My wife and I visited Staunton, Va., last summer to attend a performance of the American Shakespeare Center's production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. We felt at home in the quaint, surprisingly vibrant centerpiece in the Shenandoah Valley and enjoyed our experience at the theater so much we decided to return for Thanksgiving weekend.

During that first visit to Staunton, we learned that Frederick House serves as one of the American Shakespeare Center sponsors. We figured anyone who cared enough about a theater company to help ensure its longevity would — most likely — run an "inn" with aplomb. Happily, but not surprisingly, that's what we encountered during our stay at the impressive 25-room, multi-location bed and breakfast owned and run by Joe and Evy Harman.

We chose to arrive on Thanksgiving day, and I'd called earlier in the week and was told it would be fine to check in early. We arrived in Staunton at 12:45 p.m. and had our first meeting with the Harmans, who are gracious, witty, extremely articulate, and, as we soon discovered, quite kind.

Joe noticed that I limp because of bad knees and upgraded our room to a first floor suite at Patrick House. It's difficult to express just how much pleasure my wife and I felt when we strolled into that wondrous first floor space with hardwood flooring, high ceiling, tons of perfect light, and a four-poster king bed that provided a sublime sleeping experience.

We actually booked that very same room for NEXT Thanksgiving within 15 minutes of our arrival, but we're already looking ahead to returning earlier to Staunton and Frederick House— in addition to our Thanksgiving trip — to take advantage of the many enticing diversions that Staunton has to offer.

The American Shakespeare Center is reason enough to visit, but if theater is not your cup of mocha, allow me to suggest touring the region, visiting the wide range of art galleries, or simply putting the food bag on.

There are numerous dining options in Staunton. We chose Aioli (Saturday) and Zynodoa (Friday), and the Thanksgiving buffet at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel. I recommend all three. How does a Mediterranean Paella sound? Or a spicy gumbo with a twist? Or perhaps a mountain of jumbo shrimp surrounded by smoked salmon? Yes, we enjoyed our dinners.

Breakfast at Frederick House, however, proved to be our favorite food experience. Everything that Evy Harman serves, Evy Harman has made. It's up to the guest to decide how healthy a breakfast he/she wants. From oatmeal to multigrain waffles, carnivores and vegetarians will have access to a powerful combination of high quality ingredients, flavor, and wise dining options. Fresh juice and coffee to start, and then, a guest is on his own. Do you have the quiche? Cold cereal? Granola? Or perhaps a sausage and egg combo? I recommend the waffle. Outstanding.

So there you have it — some thought for food, as well as food for thought.

The inn is located a very short walk from restaurants and shops. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable. Breakfast was served in dining room set up with tables of two, four etc. for individual guest parties. The food was well prepared and there were ample choices.
It is a complex of old homes that form a 25 room inn in downtown Staunton. We were disappointed that they did not have any travel books about Virginia nor other information about the Blue Ridge Parkway. They did not have a library. The owner were pleasant but did not offer any personalized service.

Liked the comfortable bed (although wish it would have been a king bed), the interesting history of Frederick House, the location, breakfast and hospitality of the owners. I did not like having to haul the suitcases up the stairs from the checkin point or go uphill to our room entrance and certainly did not like the towels - microfiber!

Last weekend, my husband and I spent 3 nights at Frederick House. It was a lovely place to stay, but there were enough minor issues that I cannot give it a 5-star rating.
First the pro's - charming, helpful owners, delicious breakfasts and lovely rooms
Then the con's (with explanations of why I find these negatives) - 1) microfiber sheets, pillow cases and towels. This one in my prejudice - I don't like the feel of microfiber linens. They seem to "hot" and I really love the feel of cool, cotton pillow cases. As far as microfiber towels are concerned - they just don't absorb like a plush terrycloth towel. 2) there are no coffee/tea making facilities in the rooms. Since Frederick House is actually several buildings, with breakfast served in the main one, you have to walk - outside - up to a couple of blocks to go get your morning coffee. We were there over a beautiful fall weekend, but this would NOT be pleasant in rain or snow. Besides, I like to have my first cup of coffee while I'm still in my 'jammies. This is not an option. It would also not be pleasant to make a trek through inclement weather to go to breakfast, but we didn't experience that.

That said, I would not hesitate to recommend Frederick House as a place to stay in Staunton, which is a delightful town and a favorite destination of ours for a weekend get-away. Be careful though to chose your room carefully. They are all different and certainly appeal to different tastes.