Romance, Recreation and Ghosts - Anniston Star - March 1, 2008
Romance, recreation and ghosts: Visiting St. Augustine's B&Bs - By Mary Eloise H. Leake
In Elliott Ness' days, when Prohibition was the law, Mrs. Bradshaw — with a rumrunner male friend — tossed riotous fun-filled parties in St. Augustine, Fla. Yet the clever widow generously offered Ness lodging in her Mediterranean Revival home when he was in St. Augustine.
Why?
With advance notice of his arrival, she could pace her high widow's walk with a flickering lantern, signaling "no party" that night.
According to some, Mrs. Bradshaw's ghost still makes her way through the halls and up the stairs of her former home, now the Casablanca Inn. She flicks lights on and off or turns showers on after midnight when guests are in bed. One guest said she kept tossing his hat off the TV and onto the floor.
Among St. Augustine's Seven Historic Inns of Elegance, the Casablanca is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In bed & breakfasts such as Casablanca, guests' age — and creature comforts — are relative. While appealing to retirees, Generation Xers and the romance market, the B&Bs also court businessmen and women who wish afternoon and evening conversation.
Unlike hotels, B&Bs don't have long corridors and predictable decor. With their extra dollop of hospitality, they provide cachet; however, no elevators carry luggage to the third floor. Parking is often blocks away.
Raising their hipness quotient, most B&Bs have Internet connections, and their baths have been updated with whirlpools. Hotels may offer "breakfast" but not congenial early evening social hours or splendid desserts later as B&Bs do.
Some B&B hosts are friendly and helpful; others are not. Some rooms look like your grandmother's attic while others are plush and elegant. Your accommodations may be whimsical, cheesy or to-die-for. Staying in a B&B is an adventure.
Near the Casablanca, under a wrought-iron archway, you enter the striking Mediterranean Revival Casa de la Paz (circa 1915). Exquisite molding, leaded-glass cabinets and original heart-pine floors enhance the warmth of its gathering room. The hospitable innkeepers are its owners, former Bostonians George and Kathy Dann. He not only helps with your bags (a B&B rarity), he can legally marry you.
Unless the seven-room dwelling is reserved for a wedding, an anniversary or a family reunion, children are not allowed. This permits adult conversation, starry-eyed honeymoons and keeps noise level minimal. Dann says he particularly enjoys hearing guests' stories.
Unfortunately, he says, Mable, la Paz's ghost, has a sad tale. Newly married, she and her husband spent the night in the Queen Isabella Room. Next day, the groom went fishing and never returned. Mable, in a long dress with a suitcase, has been seen by — but never bothered — his guests.
Restored in 2003 and crammed with Victorian antiques, the Bayfront Marin complex includes a building from 1788 and others, erected in the Gilded Age, with multiple decks.
"St. Augustine was a romantic and relaxing getaway for us," says guest MacKenzie Pause, who came with Liam Hurley from New York City. "We enjoyed relaxing afternoons sipping tea on the porch swings of the Marin and winding down our evenings in the double jacuzzi.
"Matanzas Bay provided beautiful scenery for a sunset run to Castillo de Marcos," she adds, "while biking to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Anastasia State Park via the Bridge of Lions is a delight."
Not adventurous? The Marin and its sister inn, the Bayfront Westcott (circa 1880s), have rooms overlooking the bay with its playful dolphins. The Westcott was "highly recommended" by Frommer in 2007.
The Casa de Solana, built around 1812, shows the influence of British and Spanish Colonial architecture. The lodging's newly landscaped courtyard entrance fronts Aviles Street, probably the oldest U.S. street.
"Jeff (Sonia, a co-owner) is a great cook and served a mouthwatering breakfast — something unique each morning like Tomato, Ham and Cheese Strata," says guest Melody Moser, of Mays Landing, N.J. "My room was huge, decorated beautifully with a large four-poster bed, sofa, a gas fireplace and a large jacuzzi in the bathroom."
The inn offers "babymoons" — a soon-to-be parents' last getaway before the wee one's arrival — which include a pre- or post-natal mom massage and a dad sports massage.
In January, the Palm Beach Post chose the charming Inn on Charlotte as one of its "Top Ten Romantic Inns in Florida.'' Lynne Fairfield, the personable, hands-on owner, says lovers can choose from indulgences that start with "c" — chocolates, champagne, candles, carriage rides. Beware, her chocolate chip cookies, hot from the oven, are addictive.
Fairfield Inn is offering a "Coffeecake (recipe) Challenge" with cool prizes. Details and an entry form can be found at www.innoncharlotte.com.
"This inn's hallmarks are gourmet breakfasts, which generally include a fresh fruit cup and a special entree such as Spinach and Bacon Soufflé. The owner and staff mingle with guests throughout the day and offer guidance on how to get around the city," says guest Bill Farley of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Within easy walking distance to art galleries, shopping and restaurants, the Inn's once-a-month book signings attract guests and vacationers.
The St. Francis Inn is the oldest in town. With its intimate courtyard, 17 rooms extend through four buildings. The earliest, built in 1791, is a trapezoid with no right angles.
The St. Francis offers an onsite pool, meeting facility, temporary gym memberships, houses on St. Augustine Beach (about six miles away) and beachside conveniences for main property guests. On Friday, Saturday and holiday evenings — with reservations — complimentary transportation takes you to restaurants and night spots.
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