|
|
|
|||||||
|
Waitsfield and
Warren The Joslin Round Barn – a National Historic Landmark and one of the last remaining of its kind in Vermont – is a focal point of this deluxe and animated B&B. Its three vast floors have been renovated into a cultural center, a theater, a space for meetings and weddings, and the headquarters of the Round Barn Farm Cross-Country Ski Center. There's even a 60-foot-long lap pool on the lower level. The inn is not in the Round Barn as one might think, however. Rather, it occupies a gracious farmhouse and connecting carriage house next door, has six comfortable bedrooms and five extravagant suites, luxurious common rooms and a terraced, 85-acre back yard that rolls down a hill to a couple of ponds and meanders uphill past cows grazing in the distance. It's an idyllic setting, and an exciting B&B. Jack and Doreen Simko, longtime skiers in the valley, retired from the family floral business in New Jersey to open the inn with daughter AnneMarie in 1987. So expect to see flowers and greenery throughout the house, pots of flowering hibiscus on the terrace, and flowers sprouting from piles of rocks beneath a giant apple tree. Relaxing on the back terraces is a treat, what with animals grazing, a few barns scattered up the hill, whimsical things like a cow made out of iron and, at our first visit, a pen with Jack's three pet pigs – gifts for his 50th birthday. There's only one pig now, and a newer attraction is an undulating, fourteen-foot-deep spring-fed pond for swimming, canoeing and fishing. Our original stay coming at the end of one of the hottest summers ever, we passed up the two largest rooms with jacuzzi tubs in the main house in favor of the breezy Palmer Room at the rear corner. It had a high-back Victorian queen bed sporting a crazy quilt made in 1915, lovely lace curtains and a framed fan on the wall. Raspberry-cranberry walls enhance the Joslin Room, with its kingsize canopy bed, fireplace and a huge bathroom complete with wing chair, oriental rug, steam shower and corner jacuzzi tub for two. Three people can sleep comfortably in the spacious, ground-level Terrace Room, which has a queensize bed and sitting area with sofabed. Other than the Joslin, the prime accommodations have been in four mini-suites with queen or kingsize beds, steam showers, gas fireplaces and separate sitting areas beneath twenty-foot beamed ceilings in the rear loft area of the original carriage house. The top-of-the-line Richardson suite contains a sunken bathroom with an oversize jacuzzi (you can watch the farm animals outside the window as you soak), a separate shower, and his and her vanities. Relax on the chintz loveseat or chaise lounge beside the marble fireplace and you may never leave. Striking fabrics on canopies and window treatments provide colorful accents against the barnwood walls in each mini-suite; even the custom-designed Kleenex boxes match the decor. Although not as splashy as some, the pristinely white Dana Room at the end is favored by honeymooners for its Schumacher wall coverings and its crown-canopied black iron queensize bed draped in chiffon. The new Abbott is a true suite, with a kingsize four-poster bed and a TV concealed in an antique armoire and an adjoining living room with gas fireplace and oversize whirlpool tub in the corner. The bath has a double vanity and glass-enclosed steam shower. Besides fine oriental and Claire Murray rugs, terrycloth robes, stenciling and other interesting decorative touches, the inn has nightly turndown service with chocolate chip cookies as well as toiletries like Neutrogena conditioners and moisturizers. The main floor offers a large, elegant library with walls of books, a fireplace and a fancy stereo system issuing forth perhaps Mozart or Vivaldi. A less formal game room downstairs contains a pool table, TV and VCR, and a refrigerator stocked with sodas, spring water and cheese. At cocktail time, AnneMarie, now the innkeeper, gets creative with canapés, usually putting out something like guacamole or a hot shrimp dip. In winter, the inn offers candlelight dinners every other Friday night for guests, $35 prix-fixe. Breakfast is served in an expansive dining area fashioned from the original milking barn. Vines trail around the beams and the colorful tables are set with fresh flowers and striking ceramic napkin rings. We feasted on raspberries and bananas in cream, followed by a fantastic omelet blending bacon, cottage cheese, onions, red peppers and basil from the garden. AnneMarie's cinnamon-raisin belgian waffles with maple cream is another favorite, and her pumpkin soufflés are a hit during foliage season. Based on requests of guests, the Simkos began bottling the raspberry sauce they serve with their cottage-cheese pancakes. Said a California friend who was enjoying a reunion with the Simkos and joined us all at the breakfast table: "These are high-energy people with 85 irons in the fire. Staying with them is like being part of the family." The Simkos have retired to their nearby ski house, but AnneMarie, now married and the mother of two, continues the family tradition. Eleven rooms and one suite with private baths.
Doubles, $130 to $240, $155 to $265 foliage and holidays. Suite, $260,
$295 foliage and holidays. Children over 15. Two-night minimum weekends. (802) 496-2276. Fax (802) 496-8832. E-mail: roundbarn@madriver.com For more information: www.innattheroundbarn.com or www.madrivervalley.com
Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
page |
Full destination index | |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
