Saturday, December 23, 2017

Life in Americus


You may or may not know this.  This month marks our 15th Anniversary as the innkeepers and owners of the Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast.  It’s hard to believe that 15 years have gone by.

So many people ask us how we decided to become innkeepers and, more pointedly, how did we end up in Americus, Georgia.  As the Christmas season is the season of nostalgia, I decided to share some of our first impressions of Americus.

We were living in Tampa, Florida.  It seemed everyone had a Lexus and a cell phone.  We had neither.  People seemed to always be in a hurry, moving quickly from place to place with a total lack of courtesy or consideration for those around them.  There was a bar on every corner,  everyone was in a hurry, and people shouted or yelled at each other with hurtful tones.

We had been exploring areas around the country looking for the perfect Bed and Breakfast to purchase and had told each other repeatedly “don’t fall in love with a house”.  There are so many notions about the romance of innkeeping.  We knew we were reinventing ourselves and wanted to keep our heads in the rational world.  Our search took us to Colorado and Utah, New York. and Vermont.  We thought we wanted to be in a ski area in the mountains.  That was romantic thinking, on our part, coming from Florida…  Things just didn’t work out the way we thought they should.

Then, we made our first trip to Americus.  It was Halloween weekend.  The first thing we noticed was that there was a church on every corner, as opposed to a bar.  People smiled and waved with all five fingers.  In the grocery store, a person would just say “Hi.  How y’all doin’?” and actually wait for an answer.  It was like the old favorite television show “Cheers”, everyone wanted to know our names, and everyone seemed genuinely glad to meet us.

The folks who owned the inn at the time were open, friendly, kind. and honest.  And, although their vision of Bed and Breakfast was different from ours, they had done the major renovations and started the business.  We did fall in love -  with Americus, with the people, and with the house.  Time felt different here.  It seemed magical.  We decided to make Americus our home.

Fast forward to the present time, we still feel the magic.  We still do not have a smart phone (so please do not text us) or a Lexus.  We believe in the importance of genuine interpersonal interaction.  We consider each of our guests a gift, an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life for the better.   And, they, in turn, have truly enriched our lives.

Merry Christmas!

Love,
Susan and Kim


Sunday, December 3, 2017

DayTripping in Americus - Oak Grove Cemetery Autumn Colors


The perfect place in Americus to see the true colors of the season is Oak Grove Cemetery located just a short stroll from our home.  Between the changing leaves and the camellias, it is absolutely beautiful to see this time of year.  Please allow me to take you on a quick tour.  No words necessary.  Just click on the first photo and allow yourself to enjoy the photos of fall foliage and camellias.  I just took all these photos, so, if you visit soon, you can see it for yourself!





























Thank you so much for visiting the Americus Garden Inn Bed & Breakfast blog.  We appreciate your virtual visit and would love to host your next visit to our area.
Love,
Susan

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

DayTripping from Americus - Jimmy Carter's Boyhood Farm in Archery


One of my favorite places to visit is Jimmy Carter's Boyhood Farm in Archery.  The farm is just one part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and showcases President Carter's life from 1928 - 1941, here in rural Southwest Georgia.


There are narration stations that feature President Carter personally sharing his memories of life on the family farm.  Please click through the photos for a photo tour from my most recent visit.









































I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of Jimmy Carter's Boyhood Farm.   No matter what your political leanings, everyone who visits finds the story of our 39th President's humble beginnings to be inspirational.  Now that the temperatures are comfortable for outdoor activities, it is the perfect time to plan your visit to our area.  There's lots to do and this is just one of the many things you might consider when you come this way.

Thanks for visiting the Americus Garden Inn Bed and Breakfast blog.
Come stay with us!
Love,
Susan