Common Ground

Bed & Breakfasts owned and operated by WPI alumni

Victorian Retreat

Dorothy and Richard Davis '61
The Pedigrift House

Special features: Fresh flowers on arrival; evening snack of fruit cobbler a la mode.

Worst moment: Collapsing bed slats in the middle of the night.

Lessons learned: You must have a sense of humor. Guests easily pick up any lack of enthusiasm for the job.

Words of wisdom: Pace yourself. Do the things that you enjoy and hire others to do what you don't like to do. I do the books and the promotion, a throwback to my marketing days in Silicon Valley. Dorothy enjoys cooking and gardening.

If you go: 407 Scenic Dr., Ashland, OR 97520
800-262-4073, fax 541-482-1888; The Pedigrift House

Green Mountain Getaway

Betsy and Jon Anderson '75
Betsy's Bed & Breakfast

Special features: Exercise room with weight machine, treadmill and stationary bike; multicultural breakfasts featuring traditional New England fare (I'm from Vermont) or Betsy's "southern comfort food," including Tex-Mex migas, fried green tomatoes and grits.

Worst moment: A predawn chimney fire. Betsy gave full refunds to all guests, over my protests that they had gotten a partial night's sleep. [Jon's a lawyer, after all!]

Lessons learned: Betsy believes being a little introverted is a good thing.

Words of wisdom: We learned a whole host of things we needed to know by following the project approach I learned at WPI. The B&B has been our best investment yet.

If you go: 74 East State St., Montpelier, VT 05602
802-229-0466; Betsy's Bed & Breakfast

Captain Slocomb Slept Here

Judy and Bob Maynard '63
The Captain Slocomb House

Special features: Pool and patio, croquet, and four acres to explore with our golf cart or on foot.

Worst moment: Had to call 911 for a guest who came in from a walk and was having an allergic reaction to tree pollen. When the police arrived, they asked if it was something he had eaten!

Lessons learned: Early on, guests asked for breakfast at 10 a.m. and were still at the table at one o'clock in the afternoon. We now serve from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Words of wisdom: If you like people and don't mind hard work, try it.

If you go: 6 South St., Grafton, MA 01519
508-839-3095

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Last modified: Sep 02, 2004, 14:56 EDT