On a very rare occasion in life you travel to an unknown place and find yourself right at home. The Carriage House Inn is a retreat in the middle of a busy city. The inn keeper, Tressie, is a combination of cook, server, travel guide, historian, and an understanding ear topped off with southern hospitality.
My husband and I have been fortunate enough to stay at the inn on two occasions. Our first stay was for a week during May of 2007. Our second stay was for a week during December of 2007. Our second trip was every bit as wonderful as our first. We quickly felt as if we had never left.
We have stayed in both the Cottage Suites. They are great for a long stay. In addition to the wonderful truffles to greet guests, the suites offer space to make yourself at home. The kitchen areas provide an opportunity to eat in if you are not up to adventuring out to all of the fabulous restuarants Tressie recommends. The regular sized fridges offer plenty of space for leftovers too.
The koi pond, gazebo, flower beds, and lawns provide a nice place to relax with a book or talk with a friend. The only bugs I found were butterflies and dragonflies.
The Carriage House was only our second time to stay at a bed and breakfast. On our first night, we quickly understood the advantages and benefits of a b&b. I frequently travel for work and have stayed at upscale hotels including the Hyatt on Town Lake in Austin. The free parking and wireless internet with a great signal even outside the rooms can save a traveler $30 to $50 dollars per night. I can't even put a price on the savings of the provided breakfast cooked with love and care. My husband is lactose intolerant, and Tressie happily made adjustments to his breakfast for him.
As an educator, I have found that orchards are filled with many varieties of apples. All apples serve a purpose and add to the variety of life. However, as hard as one tries to find the good in all apples, inevitably a rotten apple will make its way into the bushel basket. While this apple should be removed from the basket to keep from spoiling the other apples, it still makes wonderful compost. The Carriage House Inn and Tressie are both definately keepers.
Please enjoy the photos and feel free to contanct me about my experience at the inn.















