Recently, The Man and I celebrated thirty-nine years of marriage. For those of you wondering, everyday is not roses and honey; some days are dandelions and vinegar. The Man and I learned early on that we were tough and both dedicated to staying together. Looking back, the good far outweighed the not-so-good. The Man is “interesting”; his brain doesn’t work like mine and he finds fascination in some of the strangest things… plus he makes me laugh, everyday… I suspect he finds some of my interests just as strange…
For our anniversary, I booked a room at the recently opened The Beacon Bed and Breakfast in Hartwell. The farmhouse-style structure sits on more than fifty acres at Lake Hartwell (you can see it in the winter; but the summer foliage had it obscured when we were there). There are donkeys, goats and egg-laying chickens plus a rooster whose cock-a-doodle-do sounds like he has a sore throat.
This is a good place to let you know that I know the owners and consider them friends. Cheese brought us together at Blue Haven Bee. However, as you know from my attitude toward cheese reviews, if there is an issue, I don’t write about it. I only review when I am happy…
And happy at The Beacon is exactly the way The Man and I were. Being new on the scene, the word isn’t out yet and we were the only guests for the night. After Catherine and Sharon, two of the owners, checked us in and gave us the tour, we were alone. So quiet, so serene, so peaceful.
Before I get into my review, let me share the history of how the name for the B&B was chosen. Back in the 1920’s when the US Post Office started its “air” mail, flying was required and flying at night became an issue. The USPS set-up beacons across country, both east to west and north to south. These beacons were huge concrete arrows lighted with beacons to safely guide pilots along their routes. Beacon 9 on the NYC-Atlanta route was near the B&B and still exists. Even with Catherine’s detailed directions, I couldn’t find it; but next visit, I’ll try again. You can read more about the history of the beacon system here.
The Beacon is three minutes from downtown Hartwell on a small “country” road. The long gravel driveway showcases the beauty of the landscape surrounding the new building. There are several weathered outbuildings, which existed before The Beacon. They fit right into the countryside and add a special rural touch to the property.
The house itself is breathtaking. No expense was spared; it is simple, yet elegant. Maggie Vollrath assisted the owners with her design talents, which were evident throughout the house. The fixtures are a high-end mix of modern and antiques. The decorative touches are tasteful. The river rock fireplace functions as a separator between the living room area and the dining area creating a lovely great room. The kitchen is a kitchen every cook would die for with beautiful appliances and again, just the right amount of tasteful decorative touches.
Our room, The Fig, was spacious with a king bed and what Miss Anne would have called a “fainting couch”. The bathroom boasts a soaking tub with a walk-in shower large enough for more people than were staying in the room that night… not suggesting anything… just sayin’, it was huge. The Fig also has its our own screened-in porch that overlooks the back part of the property and their hundred-year-old fig tree. Ellen, one of the owners, makes fig spread which she shares with the guests.
There was another room at the other end of the house and an upstairs. I didn’t venture into those areas; generally I am more nosy. It never occurred to me to explore the other rooms, even though we were the only ones there. Perhaps, because the place feels like a home, I sub-consciously felt I would be invading private spaces… I guess that makes me a good guest but a somewhat lousy reviewer… According to their website, there are three other rooms, which would mean there must be two rooms upstairs, plus “The Coop” a separate building situated next to the main house.
The back of the house has an over-sized screened-in porch with its own fireplace, a large flatscreen (there was no TV in our room which was fine) and lots of comfy furniture for lounging and visiting. It even has a small fridge stocked with sodas and water. Because our visit landed during a typical July heatwave, we chose to stay indoors and read in the living room area.
The bed was divine and we both slept like babies. The sheets were high-end soft and inviting and the divan kept us cocooned all night.
I am an early riser and Catherine had graciously set the Bunn Coffeemaker so that all I had to do was turn it on for a fresh-brewed cup on the screened porch off our room. I read and watched the day begin with the goats and donkeys eagerly awaiting Sharon’s arrival and their breakfast. And as mentioned, the rooster kind of crowed…
Ellen cooked our breakfast and it was fit for a king and queen: a cheese and egg casserole and a peaches and cream casserole. There were muffins and fresh fruit with OJ and more fresh coffee. Since all my articles on the website must include cheese, it was the perfect breakfast. Regardless it was a perfect breakfast; the perfect ending to a wonderful overnight stay.
Peter and I plan to return when the weather is cooler and Lake Hartwell is visible; hopefully for a couple of nights to give us more time for exploring and relaxation.
SAVE THE DATE: September 7th: Blue Haven Bee, Southern Meadery and I will be hosting a “launch” party from 1-6pm to introduce you to our new, monthly Cheese and Mead/Wine Subscription boxes. Join us for the afternoon (I’ll be serving my $10 cheese plates) complete with the fun music of the Random Acts Party Band. We’ll tell you all about our new monthly service and you can subscribe.
In addition to being an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party 
food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.
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