Check into a chain hotel and you may wake up confused as to where you are, since every hotel room basically looks the same. But stay at a historic inn and you know exactly where you are. Links to local history and times past distinguish these lodgings.
It's not surprising, then, that inns with historic pedigrees offer a great opportunity to learn about the town and region you're visiting. No doubt the materials that made the inn's plank floors and beamed ceilings came directly from the community. Innkeepers and owners, usually on-site, have an intimate knowledge of the region that they're eager to share. They're likely to hand you a local history or a novel based on something that happened in their town long ago, or give informed commentary on vintage photographs and maps adorning the rooms. These are places where you can read the history of the town or county you visit by an open stone fireplace, sip a toddy before turning out the light in a bedroom haunted by someone famous and savor a breakfast recipe that's been in a family for decades. To read more, click here to subscribe. >>
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