Walking around Blacksburg

July 21, 2011 - Walking is about the best, least expensive, low impact exercise out there for the benefit. If you like to walk, Clay Corner Inn is the perfect summer destination. If you like to swim, well, we can accommodate that, too. If you like great food, we’ll get you started with the most important meal of the day and give you recommendations of places to which you can walk, though you will not want to miss The Palisades Restaurant (www.thepalisadesrestaurant.com).

So, if fields and woods are your favorite, in a half-block, you’ll be on the Huckleberry Trail. It goes a little more than six miles, ending at the New River Valley Mall. You can catch a movie and walk back! You can bicycle or inline skate too – BYOB or BYOS (bring your own bicycle or skates).

If gardening is your bent, head out the front door and in half a mile or less, you’ll arrive at the Hahn Horticultural Gardens (www.hort.vt.edu/hhg), a place to wander around, relax on a bench, take note of myriad plants and flowers at this Virginia Tech horticultural exhibit, open year round.

Walk another mile or a little less, and you’ll come to the duck ponds and the restored Solitude building (photo), originally a log cabin built around 1800. Acquired in 1872 for $21,250, along with 250 acres, this was the original home for the land-grant Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, which has evolved into Virginia Tech. Solitude is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Virginia Historic Landmark.

Smithfield Plantation (www.apva.org/smithfield) is a way-too-often overlooked gem in Blacksburg, and it’s about a quarter mile down a road from the duck ponds. Built in 1773, the house, grounds, gift shop and gardens is a delightful place for people of all ages.

Okay, love small town history? Turn right outside the front door and wander the 16 original blocks of Blacksburg, taking in the newly restored and open St. Luke’s and Oddfellows Hall a little more than a mile away. You can stop for lunch, ice cream (or the creamiest of all: frozen custard), coffee or tea along the way for rest and nourishment. The restored Lyric Theater (www.thelyric.com) offers a nice variety of movies and entertainment in the heart of downtown.

And, what if you simply don’t feel like walking? There’s always our Summer on the River special, to which you drive, then canoe or kayak, then have dinner at The Palisades (river clothes welcome) and drive back. Or, there are dozens of books and magazines around the inn, comfortable furniture at the pool, and okay, what if it’s raining?? Well, hunker down on the covered deck, and ask for a plate of homemade cookies and some lemonade or freshly ground, afternoon coffee, and watch the rain. Joanne

Liz, how does your garden grow?

June 21, 2011 - I tend to use the word “eclectic” with regard to interior furnishings, but I’m telling you, we have an eclectic yard at Clay Corner Inn this summer. Liz started a little garden last year on the second level of land next to the garage, behind the daisies. Depending on how you define success, it was a success. I define failure only as the failure to try, so her garden was a huge success in my estimation no matter the limited bounty.

The color photo upper left is not Liz's harvest from last year. She's hopeful that it's close to what will grow this year.

She loved gardening more than she imagined, and this year, she deemed that little plot too small for her ambitions. Thus, the eclectic-ness outside. By the back gate, you’ll find squash, maybe it’s pumpkin or zucchini. Off to the side of the back sidewalk, there are tomato plants, cucumbers and as you’ll see in one photo, corn. I’m no gardener, but I can readily identify corn behind the cucumber sign.

Back in her original small plot, she has planted zucchini or squash or pumpkin – they all look alike to me, and there are no cute signs there.

Liz planted a bunch of old, assorted flower seeds in the mulch in front of the house. No one claims the mint that is growing around the mailbox. John is responsible for having kept the geraniums around the pool going all winter (in the basement), and he collects a million marigold seeds each fall. They fill the street corner and various pots, and I see some flowering already between bricks near the pool.

It’s a pretty time of year, and thanks to the diligence of God (rain), Liz, Katie, Scott, James, Summer and Betty, everything gets watered regularly. It’s pretty all around town. The construction on North Main Street is nearly finished. Though I was not keen on the $11 million taxpayer price tag, it really is a classy upgrade to pavement, sidewalks and new lamp posts that match the others downtown.

Blacksburg is a great place to walk and relax. More on walking next time, Joanne

B&B vs chain hotels - no contest, folks!

June 9, 2011 ~ I went on a road trip recently, and since our driving time was not as set as usual, I did not make reservations at some of my favorite B&Bs – like The Speckled Hen in Madison, WI, and Jordan Hollow Farm’s delightful cottage in Lexington, KY. Rather, over the course of four nights coming and going, we stayed in a Holiday Inn, Sheraton Four Points, Quality Inn and Best Western. Next trip, I’ll definitely figure our time so we can stay in B&Bs. The chain hotels can’t hold a candle to the warmth, hospitality, quality, breakfast or amenities of a bed and breakfast inn.

The fact that one hotel had two double beds in a room alerted me that the beds were probably old. They were soft, outdated, uncomfortable, overdue for replacement. Three of the four front desk clerks were pleasant. The Sheraton Four Points (I used to work for Sheraton) no longer gives receipts to save trees. That’s a first for me! Lighting was poor in all four, partly due to fewer lamps in the room, and partly due to the new fluorescent bulbs. They flicker at 60 cycles per second and tire both your eyes and your brain, though you may not feel anything. I wonder if or how all these huge hotels manage the hazardous waste of such bulbs, which never can be simply tossed in the trash, and you have a small hazardous incident on your hands if one gets broken. Two of the four chains do not have complimentary breakfast, and of the two that did, Quality Inn (the least expensive) offered the nicest selection. Of course, it was nothing like our fresh, homemade granola, muffins and breakfast entrees, but, well, it was adequate, if adequate is, well, adequate [for you]. I suggest setting your sights higher -- here's our kitchen and a sample of French toast!

At Clay Corner Inn, you’ll slip into Comphy sheets, smooth as butter and perfect for the best night’s sleep (especially on top of our WorldClass® Beautyrest mattresses – all queen or king, of course). You’ll have a blanket then a quilt or bedspread and an extra blanket. In two chain hotels, we had a sheet and a heavy comforter --- too hot with the comforter and too cold with just the sheet, no middle comfort.

And speaking of the bed, Clay Corner Inn provides four pillows: two queens or two kings and two standards on every bed. The hotels have gone to small, square pillows about the size of a toss pillow. None of the hotel rooms had bathrobes, shower caps, sewing kits, makeup removers, pool towels or quality bath towels.

So, if you’re weighing your lodging options between a hotel chain and Clay Corner Inn, well, there’s simply no contest. Our rates are competitive. Our amenities are generous. Our linens are high quality, and you simply can’t get a better breakfast – well, unless you stay at a different B&B. Innkeepers are the nation’s best breakfast cooks, and at Clay Corner Inn, we freshly grind the coffee!

If your travels take you up I-81 through PA, arrange your overnight at Pheasant Field B&B in Carlisle, PA. There’s not much better recommendation than one innkeeper pointing you to another … not just because we are in the same industry, but because I am a repeat guest at the places mentioned in this blog.

Have a lovely day and happy travels and great B&B stays, Joanne

Jackson, a wonder[ful] dog

June 1, 2011 - Here’s a photo of some Memorial Day weekend guests: Eddie and Cathy Miller and Jackson, an Australian shepherd. Now, one of these has been written about in magazine articles and received an Air Force Commendation Medal. Eddie, you think? Wrong. Cathy, you say? No, wrong again. Well, I guess that leaves Jackson. Ding! Ding! Ding! Correct response!

Jackson is bred to round up as well as disperse a variety of animals. Sheep come to mind on the round up, and geese would be the dispersed critters in this case. They would number in the hundreds if not a thousand or more, and Jackson was charged with scattering them off the runway at Andrews Air Force Base so Air Force One, our presidential air transport vehicle, could land or take off.

He’s only four and a half (already retired from that line of work), extremely well mannered and well trained. Like other guests, he likes a little yogurt on his morning meal. While most of our canine guests are not medal recipients, they are still wonderful to meet, and the people they bring along are considerate and respectful of our dog friendly atmosphere and policies.

There’s a new 2-acre, fenced, town dog park 2.3 miles out the front door. The 6.5-mile Huckleberry Trail starts across the street, and we have a list of restaurants downtown where you can take your dog to the outdoor patio. The Millers ate breakfast outside on the covered deck, and you don’t need to have a dog to enjoy your morning coffee and nourishment in the fresh air. In fact, that reminds me that I’ve meant to move another table for outdoor breakfast dining. I’ll figure that out by next weekend.

The coolest package deal we are offering is “Summer on the River” – an overnight, the great Clay Corner breakfast, a “cruise” on the New River in a canoe or 2-person kayak (you and rented watercraft delivered and picked up where you begin and end on the river, 7 miles of floating), $50 gift card toward dinner at The Palisades Restaurant (www.thepalisadesrestaurant.com), an insulated lunch tote for taking your snacks and the book “Follow the River” (you’ll be moved by this one!). It’s $199 plus tax, Sun-Thurs, add $10 for Fri or Sat, and we have a 2 night minimum weekend stay.

Welcome to June! We hope to see you soon! Joanne

Springtime in Blacksburg

It’s time to finish the story of my fish, especially since lots of activity has occurred at Clay Corner Inn! One evening after a weekly cleaning of my fish tank, I was careless with making sure the divider was firmly in place and the next morning I found Roger huddled over Opal, hiding in the corner. I quickly fixed the situation and have had no problems since!

Our new packages have been unveiled on our website, so be sure to peruse them before making your next reservation! One package includes a movie at the Lyric theatre Theatre and cash for downtown, or another is dinner at the Palisades and a book about Mary Draper Ingles’ dramatic escape from the Cherokee Indians in the mid-1700s. She was found near the New River not far from the restaurant. My personal favorite, and most practical package, is the to-go snack basket. It comes in an adorable (will post pictures soon!) insulated lunch tote, with the Clay Corner Inn logo, that you can take hiking, on a picnic, or if you’re planning on becoming a Hokie, it’s the perfect energy booster for spending a day on campus. Be sure to ask what package is right for your trip when you book your room.

Right now I’m hosting a luncheon for the Civil Engineering department from Virginia Tech. All the prep work yesterday made this a smooth event, and they are enjoying a lunch buffet before a casual, afternoon meeting. If you’re interested in an office meeting or small luncheon, give us a call to discuss options. I’m more than happy to help you arrange an event for your group!

This evening is a First Friday in Downtown Blacksburg. We participate with an art crawl and cookie bar every month. Make sure to stop by if you're in town!

This past week we had the opportunity to give the inn a “spring cleaning”. We had our carpets cleaned and planted many flowers. The window boxes add color to the house, and the geraniums out on the deck and around the pool are beautiful. I even planted my garden, so I’m hoping to share the harvest with guests this year, as I planted more! Keep your fingers crossed for fresh cantaloupe and blueberries, along with zucchini muffins at breakfast.

Happy Spring, Liz

Unfit to be Tank Mates...

There’s been plenty happening at Clay Corner Inn, but the most exciting is that we’re creating packages! Once we have them completed, we’ll tell you more about them, but now it’s time to continue the story of Opal and Roger… Within a couple days, I started to recognize their habits. Roger is a speed demon and would zip from one end of the tank to the other. He also enjoys jumping out of the water and chasing Opal. Opal is calmer and prefers to be near the cover of plants or stare at her reflection. She would always swim to me when I walked in the room, but Roger would not.

One evening at feeding time, I noticed Opal seemed uncomfortable and was constantly swimming away from Roger. (I would too because Roger has creepy red eyes!) What I noticed was unnerving. Her back and top fins had been partially nibbled off! Well now it made sense why she was always trying to hide or show me her fins. I wanted to help her, but wasn’t sure what to do. My only realistic option was to divide the tank and keep Opal and Roger on separate sides. (PetSmart does have a 14 day return policy for fish that don’t get along, but I was already attached and couldn’t entertain the idea of returning Roger!) Unfortunately, the pet store was closed for the night, so I said a prayer and hoped that Opal would make it through one more night.

Thankfully, Opal was still alive the next morning and once breakfast was served and my guests checked out, I headed to the pet store and bought a tank divider. It’s a very simple contraption and easy to install. My favorite thing is the tiny holes so water can flow through. This was important so I wouldn’t need two filters or heaters. Finally, Opal was safe and could start the healing process and fortunately for me, I had piece of mind!

I learned that male gourami can be territorial with other males in the tank. I thought I had a male/female pair, but apparently Opal is a boy, even though I’m refusing to acknowledge it! By the end of the day, she seemed content and was starting to relax. Roger seemed angry that I took his fun away and kept trying to find his way around the divider. I was still a bit hesitant whether or not the divider would be strong enough to thwart Roger’s persistent attempts at breaking through, but only time will tell…

Meet Opal and Roger...

Since it’s not warm enough to start updates on my garden I’m introducing the newest members of “my family”. I’ve always dreamed of owning fish, but was afraid of being too attached if they didn’t survive. Luckily for me, our maintenance worker, Scott, had an old fish tank and he gratefully brought it over for me. Thus begins the story of how my dream became a reality.

Within hours, I dashed to PetSmart to buy all the equipment. I knew what to get, but not specifics. The store associate was helpful and didn’t roll her eyes when I asked silly questions that should have made her wonder if I was ready to own fish! It took me 2 hours to set up my tank and fill it with water, it’s 20 gallons! So I had a gorgeous fish tank, but no fish…

Finally on Saturday, February 5, I made my way to the pet store for: a gold gourami and a blue dwarf gourami. The experience that follows can best be described as a nervous mother taking her first baby home. As soon as my fish were scooped out of
the tank, I was apprehensive that they would be in my care, and I want to make sure they are as happy as possible. The associate warned me that the gold gourami might bother the dwarf. I didn’t want my fish to be bullied! Reluctantly I traded the dwarf for an Opaline gourami that would grow to be about 5 inches like the gold one. Happy with my decision, I let George, my boyfriend, carry the fish, for fear I would trip, and they would go flying! On the drive home I kept asking if they were okay, and I drove extra cautiously.

I had read enough about fish to know that introducing them to their new home is crucial, especially in regards to temperature. After floating the bag for 30 minutes, it was time to free the fish. When I opened the bag, it collapsed, and they couldn’t get out or breathe. I panicked, but George was calm and helped them into the water. Finally they are home and I can breathe a little easier.

I fed them and got down to the last piece of business, naming them. I chose Opal for
the blue Opaline Gourami. George chose Roger for the Gold gourami because that’s the first name that popped into his head. Opal and Rog were shy at first, but after a few hours they started swimming around. I checked on them every 20 minutes, and I enjoy watching them swim and chase each other. Little did I know, the chasing was aggressive behavior and would lead to trouble! But I’ll save that story for another week… Liz