My wife and I decided to go 'for a drive' without any time frame for travel in mind. We were to join other 'Leaf Peepers' for the fall foilage throughout the New England states. We loaded the car and headed north from PA planning 10-12 days as an estimate. Turned into 18 days with tremendous memories. At the top of the list of memories, was our stay at the Bee and Thistle Inn and Spa in Old Lyme.

We arrived without a reservation and found they had one room left for the evening (must have been for us is all I can think). My wife was met by two ladies who showed her the room, and she immediately informed me that we were staying. Tosh (Natasha) and Christiana were the two ladies that presented the room and who helped to insure that our stay was to be fantastic. They treated us as if we were royalty.

We stayed in Rm 2 on the second floor. The room was amazing. A King bed, fireplace, large bathroom and walk in closet. Outside the room on the second floor was a sitting area where one could relax and perhaps read a book, if so inclined. We made dinner reservations at the Chestnut Grille on the first floor of the Inn went upstairs and cleaned up after the days travels.
Before dinner we decided to stop for a cocktail prior to dinner. Kevin, the bartender, suggested a couple of drinks we had never hadenjoyed before. My wife had a 'Cherry Godiva Martini', and I had a 'Dark and Stormy'. Both were awesome and helped to set the mood for an evening of relaxation and enjoyment. Next we were escorted to our table for an amazing dinner. Our Waitress, Sarah, made sure we were well taken care of throughout the meal. Her charm and attention to us without being overbearing, along with her humor, added to the exquisetness of our dining experience.

After dinner, we enjoyed an after dinner cocktail in the lounge area before calling it a night.

The following morning when we went to breakfast, we found waffles, cereal, fruit, sausage and bacon, sweet rolls, fresh chilled juices, etc, all available in a serve yourself style. What a great way to start the day. One of the things that my wife had mentioned when we checked in was her love for fresh scrambled eggs for brreakfast. Well none were available on the buffet, as waffles were there instead. When Christiana came in to say 'Good Morning' to us over breakfast, she realized that eggs were not on the menu for breakfast, so she went into the kitchen and asked the Chef to make them for us, which he did and we were served exactly as my wife had wanted. This is the kind of service that we received throughout our stay.

Tremendous attention to detail, very romantic, and added to that, beautiful setting on 5 acres of ground with a river out back, seating all over the property to enjoy, flower gardens and artwork to enjoy around the property, and of course the beautiful fall foilage out front. When it came time to check out, a parting gift for the days journey ahead, consisting of apples and bottled water in a fantastic 'Bee and Thistle Inn' bag was available for all guests. What a tremendous find at the beginning of our adventure. We are looking forward to another 'excuse' to travel north, just so we can stay at the Bee and Thistle Inn again. This is a beautiful New England Inn, in a romantic and beautiful setting, and a perfect place for couples of any age to enjoy.