Thursday, October 8, 2015

A place to lay my head



     You don’t usually hear people complaining about a lack of development in New Jersey, but we’ve found a small axe to grind on that subject. 


          Our daughter lives in the northwestern part of the state, an area brimming with farms and dotted with George Washington’s rest stops, the land chock-full of woods and houses whose backyards serve as smorgasbords for the deer. Because many of the residents commute to city jobs, there are also excellent restaurants and plenty of shopping. But no hotels. 


          Okay, there are a few. Years before, we began with one about fifteen minutes from her house, but gave up on it the night we discovered it was impossible to lock the room door. It soon lost its franchise and became a Motel 6. 


          We then moved down the road to another chain, this one closer to her house, but were never able to drum up much enthusiasm for it. It seemed to attract clientele whose main purpose for staying there was to shout to each other in the hall at 1 a.m. and slam doors repeatedly. The next morning we’d stagger down for our free breakfast and sit at a tiny table buttering our sad-looking bagels on a paper plate. 


          Yes, we have an open invitation to stay at our daughter’s,
 but a futon + one 6’ 2” husband is not going to produce much sleep either.

          And then I found more proof that the internet is my friend. In desperation, I went trolling yet again for a place to stay, and found The Everitt House in Hackettstown. It’s a B&B, a Victorian from 1800 something or other and is the same price as our hotel with the uncontrollable air conditioning and sticky-floored lobby. 





          I’m considering putting Bev, the owner, into my will. 




          This past weekend was our third visit, this time with family in tow for the upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Saturday afternoon we all lounged around downstairs with some wine I had brought before moving on to my daughter’s for dinner.

Sunday morning we gathered in the dining room for eggs and blueberry pancakes that produced purple pools on our plates when we cut into them.


          Okay, there were a few glitches.



          Our son and his fiancé were assigned the Empire Room, which would have been lovely if only he weren’t 6’5” and the bed hadn’t had a footboard. They looked a bit bleary-eyed the next morning, but hey, they’re young. 


          We were in the Manor Suite, up on the third floor, with a parlor and a Jacuzzi tub. Unfortunately, it may have been designed with honeymooners in mind since the television was in an outer room where there was only a stiff bench-like sofa. We got creative Sunday night and piled pillows on the floor. 


          Still, we’re hooked. 



          And how can you go wrong with a hotel whose address is on Chocolate Avenue? (It’s also called High Street, but the second name is a nod to the M&M plant in town.)

         

18 comments:

  1. We use to have the same problem when we visited our daughter and then finally she bought a house. But those days too are gone and we'll be back to hotels when we visit her next.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used to do a show on the Ramapo college grounds in Mahwah. I remember the accomodation problem, but the whole area is fabulous. Yeah for internet finds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How can you not love the name Mahwah? When we're traveling through that area, I always get a kick out of the highway sign telling us that we're nearing Nyack, which always reminds me of a Three Stooges chuckle.

      Delete
  3. Looks like a nice change of pace when traveling. I will have to look into B&Bs more when we travel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am a fan of the anonymity of hotels, but this place feels like going home now.

      Delete
  4. It looks delightful. Character-filled. Sticky floors and slamming doors? Gah.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your comment just alerted me to a missed opportunity. I could have written this as a poem!

      Delete
  5. I started thinking B&B right from the second paragraph. I love them and have met some really interesting people at the breakfast table.
    M & M's are made in that town?. Another good reason to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I hope the place I lay my head this weekend is as nice as that...and Chocolate Avenue, how could you go wrong?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my gosh! Those rooms are gorgeous! Wonder if I could copy them for our little cabin? :) I would love to stay at a B&B.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think even with the few glitches it is a far cry better than any chain.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Haven't been to a B&B in about twenty years!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good B&Bs are hard to find. I'm not a fan of B&Bs. I'm glad you found something you like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wasn't before, either, Red. I've stayed at some where the proprietor is determined to be your new BFF and won't leave you alone.

      Delete
  11. How I would love to live on a street called Chocolate Avenue!
    The B&B looks very lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a great find! Definitely better than a sticky motel with a non-locking door. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think you are so fortunate to have found this place! Yes, Chocolate Avenue would have beckoned me right away. :-)

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by and I'd love to hear what you think.