The Boothby Inn
Liz and I had made reservations at The Boothby Inn, a bed and breakfast endorsed by the Select Registry, which is a list of the finest B&Bs in North America. We told them that we would arrive at 4 pm, and we rolled in at just about 4:02. We were met at the entrance of the Inn by one of the owners, who greeted us by name. He then made a joke about our punctuality. We had driven from Somerville that morning, and the Boothby is in Erie, PA. He said that there had already been a complaint lodged about us, in that we were late to our check-in time. We all got a good laugh, as being within 2 minutes of a guessed check-in time after travelling 650 miles is pretty awesome. Liz is a good planner.
We were shown around the establishment by our gracious host, and marvelled at the beautiful details of this beautiful 1890's rehab. There was a wonderfully furnished living room and library, as well as a beautiful dining room, and the stairs up to the guest rooms were complete with ornate wood carvings, mouldings, chandelliers and original stained glass windows. Upstairs, we were shown the guest galley, and quaint little snack nook complete with homemade chocolate chip cookies, snack-sized bags of chips, and cold beer, wine, and soft drinks in the fridge, all complimentary to guests. There was even a container of gluten-free cookies, put out especially for Elizabeth. Our host asked us when we wanted breakfast, and we decided on 7:30, as we had an early morning and a long day of driving ahead of us. After that, we perused a homemade scrapbook of local restaurants in the living room, and went to The Pufferbelly, which you can read about in its separate article.
When we came back from the restaurant, we made our way to the guest galley for evening beverages, Elizabeth taking a Coke, and myself a Presque Isle Pilsner, a beer made in the nearby town of Presque Isle. The pilsner had a hard time retaining any sort of head, and was a pale yellow color. It had a slightly metallic nose, and was buttery in the mouth, with light bready flavors and a light coppery finish. It was not an impressive beer, but it is always nice to try local brews.
The room we were staying in was called the Scotland room, and all of the rooms were named after places that the couple who owned the inn had visited. There were colors of dark green and dark woods, as well as flourishes of red plaid. The room came equipped with a copy of the movie Braveheart, as well as books of Scottish tartans, cds of bagpiping music, and picture of castles and landscapes taken by the owners of the inn on their travels. There was also a fireplace, though we did not need it as it was plenty hot enough outside, and our air conditioning was nice. The bed was a queen-sized poster bed and was very comfy, leading us to sleep in a hasty manner.
In the morning, Liz and I packed our stuff and loaded our car, and then enjoyed some fantastic breakfast on the patio. It was about 68 degrees outside, and the patio was set in the proper manner for a full English breakfast, complete with bubbling fountains, flowers, and classical music. There was even a menu in the center of the table with the courses listed, and relevant information, such as the names of guests, birthday wishes to one of the inns owners, and the temperature. These sorts of details were what brought this inn from great to outstanding. Breakfast started with a dish of strawberries and a dollop of sweet ricotta. This was accompanied with coffee, juice, and water. Then came a side of homemade blueberry bread for me and gluten-free toast for Liz. The bread was followed by a mushroom-crusted leek quiche for me, and a cheese omlet for Liz, both paired with a spinach and feta sausage. The whole experience was lovely, and the food was tasty indeed.
As we finished up, we went upstairs for one last check of the room, and I realized that I had left my camera at the breakfast table. We went downstairs, and the owners were already on top of the misplaced item, and they made sure that we had it before we left. That sort of genuine care is what B&Bs should be about, and The Boothby Inn suceeded in every way. I would definately stay here again, and it could even be seen as a destination rather than just a waypoint. Do yourself a favor and stay here when passing through or visiting Erie, PA. You will be so glad that you did.