James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 – September 27, 1993) was an American military general  and aviation pioneer who received the Medal of Honor for his daring raids on Japan during World War II. He also made early coast-to-coast flights, won many flying races, and helped develop instrument flying (Wikipedia.org).

Doolittle was the first to envision that a pilot could be trained to use instruments to fly through fog, clouds, precipitation of all forms, darkness, or any other impediment to visibility; and in spite of the pilot’s own possibly convoluted motion sense inputs.

And these reputable actions are what I have been trying to explain to our newest addition to the family, Doolittle DeBord-Phillips. My friend, Mischelle said, “Just let me bring the puppies over for you to meet and see what you think.”  (She knew) Who can refuse an adorable puppy!

We went through multiple iterations of naming the pup, even asking people on Facebook for suggestions.  Biscuit and Bacon were top contenders, but we wanted a term that had to do with flying rather than breakfast…so we settled on Doolittle and it is growing on us although sometimes shortened to Doodle!

We have had Doolittle now for 2 weeks and he has really grown more and more comfortable.  Weighing in (at his first vet visit) at 3.8 lbs, he is NOT housebroken yet so any tips are welcomed!  Just look at the comparison of these photos taken 2 weeks apart.

We do think he will be a great B & B dog.  He has been friendly and played with all guests who have tried to interact.   Dogs have long been called “Man’s best friend” but they truly are a family’s best and loyal friend in times of need.  So many people determined it was time for a dog during the COVID lock down and study after study have found that pets provide a therapeutic benefit to reducing stress and providing comfort.  Bedford Landings is NOT pet friendly.  So, you can’t bring your dog, but we are making an effort to provide a great dog to interact with while you are here.

Bella gave us many years of comfort before she crossed the rainbow bridge in October 2020.  It too us awhile to determine what type of hypoallergenic dog to get.  Hopefully Doolittle will grow and learn the expectations that we have for him and maybe just like James Harold (“Jimmy”) Doolittle, he will be able to navigate the many guests and seasons to come!  Welcome Doolittle!!

 

 

 

 

AAARGH!

This coming weekend is Pirate’s weekend!  What does that mean?  Ships are decorated, water fights ensue, eye patches are appropriate and much laughter is heard around Smith Mountain Lake. Bedford Landings B & B contributes a treasure map of the lake.  It gives boaters some direction and the kids some fun things to find on the lake!  There is link below to the map or email  Karen for a copy.

One year, along with some friends, we decorated a boat and handed out maps, but we kept getting attacked with water guns!  People are serious about this!

So watch your back!  You may just see some innkeeper swashbucklers!  Aaarg!

Bedford Landings Treasure Lake Map

Facebook link to Pirate Weekend activities

Pirate Weekend Website

The Summer is upon us!  People are coming out of the COVID woodwork to travel!  Smith Mountain Lake is a-buzz!  If you are wanting to visit and rent a boat, be sure to plan ahead with all reservations!

Here in the B & B, we have been testing a few new recipes that we hope to introduce soon to guests. 

We have had our #1 granddaughter staying with us this summer and she is learning to prepare some of the famous Bedford Landings dishes.  She is also a driver in training!  So we have a chauffeur!

 

New Businesses are always exciting
We have attended a few new business ribbon cuttings.

There is a Distillery in town!  We are planning a time to go taste, but 11:00 in the morning on ribbon cutting day was not when I wanted to sip on legal moonshine. Located in the Westlake Area, be sure to visit Roosters Rise-n-Shine Distillery.

The Landing Restaurant has settled into Mariner’s Landing but they have also opened Bottles and Bites.  Their ribbon cutting is tomorrow.  We are very excited about that.

Napoli by the Lake had a very elegant ribbon cutting in the Bernard’s Landing outdoor covered venue.  You must see that.  Since it was our (15^th) anniversary, we went to dinner afterwards and the service and food were excellent!  It is located in the former Landing restaurant space.

There is also a new seafood restaurant called Pier 122 (for Route 122) and is located next to Copper Kettle on Firstwatch Drive.  An all seafood, hushpuppy, corn on the cob menu, they hope to contribute to the seafood lovers palette. Jack loved their crab legs.

Drifters is as fun and packed as ever!  They offer entertainment, great food, wonderful service and a burger called the Bedford Landings!!!

So far, the summer is about food and lake visitors! But, stay tuned!  The summer is shaping up with even more activity!

Lyrics in the Lake is the weekend of June 25-27 at three venues (Mangos, Drifters and Magnum Point Marina).  We are proud to be hosting Bill Diluigi again!

Karen will be the emcee for LOTL the afternoon of June 26^th at Mango’s. Come support the Children’s Miracle Network.

And Pirate’s Weekend is around the corner! July 15-18, get out your eye patches, bandannas, and water pistols!

We are moving toward the one year anniversary of the year I call The Great Sadness.  2020 was tough on a lot of people.  Our guests tell us tremendous stories of loss and occasionally we share our stories.  We love keeping busy with interesting guests to keep our minds off the great sadness.  So this summer, we will just continue to eat, host, and sing our way through 2021.

People often ask what there is to do at Smith Mountain Lake.  The lake has an array of activities from horseback riding to fishing, visiting wineries, picnicking and walking trails.  We have wonderful restaurants, many located lakeside.  There are cute gift shops, mini golf, and 18-hole golf courses. One favorite activity is boating.   

What you need to know about this lake when boating

If you are planning to rent a boat, our advice is to reserve it BEFORE you get here. Pontoons are a favorite for families and many young adults like to dash about on a jet ski.  But we have seen people disappointed who try to reserve them the day of arrival and no boats are available.  There are several marinas (Bridgewater, Parrot Cove, Bernards, Parkway, Captains Quarters, Mitchells–and there are others!)

You can apply for and get the Virginia Boating license online.  There are about 15-16 modules and a quiz after each one.  But then you are all set to be the captain of your craft. If you do not have a boating license, the rental establishment will give you a 15–30-minute crash course.   You will need to complete it along with everyone else renting that day and it may cut into your boating time but it is required!  You can take coolers aboard the boats along with towels, floats, noodles and sunscreen.
You are allowed to pull someone on the tube behind the boat but you must have a spotter keeping an eye on the tuber! You will make a large wake so be sure to stay at least 50 feet (200 feet is even better) clear of any docks and other boats!

Flying out of the SML Airport, there is an airplane on floats that occasionally lands on the lake. DO NOT APPROACH the seaplane.  The pilot sits up very high and they may not be able to see you on a jet ski or pontoon even.  Particularly during takeoff, a seaplane has very poor visibility.  Stay well clear of a seaplane even though you may be curious.  You can schedule a discovery flight through SML Aviation if you want to explore that sport further!

• Pack a picnic on the boat and stay plenty hydrated! Water and sports drinks work well for hydration.  Other fun items to pack are grapes, rice cakes, granola bars, chips, strawberries, homemade cookies, sandwiches or anything else that can be handheld!  Boats can be bumpy when trying to eat and drink.  Pull up into a quiet cove or throw an anchor where it is not too busy to enjoy lunch! Please keep your trash on the boat!  We have a very clean lake and love that about it!
• There are 500 miles of shoreline on SML. There are many, many coves.  Keep your head on a swivel and keep looking for others.  They can pop out of a cove and not be watching out for you!  Just like in driving a car, assume, they don’t see you so watch out for them!
• There are channel markers. If you pick up one of the free maps, the channel markers are on the map.  The “R” channel markers, for example, mark the Roanoke River and the “B” markers are for the Blackwater.  Follow the markers so you don’t get lost. R1 is the channel marker by the SML dam.  That’s a cool sight to see.  Just be aware of the barrier that is there and do not pass it. The water is about 200 feet deep there.
• There are so many fun things to see on the lake including an ice cream boat (Track it with their FB page), the Virginia Dare Riverboat, a fire boat, and (I think) Boat Church may be back in place (after it floated away last time the lake levels rose suddenly).
• If you are near Bridgewater, feed the carp. They are located near the boats at Bridgewater Marina.  They like bread and popcorn.  I fed them biscuits once and they snubbed their big noses at them!
• Be sure to slather in sunscreen, especially the kids. Pack a t-shirt for children and adults in case anyone gets too much sun early in the day!
• Above all, be safe and have fun! There are plenty of coves with less traffic away from the “S” curve and main channel.  Use that map and explore a little!  Enjoy the scenery, beautiful home and the wonder of this Virginia jewel!
  

  Smith Mountain

• (All photos taken by Karen DeBord)

Anyone who has stayed at Bedford Landings B & B knows that we try to accommodate people with special diets.  Possibilities could include a Keto diet, gluten free, dairy-free, no sugar, or no cheese.  Most drink coffee but a few prefer hot tea and occasionally one wants decaffeinated coffee. With 10-12 people gathered for breakfast, keeping it all straight is a challenge, but I think we have been pretty successful.

When guests complete their reservation form, they are asked about food allergies or aversions.  Ninety percent of the guests we host are open to anything we serve.  Some have special diets. The strangest one was a guest indicating he was lacto-vegetarian. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacto_vegetarianism ) That stumped us! We weren’t sure if we should soak his veggies in milk or not. But apparently, it is a person who abstains from eating meat and eggs, but who eats dairy products!

Are special diets a fad?

Many of us try to cut calories from time to time, but on a vacation a scrumptious breakfast at Bedford Landings should be a treat! We hope people come hungry and leave full!  We do try to serve food that people will eat so defining food aversions is important too!  One guest saw me serving up cheese grits and said, “Oh don’t give me any of those, I hate grits!” All one must do it tell us and we will make a special note! We do not want anyone to go into shock, become sick or break out in hives!  Some folks have nut allergies, but then we need to dig a little deeper to see if that includes pecans since our signature dish is pecan-encrusted bacon!

Be sure to tell us if you can’t have common breakfast elements such as dairy, eggs, cheese, flour-based products, and sugar!  These are staples in our kitchen!  One recipe we tend to make for our diabetic guests is cloud bread!  We are sharing it here for you!  Bon Appetit!

 

Cloud Bread (Gluten and Carbohydrate free)

6 eggs, separated

½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar

½ cup low fat Cream Cheese

½ cup skim Ricotta Cheese

½ cup Parmesan Cheese

1 teaspoon Black Pepper (original recipe called for 1 Tbsp, but I think that is too much)

Preheat oven to 425°.  Separate eggs.  Combine the yolks with the cheeses and pepper and mix well.  Addition of herbs and spices is optional.

Combine cream of tartar with the egg whites and whip to extremely stiff peaks.  Temper the yolk and cheese mixture with a scoop of egg white foam and mix well while trying to not stir too much air out of the foam.  Fold the yolk cheese mix into the whites.  Spoon the desired portion onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake 10 to 15 minutes until browned.  Reduce heat to 350° and bake 10 more minutes.  Serve immediately or cover overnight.