a getaway - the little inn of bayfield

A few years ago, I tore out an article from Style at Home magazine about a charming little Inn all decorated for the holidays. On the shores of Lake Huron, it was the perfect place for a getaway - not too far of a drive, but also somewhere new to explore.

When I was deciding on something special to do to celebrate my sister's 30th birthday, I knew this would be a just the place for us to spend the night away.

We'd take our time driving, enjoying some of the quaint towns along the way. Once there, we'd go for dinner, spend the evening chatting by the fire with a glass of wine, and then in the morning, enjoy breakfast before making our way home a different way.

The Little Inn of Bayfield, built in 1847, is located in the small town of Bayfield, Ontario, on the eastern shore of Lake Huron. While the town is a famous destination for cottagers, a dusting of snow in early November suits it perfectly.

After being owned by the same owners for over 30 years, in 2015 it came under new ownership. The current owners extensively renovated the inn, updating the rooms and common areas. The result is an inn that's calm and simply neutral, yet attentive to detail, without loosing any of the character that makes this a historic landmark in town.

The green accents are the perfect compliment to the yellow bricks, characteristic to this area.

Guests can enjoy dinner fireside in the restaurant, The Willow Room, or a cocktail at the bar, The Four in Hand Taproom, before retiring to one of the rooms.

The town of Bayfield is small, but beautiful, and just a short walk to the water.

For me, the attention to details is what makes the whole experience so special. The key tags you receive upon check in are engraved and in the dining room, the menus are embossed and breakfast arrives on china with the inn's name on it, as well as their signature carriage.

Then there's the decor. This suite was so well suited to my taste, and it made the whole stay even more special. It was bright and simple with just enough character in the ticking accents and muted rugs. The large ship on top of the pine chest of drawers, framed botanical prints and antique bag were the perfect statement pieces. And while the decor might have been perfectly simple, it didn't compromise luxury. The large armchairs by the fireplace, the king size bed with crisp white linens, the deep soaking tub and roomy shower with it's rain head fixture all made our stay so wonderful.

I just loved the choice of furnishings.

I had shown a peak in my stories of the gift basket I was making for her. I added all the things I could think of to make the evening perfect - some snacks for with good tea and a bottle of wine, some bath salts and Beauty Counter face treatments, as well as a Eucalyptus wreath for the tub, and a small bouquet of flowers.

The shower of my dreams.

 

The suite even had a small screened porch overlooking a private little courtyard area. Of course, it was freezing, but in the summer time, it would have made the suite all the more perfect for relaxing.

This is The Willow Room. In the article, the owner, Joanne Oliver, says this about the blue chosen for the trim and wainscoting, "That hue was taken from a scrap of old hand-painted wallpaper we found under about seven other layers we stripped off.” I just love that nod to the inn's past.

The Four in Hand Taproom is in the back, intimate and the perfect size for a small inn.

The dining room, with it's grand arched windows and view of the main street. was the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast the next morning.

The inn's bespoke china was the perfect detail for a historic inn and was reminiscent of that which you'd find while travelling on a long journey by rail, or in a grand hotel.

The town itself had a few spots to dine, some shops (mostly clothing), a cafe, a charming book shop, and some very lovely old homes.

We had an early dinner at the Black Dog Pub & Bistro. We arrived to an empty pub, but by the time we were sharing a piece of Guinness chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting for her birthday, it seemed the sleepy town had come alive, and the pub was filling quickly. 

I had the smash burger, which was probably 6" high, but the vegetarian curry and the curry pot pie were also delicious!

On our way home, we slowly made our way through the little towns along the back roads, stopping when we saw a shop or cafe we wanted to peek inside (like this floral shop - The Little Shed). The snow just made everything look that much more perfect.

We found this lovely cafe, Edison's, in Stratford, which isn't far from Bayfield. They made an excellent cappuccino and did a great job putting together a small, well-branded cafe.

We also enjoyed browsing Bradshaws in Stratford, which had a really great kitchen shop in the back full of copper pots and dutch ovens and gourmet pantry items.

And as usual, we were sure to try all the recommended treats - like the amazing peanut butter caramels!

 I would love to return again for a stay at the inn in the summer time. If you're interested in seeing the original article I tore out and saved, as published in Style at Home Magazine, you can find it here. It looks especially lovely all decorated for Christmas!

the stone cottage

This is the lovely stone cottage we rented through Airbnb. It's located in Navarre, Ohio and was built in 1846.

The night we arrived, it was quite cold and dark. We had been up since 4 in the morning and then spent the day touring around. But on the way into town, we passed the local high school. The field was lit up, the stands were packed and the field was covered in football players, cheerleaders on the sidelines and two marching bands. It was a Friday night football game! Welcome to the U S of A. The boys were so excited (even Ryan admitted he would love to stop and watch) so off we went. "It's kind of like hockey but with no sticks and ice!" announced Hudson as we made our way to the field. Unfortunately, the minute we got to the entrance it started pouring.We had umbrellas and raincoats, but we could only make it through about 20 minutes. It was just too much for the littlest ones.

Driving up to this old house was such a warm welcome. We were so excited when we opened the front door because honestly, the photos online didn't do it justice. And really, neither will mine. But here they are anyway.

The entire house must have been redone - a total gut job.

Thankfully, all of the beautiful character was left, and in some cases, made more beautiful. The exposed stone looks like it has been re-pointed. The beams have been exposed, but all the electrical and plumbing has been moved and hidden. This makes everything look clean.

Patio doors to the back yard allow for extra light. The hidden plumbing and vents are to the right, in the bump out.

There is a brand new kitchen.

And small dining area.

And then upstairs, there are two bedrooms, and a bathroom. This is the master bedroom. It's a good size, though it had a double bed. I think this may be because it would be hard to get a queen sized box spring up the stairs.

I'm very picky when it comes to quilts, but she had a couple lovely ones! The blue one was actually the reverse side of a very classic, busy quilt, but I so preferred this fabric.

The bathroom is also lovely with a large shower (though no tub), and an antique wash stand that has been made into a sink.

The second smaller bedroom is also so charming with it's exposed beams. It has a tiny door which lead to a tiny ladder-like staircase to the the attic space. It hadn't been touched, but it would make a cozy loft space.

It was so nice to have a whole house to ourselves - especially for the kids. It gave them room to play and stretch out (or separate) after being in the car for so long. And we had everything we would need, including access to laundry, which was very handy.

For a rental house, it was furnished nicely, but it was so fun to sit with my coffee, dreaming up how I would furnish it if it was ours. With a house this full of character, it doesn't take much!

nantucket - day one

Oh Nantucket, how quickly you have become one of our most favorite places.

Because of the number of photos I took from our few days here, I decided to share them with you by day. It really is a magical island and was so perfectly suited to our taste.

It is roughly an eight hour drive from our home to the ferry, followed by an hour ferry ride to the island. We left early on Sunday morning, and decided to stay on the Cape, allowing us to take our time driving, stopping whenever we wanted. We camped  - which was an adventure, and reminded us of our honeymoon. I stayed comfortably on an air mattress in our van, while Ryan roughed it in his coffin of a tent beside me. We barely stayed up long enough to watch the stars come out while we sat by the fire. The next morning we traveled to Hyannis (where the Ferry departs) the scenic way, through the most charming little towns of Sandwich and Barnstable. 

  

We couldn't help stopping by a few historical places and walking about.

Before we boarded the ferry, we stopped in Hyannis at Pain d'Avignon for honestly, the most amazing Pan au Chocolat and Almond Croissant I have ever eaten.

We were happy we reserved tickets for the high speed ferry, which meant less time travelling, and a couple extra hours to walk around town when we docked.

We stayed at the Gate House, part of the Robert's Collection right in town, which was ideal as we walked everywhere in town.

Our room was extremely reasonable, and just what we needed. We didn't spend much time in the room as there was a courtyard right outside.

After unpacking and a quick shower to freshen up (we were a little salty and wind-blown from sitting outside on the ferry!), we changed for dinner and started wandering around the cobblestone streets downtown. Because we went mid-June, it's still considered off season, and we found that to be ideal. It was busy enough, but we never needed a reservation, or had to wait long anywhere. Also, the weather was perfect!

We were slightly early to see the Roses and Hydrangeas in bloom, but the gardens didn't disappoint. Every home, in the smallest spaces possible, boasted beautifully manicured little gardens and the most unique window boxes.

I was thrilled though, whenever I found an early rose bush in bloom!

After dinner at the Brotherhood of Thieves, a dark and cozy basement pub, we strolled around until it was dusk, ending our walk in Lily Pond Park - the prettiest little wetland sort of area with boardwalks and rabbits bouncing around all over. We sat and watched the sun set, listening to the sounds of the frogs and birds, and then made our way back into town in the dark. It provided us the perfect opportunity to glance in the windows and see the interiors of so many of the perfect homes in town.

We finished the evening with cappuccinos and dessert at Dune and collapsed on our bed as soon as we returned, looking forward to the next day, when we'd head out to 'Sconset.