The alarm nudged me out of a deep sleep at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning.  Tuesday, May 27, the last day of what was a practically perfect 8-day whirlwind of joy, laughter and yes, a few tears.

Do you stay in B&B’s when you travel?  That’s probably one of the most frequently asked questions from our guests.  We always smile, look at each other with a secret little gleam in our eyes, and answer, “No, we don’t.”  And, of course, the next question is, why not?

Around here, we use the month of February to ready ourselves – both personally and professionally – for our upcoming high tourist season.  Once we get rolling in the spring it becomes time-challenging to book appointments and such.  That’s not to say it can’t be done, it’s just much easier to get it out of the way, now, while we’re still moving slowly.  Included in this effort was my recent visit to my doctor for an annual exam.

I wasn’t sure what to title this post:  Southern Hospitality is Alive and Well?  The 25-cent Martini? The 3-Martini Lunch?  Happy Birthday to Me?!  So fueled by a 3-Martini lunch, I thought I’d just start writing and see where it takes me.

If you’re of a certain age you may remember fine dining with white linen table cloths, numerous utensils on the table and trying to figure out which fork to use when – always start from the outside and work your way in – and the waitstaff always seemed to know exactly when you were finished and how to properly pace the service.

If I had a nickel for every time someone told me I should write a book about our lives in the hospitality industry, I’d be a wealthy woman.  Well, no, actually, I’d have about $1.35 in my pocket but you get my point.

If you’ve been reading this little ole blog of mine for a while, you know that we own and operate a B&B in southern Oregon – and you know that when we’re not hosting guests, we’re out traveling the world.  We’re learning to streamline and we’re constantly looking for the perfect backpacks.

I’m not exactly sure when I became obsessed fascinated with the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, but I’ve had a relationship (in my head) with her for as long as I can remember.

Chicago – The Starting Point

I think half of the fun of an epic road trip is the getting ready part, the research, the packing, the buying of audio books (which by the way don’t buy because you won’t have time to listen to them), mapping out the journey, etc.

An informative story came out of Paris, France yesterday.  The staff of the Louvre Museum walked off the job in protest due to the increasing concern for visitor safety at the hands of pickpocket gangs.