specials are listed on the “Specials” page but include a Superbowl special and a Valentine’s special. Y’all come, we’re ready for ya!

With a Full House on New Year’s Eve, we entered the New Year with much love and laughter!  It was amazing and we so enjoyed the time.  One of the couples flew in so we were able to test our inn keeping and tie down strategies all at once! Everyone got along; some worked jigsaw puzzles, some watched a football game in the theatre room, some went to dinner, and others shared munchies and wine by the fire.  We could not have asked for a more cordial group than we had for New Year’s 2013! Jack even got his bagpipe out to blast in the New Year! On New Year’s Day after the guests departed, friends who helped us build the hangar flew in.  Vicki and Jon came to check out Bedford Landings so they might share back with their neighbors in their fly-in community near Chapel Hill, NC.  So, we cleaned and flipped the rooms in a few hours to put on our best face! So what can guests expect at Bedford Landings? Tested recipes.  We are testing recipes for taste and presentation.  We try to test them prior to you coming but sometimes you get to help judge! Just look at this jelly belly roll that I made today!  I couldn’t resist the sequence!  Each time we are expecting guests, I put out a sideboard of some homemade snack bread, cookies of treats. Last week, Jack made sweet potato biscuits. But today he is toying with Baked Crème Brulee oatmeal. We think it’s a winner! A home theatre room.  Jack finished wiring today and the sound proofed walls work pretty well in that I could hear (but wasn’t blown away) by the max volume Top Gun when I was in the kitchen.  (Photo).  The room is a work in progress as far as décor, but the movies play! If it is chilly outside, then we try to have a fire going inside! And if fire is not part of Shakti, how about water?  The guest hot tub is ready and warm!  It’s awesome!

Of these amenities, what would be your favorite? The fireplace?  The hot tub, tasting recipes or watching movies in the theatre room?

 

Click on photo to enlarge.

For historical purposes, we should document our first guests.  Phil and Candy signed the guest book and Jack gave them the key to the Fourth Room.