In my last post, I talked about taking my son to camp for the weekend, and rather than do all this driving for hours, I decided to look into staying at a bed and breakfast instead. I mean, to enjoy a new town by yourself, eating where you want and shopping wherever you please? What a chore, huh? 🙂
I was actually pretty excited about it! It would also be cool to discover some new junk haunts, and if lucky enough, even bring some new stuff home. WIN all around!
As luck would have it, I discovered Acacia Bed and Breakfast, located minutes from where my son was staying. Toooooo perfect!
I did look into hotels. But the town of Hope isn’t new. It’s small and quaint and most places have been there forever. My preference was just to stay off the main noisy drag and go where it was quiet, and hopefully in newer surroundings.
And Barbara didn’t disappoint me. Come on in for a lovely tour of one very lovely bed and breakfast!
That orange case? It drew me right in. This corner makes me so happy! I’m really getting a colourful vibe this summer… first it was the charming little cottage stay in Salmon Arm, and now this… hint taken, gals!
Barbara’s home is lovely! The home was built about 10 years ago to especially cater to guests so they’d have a private entrance. With 9 foot ceilings and transom windows, the place was light, bright and very spacious.
Barbara’s home was so photogenic, I couldn’t snap fast enough. Her decor is modern/traditional with a twist of funky. You can’t help but smile with the unexpected pops of colour, such as this eclectic mix of chairs.
Art form is appreciated here. Everything was there for a reason, and not a thing more was needed.
Barbara has many lovely old glass collections, including this framed… oh man, I wish I had asked her for the proper name for this. Glass joker doesn’t seem to cut it!
Lovely and simple! Yes, I do love me some rustic junk, but I can certainly appreciate and adore other styles. I was teaching Barbara how to shoot with a DSLR and she shot the above photo. Nice going, girl!
And then a little repurposing stepped into the picture and I felt like I was home again. 🙂 This builder’s grade window was prettied up with another window placed overtop, and a plant stand attached. I adore the extra privacy, attention to detail and how charming the plants morphed this little space. Isn’t this beautiful?
And then there was my room upstairs. I’m crazy about this outdoor patio table and chairs indoors! It was very comfy too. And I’m happy to report, I spent very little time online. It was about magazine reading and a Neflix movie in the PM.
The ceilings were vaulted and the bed lower, which made the room feel even larger and lighter. Fantastic! Ohhhh I miss my little escape already…
So why show a bathroom? Well, I have a little pet peeve about hotel bathrooms. While I like things rusty and chippy, I don’t like them in a bathroom if you know what I mean. Spotless, new, clean, yes please. I was so delighted! THIS! THIS is why I love a B&B.
Did I mention how spotless this place was? It was spotless. And those shelves are a very good idea to have beside a pedestal sink. I’m taking notes.
Acacia House is located minutes from Kawkawa Lake, in Hope, BC Canada and while I’d highly recommend it, it’s for sale. But one never knows!
So, this little trip? The negative voice inside me tried to keep me at home. But I wouldn’t listen. It tried to tell me I should be staying home cleaning, or working, or DIYing, and that it would be too expensive. But I kicked it to the curb and said right out loud, “WHY NOT?! I’M GOING TO GO! I work hard and it’s ok to do this.” I truly did talk myself into it. And I’m so glad I did.
Isn’t it silly that we need permission to be good to ourselves? Well, here’s a little message to anyone out there that’s a little overwhelmed, overworked or stressed out. And it’s even for those that aren’t.
You deserve nice things to happen to you. But they won’t just knock on your door. First, you need to allow yourself to desire it, then you need to give yourself permission to allow it to happen.
You can do nice things like this for far less too. Why not delegate one full day to tour your own town or the town next door? Here’s what I did to make it special.
How to make an out of town experience special
I drove through every. single. road. in this small town, plus. Every single one, including up some mountain road. And wait till you see what I saw.
I intentionally got lost so I could discover new things. Yes, me, getting lost and being ok with it! 🙂 Remember my fear of getting lost when I went to Salmon Arm this summer? I’m so over it! (said bravely behind a computer screen…)
I stopped to eat and drink when I was hungry and thirsty at a perfect little coffee shop. I selected one I wanted to sit and spend time in and found it immediately.
I stopped to have a nice dinner at a really nice place that was reasonable. I drove past every pub and every restaurant, but one new one stood out and that did it for me. And it was fab.
I shopped in a junk store that just wouldn’t quit. I went back there 3x because it was the best place in town and I couldn’t get enough! And found all the others in town too. More on that soon!
I didn’t look at the time. I took my time.
I found myself giggling at nothing. The giggle was because I was having THE TIME OF MY LIFE all by myself. 🙂 It was one of the most fabulous days I can ever remember.
And all it took was booking a room, and going. That’s it.
Wanna know what the perfect gift is for someone that’s always busy? Downtime. Have them book a room somewhere and let them do their thing for a solid day. And watch them come home a new person.
Hey, maybe I just did your Christmas shopping for you! Santa will be so pleased… 🙂
One last thing… I have NO idea what this fabulous giant rhubarb is really called, but oh my… isn’t it fabulous?
Just like my little R&R at a B&B. Fabulous! Thank-me, for allowing me to go! 🙂
Disclosure: I paid for my room. I was not given a discount for this post. I just wanted to share how lovely it was. Thank-you Barbara! You made my little trip extra special!
Well you convinced me! I’ve booked a b&b for an overnighter two weeks from now. I’m so looking forward to it, don’t know why I’ve never thought of doing this before!
Thanks Donna – you’re a pal!!
xox
Great idea. Once again you’ve inspired me. Going to do this in a few weeks. If anyone knows good b and b’s. Maryland can you pass me on an idea
What a wonderful idea. I am in Virginia and will do this with my daughter. I especially like the one day retreat. It would be affordable to book a B&B for a night. We did a 4 day retreat and had a blast.
This post was fantastic! I’m so glad you had such a great time! And you’re right…..we all need to remember that we ‘deserve’ to be good to ourselves.
And I hope you don’t mind…..but I’m thinking I need a little framed sign that says……’I didn’t look at the time. I took my time.’
That’s SO AWESOME! I need to look at that statement every day! :o)
Thanks for such a great post…..and yeah…..where can I get that giant rhubarb plant!?! WOW!
Need to know the name of that plant. We live in Michigan but scooted through BC on our way to Alaska. Lovely to say the least.
This sounds like an amazing time! I find myself wondering if you scouted out “junk shops” ahead of time…
🙂
I would absolutely LOVE to do this – and I have done it a couple of times on a much smaller scale… Not overnights – yet. Though my trips to Lucketts in the Spring are kind of like this – they are also combined with blogging…
you’ve been working insanely hard for the last few years – and I’m so glad you are settling in to reaping the rewards!
good on ya, friend!
-b.
Good for you Donna! The B&B looks wonderful. My husband and I have been fans of B&B’s for several years now and have never had a bad experience. We have found they are cleaner than hotels and the gourmet breakfasts can’t be beat as a wonderful way to start your day. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the great things you found while exploring:>)
I love staying at B&Bs over hotels any day. I always stay at the same charming B&B in Seattle and it’s become a sort of tradition to look forward to. Looks like you found a lovely one in Hope. That giant rhubarb-type plant is called a Gunnera. It loves rainy, moist conditions so it’s absolutely perfect for us here on the West Coast. The only thing is it dies down to the ground over winter and has to be protected from the harsher frost. Most people just pile the leaves on top of the crown and that seems to be good enough for protection.
The name of the “Giant Rhubarb” in the photo is Gunnera. It grows an amazing 10-12 feet high in zones 6-8 and prefers moist soil.I would love to grow this plant, however I live in Ohio zone 5.
Your little weekend retreat sounds terrific!
Deborah
Where in Ohio? I am 30 miles east of Columbus.
I am in Wooster-about half way between Columbus and Cleveland. (Perfect for a girls day out). DGM opened in May 2010. Greenhouse and Garden Boutique are open year round 7 days a week. Take a look at our Facebook page to get a peek at the store!
Thanks for your interest in Deborah’s Garden Market!
Deborah
Looks like a great getaway, Donna. I need to follow your example. The budget has been tight this year, but, I’ve actually been offered the opportunity to do something similar for free. Why haven’t I gone for it? Yes, I’m very busy, but, a day away is doable. Thanks for the push.
The line out of this post that stands out the most for me is “I didn’t look at the time. I took my time.” That’s a toughy for me. Taking my time is hard because I, like a lot of people, have so little of it. But the line gives me a bit of a new perspective. My boyfriend (and the other half of our little repurposing business) said he wants us to go to Manistee, MI at the end of October (to salmon fish – as if I know anything about that! lol). At first, it sounded great, to be able to get away for a few days. But then I had that little voice, too, that told me I have other things I NEED to be doing. So thanks, Donna, for reminding me that what I NEED to do is give myself permission to have some fun and down-time! For reminding me that it’s ok to just do nothing ‘productive’ sometimes. 🙂
My pleasure! But even more important is, these unproductive times can be so much more productive than we ever imagined. Hey, a getaway is great blog material and a chance to get some new stuff so we can create more! I say that’s pretty productive in a relaxed kinda way. 🙂
Oh what a great time for you. I loved all the fabulous pictures. God Bless!
Donna,
Your cats are beautiful! I’m not positive, but the plant in question may be called Giant Japanese Butterbur, or Petasites japonicas. I worked at a garden center where they had one these that was huge, like the one in your picture. I love your blog!
Thanks,
Diana