Hotel Review: French Quarter Inn Charleston SC

"Timeless elegance at the Market" is how they describe themselves, and I am hard-pressed to improve on that description. As soon as you enter the lower level, you know this is not going to be your average hotel visit.

The curving staircase with the elaborate ironwork soars up to the lobby, which is on the first floor. You are greeted with champagne and lady ladyfingers in our case, with the news that due to booking difficulties, we have been upgraded to a junior suite - I hate when that happens!

THE ROOM

Tastefully decorated the room took our breath away. Our two queen-size beds came with double-sheeted featherbeds. If you don’t like the pillows on the bed, order another type from the pillow menu. We relaxed on our queen-size sofa bed with a matching easy chair and lots of throw pillows. The room had three other chairs and three tables. A desk separated the two beds, and the TV was located in an armoire. A particularly nice touch was the two luggage racks, one on each side of the armoire. Our room overlooked City Market.

A favorite with us was the large Jacuzzi tub. It was perfect for soaking after a long day of walking. The shower was a separate unit.

The bathroom was well equipped with a blow dryer, makeup mirror, full-length mirror, and a wrought-iron cart holding four sets of plush towels. Amenities are provided by Gilcrest and Soames.

You will find two robes in your armoire.

FOOD

Breakfast is provided, and you can choose to have it delivered or can pick it up yourself in the lobby. An outdoor patio is provided for your dining enjoyment, as well as several couches and plenty of chairs. Breakfast is served from 7 a.m. to 10  a.m. You can choose from French pastries, toasted bagels, blueberry muffins, fruit, juice, and beverages.

From 5 to 6 p.m., there is a wine-and-cheese reception, and from 9 to 10 p.m., there is milk and cookies. Coffee and tea are available 24/7, and ice tea and lemonade are offered from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. There are even M&M's and Jelly Bellies
available to snack on. In the morning, you will find USA Today at your door.

In the evening, turndown service is provided. You receive a praline and tomorrow’s weather forecast, with a copy of the breakfast menu tucked into your robe.

PARKING

Valet parking was $32 a day.

Beyond service, the staff at the French Quarter Inn here can handle anything. Joe had some packages he needed shipped home, and it was arranged for him. We needed dinner suggestions, and we had a fabulous meal and a flawless reservation. Need a map? They have it. Forget something and they will provide it. Everyone goes out of their way to be friendly and helpful. I love this hotel and can’t wait to come back.

Our Visit to Ickworth House

A country house tour: Ickworth House

In a country of countless country houses, Ickworth House stands out for its unique architecture. It is built in the Italianate style with a central rotunda and 2 curved wings going off it. As you visit the rooms on the Rotunda the uniqueness of the curved exterior walls is a delight to the eye and yet still surprises as you move room to room.

Ickworth was constructed by the Earl Bishop, Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry. The family name of the Earls of Bristol was Hervey. The house is not currently in the possession of the family, it belongs to the National Trust and the east wing has been turned into a four-star luxury hotel.

Construction on Ickworth House began in 1795, and the Earl Bishop viewed it as more of a museum than a comfortable home. His extensive art, silver and furniture collections are now on display in the house.
The rooms

The first room you visit is the Dining Room - it has 6 large silver candelabra, on the right-hand wall is a lovely picture of the Hervey Sisters in identical white dresses with blue sashes. The library has 4 pillars. They are ground marble over a wood frame and hollow. The silk on the curtains and couches is made in Sudbury. There is a very nice painting by Benjamin West of the death of General Wolfe on the Plains of Abraham.

The Drawing Room has a beautiful portrait of Lady Elizabeth Foster by Angelika Kaufman and a portrait of the Earl Bishop by Viger Lebrun. The chandeliers in this room were made in Birmingham. A man came with scroll designs and stood on a stool so they could pick which one looked best in each room.

The Pompeian Room has several gorgeous tables made of mosaic and marble from tombs along the Appian Way in Rome. The ceiling of the room is a dome, amazing. When you first go upstairs, there is a beautiful display of the fan collection of the 3rd Marchioness of Bristol. Some of the fans are from as early as the 18th century.

One of the bedrooms has a beautiful and unusual Venetian Murano Glass chandelier. It is very colorful and the guide in that room said that people seem to either love or hate it, with most women loving it. I have to admit that yes, I did love it.

The Museum Room housed some of the massive silver collection. A silver baby rattle and a huge wine cistern were among my favorites, as well as cases of miniatures. Included is a beautiful portrait of Georgiana Devonshire and Elizabeth Foster who shared the love of the Duke of Devonshire and yet remained close friends, as well as snuffboxes and perfume bottles.


We ended our tour with a visit to the gift shop and a bit of play acting. Some really interesting hats are offered for you to try on and model and of course, we did.


Be sure to check their website or the National Trust for opening times and fees.

Franklin Pierce Homestead Hillborough NH

Let me begin by saying this was an amazing tour. I love visiting presidential sites but let's be honest, Franklin Pierce is not exactly a household name and when it comes to boring presidents of very little account, he may be very close to the top of the list. And yet, this was such an interesting tour. It just goes to show if you have an enthusiastic docent giving the tour, it makes for a very good time.  

We came here the last weekend in September and our tour had 11 people on it. Seriously, 11 people I was shocked, was it "Let's visit the home of a boring president weekend"? It seems as though it was and people were from as far away as Wisconsin. 

Hillsborough is not close to anything really. It is out of the way but I am going to encourage you to actually make the trip, you won't be disappointed. While Franklin may be a lackluster president once you visit here, it will all become a lot more clear and many very interesting stores will be told about his father and brother and Franklin himself before he became president. 

The homestead was purchased by Franklin's father the same year he was born so though he wasn't born here he did spend all of his formative years in this house. I was disappointed that no photography was allowed in the house because there were lots of interesting things in it. 

Adam was our tour guide and his love and enthusiasm for this property were evident throughout the tour. They offer a video while you are waiting for the tour to start but we arrived too late to see more than a minute or two. 

While the Pierces weren't wealthy they were comfortable. The farm was originally 200 acres and they had local girls who helped around the house who also stayed with the family. It was a good job and they could be assured of not too hard work and plenty to eat. 

The house has an addition that is older than the original house, it is an older house that was brought here and added to the home. We began the tour in the kitchen and learned a lot about life in the house in the time when Franklin was growing up. 

Benjamin Pierce was from Chelmsford, Mass and he ran a pub. The front of the house was built to be a pub and it was run as one in the early days. He was quite successful and served two terms as the governor of New Hampshire. 

Franklin married Jane Means Appleton when he was not quite 30 and she was 28. Her father according to our guide Adam was the most repressive minister in the history of America. Knowing about Cotton Mather, this made me want to learn a bit more about the Rev. Appleton. 

Jane hated Hillsborough and she and Franklin moved to Concord after 4 years. She appears to always have been a rather depressed woman but losing her children at young ages didn't help and the loss of their last child Benjamin at the age of 12 in a tragic train accident on the way to Washington sent her into an extreme depression from which she never recovered. Luckily, her husband adored her and was very patient with her. 

Franklin was very anti-war after he was fought in the Mexican War. He was great friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne and Jefferson Davis. 

The tour of this homestead is filled with great information and I can't believe I am saying this but I think we will go back and do it again, it was that good and there is also the house in Concord, NH that can be visited. 

I highly recommend a getaway weekend and a visit to the Franklin Piecere Homestead, you won't be disappointed. 

Boating Holidays in England

When it comes to boating holidays in England, there are several different options to choose from. Canal boating is a popular pastime on the rivers of England and there is the Lake District which has lots of boating opportunities. Here are a few suggestions about where you might want to spend your boating holiday in England.

What could be more fun than a canal boat company called "The Black Prince"? It offers a variety of launch points and the launch points offer a variety of different boating experiences. One of the launch points is in the Peak District. The base is at the Festival Park Marina in Etruria, Stoke on Trent. There are four route options to choose from and all of them offer a different boating experience.

For those who prefer to take a longer trip, there are two routes that are over 100 miles. Both of them are active routes with lots of locks and require traveling for up to nine hours a day. For those who prefer a more leisurely trip, there is one route that is only 42 miles. It requires only three hours per day of floating and then there is one that is middle of the road and requires about six hours of travel per day and goes 82 miles through 26 locks. Their boats can accommodate from two to ten people.

The boats have all the modern conveniences. Kitchens with cookers and fridges, color TV with DVD, showers and toilets. It will be a home away from home for your boating holiday. Cost depends on the number of travelers, time of year and length of the holiday. This is just one of many canal boat options that are available in England.

The Lake District is in the county of Cumbria, in the northwest of England. Only one of the bodies of water in the Lake District is actually called a lake, Bassenthwaite Lake, the rest are called meres or waters. Windermere is one of the larger bodies of water and it has the option to rent a houseboat. The houseboats are offered by
Windermere Lake Holidays in Bowness on Windermere. The houseboats are moored, so you don’t actually move on them, however, if you want to boat there are sailboats and dinghies for rent at the same marina where the boats are moored, the best of both worlds. 

If you want to learn to be a skipper there are boating holidays that can provide that opportunity or you can just lay back and let someone else to the piloting for you. You can choose to cruise the canals, lakes and the coastline, whatever suits your fancy.

These are just a few of the boating holiday opportunities that England has to offer. If you enjoy boating, England has a holiday to fit your tastes and your budget. Boating holidays are also offered in Scot and Wales.

Tuckernuck Inn Meredith New Hampshire

I chose the Tuckernuck Inn in Meredith NH for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the three-course breakfast promised. We were going to Meredith to take a ride on the foliage train and once I had looked at their website and seen the beautiful rooms and the friendly owners, I knew that this was the place I wanted to stay. A call to Tom to make the reservation only cemented the good impression that I had felt on viewing the inn website.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and received a warm greeting from Anne Marie. She showed us around and told us where everything was including the small fridge with water and drinks, the Keurig coffee makers and the afternoon snack. 

Our room was very clean and the bed was very comfortable. The TV was excessively petit, think laptop screen size but let's face it, we don't come to a B&B to watch TV. 

What was more troubling was I had no light on my side of the bed and no plug so I had to charge my phone on the clock on Al's side. The closet also had no light so I decided to keep my suitcase in the room itself. 

These are small things that could be very easily remedied. 

We enjoyed sitting out front in the four chairs. It was very peaceful. We sipped our drinks and just chatted. The cookies both days were exceptional. 

The bathroom had a small shower with not the best pressure but it served the purpose and was very clean with plush towels. 

Breakfast is served from 8 am to 9:30. It beings with fruit, the first morning it was lovely honeydew melon with lime zest and the second morning it was yogurt with blueberries. The second course was a cinnamon muffin the first day and banana bread the second day. The entree was savory on day one, a sausage and egg casserole and sweet on Sunday, creme brulee French toast. Orange juice is offered and you help yourself to coffee, tea or hot chocolate. We never left hungry.

The breakfast tables are for two but they put two of them together both days for us so we could sit together. 

The parlor has lots of books if you want to relax and read and a table with a big checkerboard. We opted to play our game out on the back deck. 

The house was very much into the season with Halloween decoration everywhere. 

We had a very comfortable stay here and the location is perfect, within easy walking distance of downtown and Lake Winnipesaukee.  The parking is in the rear of the house. 

Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad Foliage Train

Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad is a family-owned railroad that offers a charming way to view the fall scenery between Meredith, New Hampshire and Plymouth,  New Hampshire. The train runs on the weekends only after labor day and this particular version "the foliage train" runs in September and October. It is a four-hour tour. 

You have three ticket options, coach, first-class and presidential. We opted for Presidential. It was $115.95 per person. It was a luxury Pullman car with very comfortable seating. While we were traveling between Meredith and Plymouth on the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad we were served drinks and snacks and entertained with live entertainment. 

The train leaves Meredith at 11 a.m. and arrives shortly after noon in Plymouth+. .A buffet lunch is served at the Common Man Inn. It included three entrees, turkey, lasagna and vegetarian stir fry. The soup was on the table when we arrived along with rolls and butter and some brownies and cookies. All of it was good, not great but good. You will have time to wander around a little before getting back on the train. 

On the return trip, we got an apple to eat and a choice of drinks. We also stopped and got off the train in Ashland. While this sounds like a good idea with costumed interpreters in the tiny station, when an entire trainload of people disembarks at the same time, it is not possible to see anything or really enjoy the stop. 

The views from the train are lovely, the staff is friendly and caring and the entertainment was wonderful. This is a very enjoyable way to spend four hours. Several shorter less expensive options are available. To check tickets and availability click here. 

Things you will see include Lake Winona, a deer farm and some very high tressels. If you are looking for a great way to spend a fall weekend, I highly recommend this trip. 

A Day Out at Hampton Court Palace

#hamptoncourt

Hampton Court Palace is one of the most popular day trips from London. It is easy to reach from central London. The train from Waterloo Station takes about 45 minutes. It is a pleasant if not very scenic journey. As an alternative, you can take a boat up the Thames in the warmer months which is much more scenic. It is also possible to drive there. It is actually quite well signed and easy to find. Parking is available.

When you arrive at the Hampton Court Station, you will need to cross the bridge to get to the palace. After entering the gate, you are directed to the building on your left, which holds a gift shop and the ticket office. Entrance is a bit steep but if you are going to visit the Tower of London, you can buy a combination ticket and save a little that way.

Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court, and one might say it led to his downfall. It was larger and more elaborate than any palace that Henry VIII owned. It is not a good idea to show up a volatile king, but the fact that he made Anne Boleyn his enemy that really was his worst move. When he was unable to obtain a divorce for the king, he signed his own death warrant. He then had the good sense to die before the king could execute him. Problem solved. Henry broke with the Catholic Church, granted himself a divorce, married Anne, and the rest is history as they say.

Anne enjoyed her time at Hampton Court; it was a sweet but all too short victory. Anne wasn’t the only one of Henry’s wives whose history is entwined with Hampton Court; her cousin Catherine Howard went from here to the Tower of London and her death (some say she has never really left Hampton Court). The last of the six wives, Catherine Parr, was married to Henry in the small Queen’s Chapel. Henry’s only son, Edward, was baptized in the Chapel Royal, and his mother, Jane Seymour, died here.

Many different options for touring are offered at Hampton Court:

Audioguide
Tudor Kitchens
Henry VIII State Apartments
The King’s Apartments
The Georgian Rooms

You pick up your guide at the information center in the Clock Court. The kitchens, in particular, are not to be missed.

Costumed Guided Tours:

Henry VIII State Apartments
The King’s Apartments (William III)
Self-Guided

It really isn’t that hard to find your way around but you do miss some of the drama without the audio guide or even better the live guides to fill you in on all the little tidbits that make these historic visits so fascinating.

You can visit things outdoors as well, the Privy Garden, the Maze and the Orangery

If you visit on the weekend, there are other tours and presentations offered. A visit to Hampton Court Palace is a whole day affair, plan accordingly. There are a couple of dining options and several great stores.

If you want to go a step farther you can rent an apartment at Hampton Court and actually stay here. The apartments can be rented through the Landmark Trust. This has always been on my bucket list but we have not done it yet. However, when I visit London, I often spend a day tour Hampton Court and I am never disappointed. Planning a visit to Hampton Court Palace should be a part of your London experience.