My first visit to the guesthouse was extremely picture-worthy! So much so that I took many pictures, and have uploaded 5 here — I hope I set the record for number of pictures uploaded t this blog in a single post! Can you guess where the guest house is, who its host was, or who I am? If you can sleuth it, I’ll guarantee you an interview! Here are some hints:
The host is world-class, and is known around the globe. Not only does the host have a library in the guesthouse, but has also made several contributions to it!
Following is the coal stove sink. Very unique. From what the host tells me, the artisan who constructed it was unsure of whether or not the job was possible, but the host pushed on and it became possible! There’s nothing like persistence and determination, no matter what the field.
The guest house looks as follows from the outside. Beautiful scenery. Green trees. Hopefully can help you guess the general location of the guest house a little better. Try zooming in on the trees, looking at the leaves, and determining the type of tree. Any leaf collectors out there?
More hints: near a body of water. Maybe not a large body of water, but a body of water nonetheless. Vegetation. Changing of leaf colors. Getting warmer?
And finally the bridge to the body of water. The host has done an amazing job on this property. If you look closely, you can see the host’s dog. Can you guess what kind of dog? Where bred?
There’s much information beyond the pictures and words above, including some forensics around this blog, the names of the posters, etc.
Kudos to those who can converge on the location of the guesthouse or discover the secret identity of the host.
— Neil
We’ve stayed at the guesthouse in both of it’s incarnations. I definitely prefer it with plumbing rather than without. I also think the sink is charming and if I were the hosts I would conceal odd objects (you know, animal skulls, marbles, mysterious letters, etc.) behind all the little doors to see if the guests commented on them.
Don’t tell anyone but I have a plan to check in there in the beginning of the summer and stay there until fall, turning it into my painting studio. It seems like too nice a place to just sleep in; however I might require a kitchenette to be installed there.
Here is a painting I made of the peacock’s feet.
This was a great place to spend the night! The company was grand, and the arrangements couldn’t have worked out better.
I had a very productive meeting with the host, and the location made it easy to go out on a nice walk as a break. It was a lovely sunny day, and with the temperature in the 20s, I was encouraged to keep walking, or at least to keep moving. We wandered past the woodpile, waiting to be lit up for the winter solstice next week. (Alas, I need to be back in CA so will miss what I have heard is a fabulous party.)
When I got back home, and told my daughters about my trip, they were unhappy that I hadn’t taken them with me. They really like animals, and wanted to meet the dogs, cats, chickens, goats, horses, pigs, cows, and whatever other animals I’m leaving out.
I certainly look forward to returning (if I am invited), and seeing the finished bar [ed: in the meantime the contents of said bar live on the floor in a disorganized but colorful array]. I also hope to convince the host to start stocking some Island scotches to go along with the rest of his enormous collection.
I learned a number of interesting things during my visit: what a liberal is (the drink), that macaroni and cheese can be a gourmet meal, and that a coal stove can really be turned into a working sink!
Steve
I too stayed at the guest house before plumbing, and before… curtains. It did have electricity, and I remember wondering if anyone was taking a peek from the main house as I changed for bed by the light of the lamp. The bed was comfy and the sounds of the country comforting. The dinner and drinks were fantastic and made me wish my home life wasn’t quite so hectic as to prevent homemade meals on a regular basis.
Then, early in the morning as the sun was making its appearance and I was burrowing my head under the covers to keep from awakening, came a sudden and very loud “HONK!”. I couldn’t figure out what the sound was. “Those damn kids” was my first thought. But then, it turned out to be… the resident peacock greeting the sun.
I rolled out of bed, put on some shoes, collected my clothes and toothbrush, and headed to the main house to get ready for the day (I’m looking forward to a visit with running water!). Got a walking tour from my host… beautiful river and countryside. Ended my stay with the host taking me on a lovely drive to Baltimore for a visit to Johns Hopkins.
-Kay Connelly
Others have remarked “waking up in the morning to a sun or smell the freshness in the air”… which I agree belongs to this special Guest House not far from the river nestled in the woods. “There is something in the air that makes you feel so fresh and lively. Overall, it was like experiencing all the excitement of living in nature, yet having all the comforts of home. The colors were brighter, the smells sweeter, and the drinks tastier.” I do concur. “The food is great. The bar can’t be beat,” by all means the truth as I see it! Having visited for this Halloween past and for this Thanksgiving’s repast, the comforts of visiting the ‘coal stove sink’ hideaway are great. Not to mention the pleasures awaiting you in the ‘great house’ nearby.
But it has not always been so. True, great food has always been beautifully presented to enjoy. Five star. And each time I visit the bar, it surpasses the time before. Can one achieve more than five stars? But the Guest House before the coal stove sink; before the tiled shower; before running water; yes, even before plumbing made life more difficult.
Case in point: a cold winter morning; more than a foot of snow; the ‘call of nature’ upon rising; requires a visit outside; a yellow hole in the snow beside the large tree; bad enough; BUT yet sans shower; to wash, one must break the ice; dip in the cold river; with only a snorkel mask to locate your bar of soap; swirling in the icy waters around your frozen knees.
Published by Gary the Elder
It was a rainy, dark night when your feet got soaked from the toes to your shins walking through the grass. Despite the cool temperature, the constant rain and the dampness under the trees I was warmed from a few Malbecs and some excellent Mt. Gay to wash down the various cheeses and crackers on the tray served on my hosts’ porch. As I ventured to the guesthouse with my raincoat collar pulled up high I realized that I could have made a similar journey 100 years past if I was around and that made me wonder what someone might do 100 years from this day…would they spend time chatting, munching on crackers and drinking Malbec on the porch prior to retiring to the guesthouse? One think was certain, the newly constructed barn would easily outlive all of us and I suspected the guesthouse would as well. [ed: picture of barn construction inserted.]
I pulled up the bed spreads toward my chin and allowed my head to settle into the pillow as I stared up into the dark recesses of the exposed beams with the rain constantly dropping beads on the roof of the guesthouse. The juxtaposition of the century old house combined with the wireless network of cool computer technology made for an interesting point in time to imagine a similar experience 100 years in the future.
I was looking forward to exploring the farm and surrounding banks of the river tomorrow reconciled with the realization that with tomorrow would come more rain, sometimes light, sometimes heavy but always wet.
It made the bed seem a little warmer, a little firmer and very comforting knowing the the roof was willing to withstand the bouncing beads of rain all night so I could drift off to sleep anticipating the natural adventures of a new day.
Jim Routh
I travel a bunch for my job. I have a blog called noplasticshowers where I track some of my adventures in hotel discovery, plastic avoidance, and mixology. Before Coal Stove Sink existed, one of our guesthouse guests posted a review of the guesthouse on noplasticshowers. That’s one of the things that sparked this blog…
Without further ado, a copy of that entry from May 2010.
I recently had a guest from Belgium stay in the newly-renovated guesthouse at my place. Here is what the guest had to say:
After having stayed some days at a Marriott Courtyard (cf. an earlier blog entry for a taste, they’re probably the same everywhere), the one night at the guesthouse (in an anonymous location) was a real refresher.
A spacious room, filled with a grand piano, big library, nice couch, a great bed, and free wifi. But above all, in the spirit of this blog, the shower is brilliant – spacious, nice mosaic finishing, sliding glass door, brushed aluminium handle, just perfect.
I had a great night, still being jet lagged that says much. And waking up in full green nature is a bonus, the birds welcomed the new day with beautiful songs.
To wrap up, it’s also worth mentioning the beautiful golden retriever that whipped its tail so friendly when heading to breakfast (real espresso, and eggs laid by the local chickens the night before, neat …). 5 stars.
[That is, five showerheads…]
I’ve known it’s owner for years, but only visited the guesthouse for the first time last summer. When my flight was almost diverted because of severe thunderstorms, I should, perhaps, have heeded the sign from the powers that be. On my way to the guesthouse, I received a brief text indicating that the electricity was out and that I should “head for the river”. After a round trip to get out of my city clothes and into a bathing suit I did just that without fully considering the ramifications.
I spent three lovely days in the guesthouse. As past visitors have indicated, the accommodations are lovely, the company is exceptional, and the bar is truly unsurpassed. After the second day of mobile security, swimming and fishing in the river, greeting the humongous spider that waited on my pillow every night, and sleeping in a light sheen of my own sweat the lack of electricity (and running water) began to catch up with me. Just after we ventured out in search of a shower the power returned and all was righted with the world.
The colors were brighter, the smells sweeter, and the drinks tastier. That had to change, so on my last morning before donning my city clothes and returning to the doldrums of the real world there was a final project to complete. Freshly showered, and wearing my only non-city shoes, we set out to complete the demolition of a zillion-year-old chicken coop. For those of you who haven’t spent time around chickens in their natural state, they aren’t the most pleasant creatures. Now, imagine ages and ages of that goodness caked, layered, and plastered on every surface.
When we finally got the superstructure hauled away and began pulling up the sub-floor we found one last surprise: The petrified corpse of a possum that had spent it’s last moments under the coop. It was one of the defining experiences of my life.
The cabin is very spacious, clean and elegantly designed with a king size bed with plenty of blankets. There are also a lot of musical instruments in the room. If you are a music lover, you can stay up all night testing your musicality. I chose to enjoy the bar instead. The bar is better than some of the most high profile restaurants in New York City. Not to mention the delicious dinner and breakfast. I got to sit in front of a fire, sip on different types of bourbons (sort of bourbon tasting if you will) and chat for hours with the host and his family. I was having so much fun that the time just flew by. It was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Waking up in the morning to a sun or smell the freshness in the air is something I have missed for such a long time as I don’t get that in my apartment in the city. There is something in the air that makes you feel so fresh and lively. Overall, It was like experiencing all the excitement of living in the nature, yet having all the comforts of home.
I wish I could stay longer and enjoy the beauty and the hospitality for few more days but I am quite certain, I will be going back there again and this time at least for a weekend.
Anurag
I’ve stayed in the guesthouse once or twice a year or so for the past five years. For all you whippersnappers out there, that’s about four years longer than it’s had a shower, a toilet, or one of them newfangled “coal stove sinks” you read about these days. The running water is a welcome change, but the essential nature of the place is still the same: a peek into country life, but without any of the sharp edges that might endanger a city slicker.
Twice I’ve taken my whole family for a weekend. The guesthouse sleeps three easily. Four wouldn’t be a stretch. Plenty of farm animals, toys and games to keep a four-year-old entertained. Enough musical instruments to keep the adults up way past bedtime.
Outside it’s too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. Plenty of blankets makes winter no big deal. The window air-conditioner is a lifesaver in the summer. Keep the front door shut. It’s not so much about the temperature. The outside light is next to the door, and the moths and other night insects swarm it. If you leave the door open for any length of time, they’ll all invite themselves inside.
The food is great. The bar can’t be beat. Catch a solstice party if you can. HUGE bonfire. One additional amenity: the nightlight I left there last year.
Coal Stove Sink 