Monday, February 15, 2016

A Lovely Romantic Getaway: Stonecroft Country Inn, a Select Registry Property

Tucked within the rolling, bucolic country roads of southeastern Connecticut lies an old country inn, dating back to 1807. If you're looking for a romantic place to get away and feel welcomed and pampered, the Stonecroft Country Inn is a New England gem that meets every expectation. 

Located only five miles from the historic Mystic Seaport, the Stonecroft Country Inn, once the estate of sea captain, Shubel Smith, sits on six and a half acres of gardens and outdoor space, featuring a lovely terrace, fire pit and koi pond. 


The family owned and operated bed and breakfast is kept by Jim and Marcie Townsend, who pay close attention to insure that each guest of the inn is treated like a family member who has come home for a long-awaited visit. The inn was named Best of New England: Country Comfort by Yankee Magazine in 2012.



The 1807 House

The Georgian Colonial main house, the 1807 House, with original historic features, offers four guest rooms with private baths, six working fireplaces and three wood-burning fireplaces. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places




Our room was located in the Yellow Barn. Formerly called The Grange, the Yellow Barn is an 8,000 square foot converted post and beam barn, which houses six suites, including two master suites that offer privacy from all other rooms, perfect for honeymoons or special occasions. 


The Yellow Barn

The Señor and I stayed in the Orlando Suite, named for Smith's youngest son, who, with his mother, Sarah, was responsible for the area's granite industry that provided building stone and monuments, including national monuments sent to Washington, DC and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 


The Orlando Suite features a queen-size, walnut sleigh bed, a gas-lit fireplace, leather love seat, a dark wood armoire with two soft, plush, monogrammed robes, and a small writing desk with captain's chair. French double doors open onto a deck and sitting area.  




The spacious bathroom, the size of some standard hotel rooms itself, features a heated towel rack with plush Turkish towels, a coffee service, a jacuzzi tub for two and a separate, walk-in shower. 




All rooms in the barn are air-conditioned, have wifi, and have wide-screen TVs with DVD players. A library of movies and books are available in the main lobby for guests to peruse and borrow for their enjoyment. 




Guests love the Stonecroft Country Inn. An endearing feature of our room was a journal left for guests to write notes about their stay. From romantic weekends away to weekend getaways for an event at the nearby Foxwoods casino, every note expressed the highest level of gratitude for the experience at Stonecroft. Here is one example. 




Each morning, guests of the inn are treated to a homemade, full country breakfast. Intimate tables in front of a grand stone fireplace fill the dining room, located on the first floor of the barn, overlooking a terrace, gardens, a koi pond and a grapevine-shaded pergola. Treats, like homemade brownies and snacks accentuate the welcoming feel to this home-away-from home. 




The Stonecroft Country Inn is a member of Select Registry, a portfolio of more than 300 quality assured, premier bed and breakfasts, inns, and select hotels. Each property is held to a 200 point inspection, insuring that guests are treated to the highest quality experience, and Jim and Marcie provided that and more. 




Anyone can stay at a chain hotel that offers an impersonal front-end experience; but if you're looking for more...a place where you are welcomed as if you were coming home, then choose a Select Registry property like the Stonecroft Country Inn. It's well located, accessible from anywhere in the Northeast. Visit for a weekend away or as a halfway point for a girls' weekend away. 




We are grateful to Jim and Marcie, who hosted our stay, in partnership with Select Registry. For booking information, call 800-772-0774. Stonecroft Country Inn is located at 515 Pumpkin Hill Road, Ledyard, Connecticut. They can be contacted at innkeeper@stonecroft.com. 


Sunday, February 14, 2016

Love Big

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! 


Share the love...with yourself and with others. 

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Ahora 14: Back Again


Ahora is back from hiatus. I love seeing what others are up to every month and learning about what crosses their radar. Naturally, I thought it would be fun to do my own. 


Ahora, meaning Now in Spanish, is a monthly series that gives you the highlights of what's trending in my life each month. 


Reading...
Big Magic. I had the pleasure of seeing Liz Gilbert on her Big Magic book tour.


I listened to the Magic Lessons podcast over the summer, and although I've had the book on my nightstand for a while, I began listening to the audio book, read by Liz Gilbert, herself. It's a motivating read; a permission slip, if you will, for the innate desire we all have at some point, to be makers. "If you're alive," she says, "you're a creative person."



Watching...
It seems like everyone is watching Making a Murderer. I started it, but I never finished it. I'm not one for crime dramas. In fact, I haven't watched much of anything lately, with the exception of the debates and a back-to-back session of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  

Eating...
Lately, I have been eating a lot of avocado toast. For me, it's a simple supper. It's perfect for when the Señor is eating sardines on salad...a simple supper for him. I smash half of an avocado on two slices of toasted Ezekiel sesame bread. I grind some pink Himalayan salt on top, and dinner is served, with or without a glass of red wine. 

Drinking...
With the warmer than seasonal temperatures we have had here in New England this winter, there have been plenty of reasons to justify my iced coffee; however, I have begun drinking more tea. When the weather is cold or raw, nothing is better than a hot cup of herbal tea when I get home from school. 

Doing...
Homework. I'm taking two more classes this semester: one on language acquisition and one on community service learning. 

Visiting...
Last year, I was thrilled to connect with a representative of Select Registry, a "portfolio of more than 300 quality assured bed and breakfasts, inns, and hotels throughout North America." As a result, I was selected, among other travel writers, to visit and review various properties in my area. What a treat! The first reviews are coming soon. 

Listening to...
Podcasts. I can't get enough. As I mentioned, I listened to all of Magic Lessons this summer. Some of my other favorites include The Simple Show, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, The Chalene Show, and An Uncluttered Life

Are you a podcast fan? What are your favorites?

Loving...
This girl. I found a puppy tooth on the floor last night; her adult teeth are coming in.  

And this guy...


And celebrating...
Happy birthday to my badass and now, cancer-free sister-friend. Take a good deep breath and blow out all of your candles. There are a lot of wishes come true coming your way. 


That's what's going on in my world these days. How about you? What is happening ahora in your world?


Linking up with Gretchen and Kristen today for What's New with You. Thanks, girls!