Farmhouse Inn

Article and photos by Kathleen Walls

Farmhouse Inn

The Farmhouse Inn is a bed and breakfast with a country style twist. The rooms are in a white clapboard farmhouse-style tin-roofed building and decorated in a cozy farm style. A community room with a fireplace and lots of games is there if you choose to enjoy some indoor time.

Ellis working at the barn

It's a chance to experience life on a real farm and still have gracious accommodations. Innkeeper, Crystal Johnson, and her husband Ellis will welcome you to some down home fun and excitement.

They offer five private guest rooms as well as two cottages, Hillside Cottage and Ellis Lane Farmhouse. The lodgings are so comfortable. I stayed in the American Homestead Room. As soon as I saw the red, white and blue decorated room I knew I could really unwind here. It features a king size bed with cotton patchwork quilt under a beadboard, barn-like gabled ceiling. A closet, armoire with TV and dresser afforded plenty of storage space. The sitting alcove sports a denim queen sized sofa bed and a full large bathroom with beadboard wainscoting includes a skirted sink, porcelain tub and tiled floor completed the homey atmosphere.

Some detail in the American Homestead Room

Each of the other guest rooms offer similar accommodations but each is decorated in a different theme. River Cottage Room just screams "nature lover's paradise" when you see the crossed painted canoe paddles forming a backdrop for the queen sized bed.

The Meadow Garden Room's large triple window overlooks the courtyard flower garden and meadow. Inside the garden theme is reflected in a wall mural with hollyhocks and birdhouses, picket fences form a headboard for the bed and sofa bed. A hand painted armoire houses the TV. French panel doors open to a little sitting room with a sofa bed. It's storybook cozy and perfect for a Girl's Getaway. This room has been featured in a past issue of Southern Living Magazine.

Some of the gardens and scarecrow	Crystal picks some heritage zucchini

The Hay Loft Guestroom and the Orchard Loft Guestroom are on the second level above the Red Barn Meeting Room with views overlooking the rolling farmland, orchards and the gardens. Both have a king size bed, TV, windows with a wonderful view of the grounds. The full baths are large enough to accommodate all your toiletries. These two rooms share a staircase and hallway and can be used alone by a single or couple or the two rooms can be combined as a suite for up to four guests.

One of the farm goats

For larger groups or families, there is the equally well appointed Ellis Lane Farmhouse and the Hillside Cottage. Ellis Lane has four bedrooms and can accommodate 4-6 singles or two couples with up to 4 children. Hillside Cottage is a two bedroom accommodation.

There is lots of outdoor fun at the farm. You can hike �or if you constrained by time or health take the golf cart� and explore. There are lots of chickens, cows, horses and goats to visit. Then you can fish or canoe in the river or lake on site. Don't worry if you forget to bring your pole. The Inn will provide one. There is even a basket with binoculars and identifying information for birders. You will find other wild life there, too. I was excited to spot a few fox squirrels.

Of course, there is a farm dog, MiMi, and cat, Meaux Meaux, to greet you as well.

Crystal displays some of her fresh eggs

Breakfast is a real delight . It is served in the Red Barn Meeting Room with lots of large double style doors that open onto a wide veranda overlooking a green pasture where you might see any type of bird as the Farmhouse Inn is located in a flyway area. The food is fresh and mostly local. Crystal showed me the fresh eggs from her chickens. They were beautiful, all large, some brown and some a lovely pale green. The cooked version lived up to the beauty of those fresh ones.

As a getaway to a peaceful farm life, The Farmhouse Inn is without equal.

http://www.thefarmhouseinn.com/