Written By Steve Jones
A current television commercial states that “life comes at you fast.” So how can working parents and their children get a break from the increasing pace of everyday life and the seemingly endless responsibilities that they face on a daily basis?
They might relax if they spent a weekend at a bed and breakfast. In Carroll County alone, there are five of these special places with slower paces that draw visitors from throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Bed and breakfast visitors come to enjoy the quieter moments in life and appreciate the opportunity for someone else to do the cooking.
“We want to give our guests experiences that they don’t have at home,” said Steve Kerkam, who owns and operates the Wood’s Gain Bed and Breakfast in Linwood with his wife Beverly. “More than anything, people look for the personal touch when they come to a bed and breakfast.”
The businesses draw many visitors from large metropolitan areas, as their guest books are dotted with the names of residents from Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New York. Many of the bed and breakfast patrons want to get away from the action, and they find peace and quiet in historic towns like New Windsor, Linwood, Sykesville, and Taneytown.
“I get to be the fairy godmother,” said Joan Bradford, the longtime owner of the Yellow Turtle Inn in New Windsor. “I help make their wishes come true. A lot of people will come back here and tell me that they need their ÔTurtle fix’.”
Bradford can help patrons realize their wishes in several ways. The Yellow Turtle Inn hosts parties, baby showers, and weddings in the “Gazebo Garden.” She also refers to her place as a “bed and brunch.”
“I serve breakfast much later, because not everyone wants to be up at 9 a.m.,” Bradford said.
Although the buildings that house each Carroll County bed and breakfast date back to the 19th century, the businesses need the benefit of modern technology to be successful. According to the owners, guests are most likely to learn of their bed and breakfast operations on the Internet.
“We get a lot of calls from people who have found us through our website,” said Doris Ann Pierce, who owns and operates the Atlee House in New Windsor with her husband Sam. “Many of these visitors aren’t from around here. We’ve hosted people from New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, and even had guests from Seattle stay with us.”
On the other hand, said Kelly Crum, who owns Sykesville’s Inn at Norwood with her husband Steve, “We get visitors from other states, but we also host people who can walk here. Approximately 30 to 40 percent of our visitors are from the local area. We’re in a small, quaint town that helps people get away from it all.”
The Crums already had roots in Carroll County before they purchased the Inn at Norwood in 2001. Steve Crum grew up in Sykesville, and his father was the trainmaster at the old local railroad stop before the building was converted into what is now Baldwin’s Station Restaurant.
“If I were looking for a bed and breakfast, I would stay either at a tourist draw or look for a location central to other places that attract tourists,” said Kelly Crum said. “In Carroll County, people who stay at B&Bs are less than an hour away from Baltimore, D.C., Harper’s Ferry, and Gettysburg.”
With a visit to a bed and breakfast, guests can also avoid the impersonality of the larger hotel chains. There is a very good chance that they will be greeted personally by the owner, who carries their belongings to their guest room. They will also have the opportunity to converse with other guests and the owners themselves, in a far more personalized setting. Every guest room in each bed and breakfast has its own special touches, such as the “Four Seasons” theme at The Inn at Norwood. Steve and Kelly Crum have decorated the four rooms in their main house with color schemes of summer, fall, winter, and spring.
“Bed and breakfasts,” said Beverly Kerkam, “all have unique things to offer. And what’s different from staying at a chain hotel is that guests are not anonymous here. A lot of people enjoy the more intimate setting, and they feel very secure in a bed and breakfast environment. We just wanted to run a bed and breakfast, with no phones or televisions in the bedrooms. People can take a quiet walk, lie in our hammock, and reenergize and reconnect with each other.”
In some locations, the bed and breakfast concept has led to a more grandiose complex. In 1989, Antrim 1844 began as a B&B at its current location in Taneytown, just 15 minutes from Gettysburg. Although Antrim still serves breakfast to its guests, it has developed into a country inn with many amenities.
“We’re larger than a bed and breakfast,” said Antrim General Manager John Vonnes. “In addition to breakfast, we also serve dinner and afternoon tea, and we have plenty of space for weddings and corporate events. We’re more of a small hotel than a B&B.”
Large is the key word when describing Antrim 1844, which is owned by Dorothy and Richard Mollett. The inn has 36 rooms and suites, and you’re just as likely to see groups of visitors rather than just a couple seeking a getaway weekend.
Fall is the busiest season for bed and breakfast establishments. The county hosts more activities during the season.
“In general, there is a real need for lodging in Carroll County,” said Wood’s Gain’s Steve Kerkam. “We really do need more bed and breakfasts to service not only the out-of-town visitors, but also the people we call internal tourists that reside in the county and stay with us.”
Despite the need for these quaint and homey places, the number of bed and breakfasts in Carroll County could be drastically reduced in the next few months. Roops’ Mill Bed and Breakfast, located on Taneytown Pike outside of Westminster, closed on November 1. The Yellow Turtle Inn and Wood’s Gain are currently for sale, and there is no guarantee that the eventual owners of the property will continue the bed and breakfast concept.
“The burnout point for most bed and breakfast owners is about five years,” said the Yellow Turtle’s Bradford. “I’ve been doing this for 13 years, and I just want to have more time for myself. I really want it to remain a bed and breakfast, and a place for weddings and special events.”
The Kerkams are still fans of the bed and breakfast concept. During the past few years, Steve and Beverly have taught a class entitled “How to Own a Bed and Breakfast Business” at Carroll Community College. They are ready to move on, however.
“We want to do some traveling and see where the winds take us,” said Steve Kerkam. “We have a beach house along the barrier islands in North Carolina, and a house in Westminster that we’re renovating.”
Although the bed and breakfast business is winding down for Joan Bradford and the Kerkams, the experience is still fresh for Sam and Doris Ann Pierce. The New Windsor couple bought the Atlee House in 2002. They are building a combination coffee house and cafe onto the back of the building that will be open next year.
“I am loving every minute of it,” said Doris Ann Pierce. “We’ve already had many delightful people come and stay with us.”
Sam Pierce has a more unique perspective on the bed and breakfast business than most owners. He is the mayor of New Windsor.
“When you’re the mayor of a small town, everyone knows you by name,” said Sam. “When we told the townspeople that we bought this place, we’ve seen a lot of support from our community and the county.”
Given the commitments and responsibilities of modern-day life, it would seem that the holiday season would be the perfect time for families to visit a bed and breakfast. But bed and breakfast owners also have families, and they need a break at that time.
“We consider the holidays to be family time, which is important in this business,” said Beverly Kerkam. “You have to create time and space for yourselves. Instead of having guests, we host Thanksgiving and Christmas here for our own families.”
The owners of B & Bs emphasize the romantic nature of their establishments. The Kerkams offer a Valentine’s Day package at Wood’s Gain, which features a wine and cheese reception on Friday night and a catered dinner on Saturday. The Inn at Norwood, which bills itself as “a romantic bed and breakfast,” is geared toward couples instead of families.
But the entire industry is dedicated to a goal that consumers are becoming more unfamiliar with: a smaller destination that offers them the personal touch, far from the increasing sameness of modern-day American culture.
