A friend of mine recently gave me a gift certificate to Select Registry. Select Registry is a network of independently owned inns, bed and breakfasts, mansions, manors, boutique hotels, lodges and cabins throughout the United States. Each property delivers personalized service and has passed the most comprehensive quality inspection in the industry.
I chose to stay at J. Palen House, a bead & breakfast in Cleveland. When I called to make the reservation, I had originally planned to stay in one of the rooms in the main house. Unfortunately all those rooms were booked but they offered me The Cottage at the same rate. The Cottage is a couple streets over from the main house on a street lined with beautiful old homes in a neighborhood on the western side of Cleveland.
This ended up working really well for me as I had a full kitchen, living room and bedroom all to myself and was planning to hunker down for the weekend and get a few projects finished.
The television in the living room was uniquely displayed on a large antique wooden easel.
The Cottage is the first floor suite and also has a second bedroom and a dining room. There is a shared courtyard, off the living room, with another of the J. Palen House accommodations.
Upon arrival on Friday afternoon, there were brownies waiting for me in the kitchen. Saturday’s breakfast was in the refrigerator and a small loaf of homemade banana bread was on the counter with warming instructions for all of it.
Friday evening, I did some baking and cooked up some dinner. The oven is a gas oven and I have not used one of those since I was little. I had no problems with the oven but I couldn’t get the stove top to start. When I turned the knob, there was no clicking but I smelled the gas. I called the main house and they walked over right away to help. The knob on this particular stove had to be turned all the way up to lite then back down where you want it. I cooked up some chicken sausages, onion and mushrooms, curled up on the couch and enjoyed some tv.
On Saturday morning, I woke up to a weather alert on my phone of 6-12 inches of snow. I had checked the weather reports several times before booking because that was the weekend that Buffalo got 6 feet of snow. I worried about it throughout the day and thought I might have to head home early Saturday evening. I contacted the main house and was reassured everything would be fine. Where we were located is about 20 minutes west of the snow belt and they rarely get any significant accumulation. She checked the weather for me all along the route I would be traveling home and called me back. There might be 1-3 inches, just a dusting but once I got to the end of the street I was on, I would be turning on the main road that would take me to the highway. The main road & highway would definitely be clear.
Saturday I spent finishing my Christmas cards and working on the stable I was building for my daughter’s Nativity.
On Saturday evening, I decided to drive up to Lake Erie which wasn’t far.
It was cold and windy so when I got back, I decided to enjoy the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom to warm up. There is a separate European style tiled shower with a rain shower head. BeeKind bath products and robes are provided for your use.
When I woke up on Sunday morning, There was probably about 3 inches of snow on the ground but I didn’t have any problem getting on the road to head home. One thing I learned is that a dusting in Cleveland is not the same as a dusting in Cincinnati. 🤣 In Cincinnati, there is a little white stuff but you can still see the grass and there is no snow on the sidewalks & streets.
Overall, a wonderful trip to relax before the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
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