The Inn on South 5th Street Bed & Breakfast

There are a few reasons that I jump at the chance to stay at a bed and breakfast.

1. I love meeting the owners and and hearing their stories about how they became innkeepers.

2. I love that they are often in historic homes and adore the charm of laying my head in a 19th century home.

3. The decor is always interesting to see and it’s much different than the often sterile surroundings of a chain hotel. 

4. They often exist in interesting locations - small towns, tucked in historic neighborhoods, in the middle of farm land, etc. and no two are ever alike. 

5. The breakfast. A lot of lodging spots don’t include breakfast with your stay. And if they do, it’s usually nothing to write home about - some cold cereal and sweet rolls. If you’re lucky there might be some microwaved sausage and eggs from a bag. The Original Bed and Breakfasts were called so because a home-cooked breakfast was included with that stay. Now that Air BnBs have become popular there are fewer of the traditional bed and breakfasts that exist. But when you do find one, you’re often treated to a gourmet breakfast.

We’ve enjoyed staying at bed and breakfasts since early in our marriage but I fell in love with B & Bs even earlier. My mother first introduced us to the concept as pre-teens when she and a friend or she and my dad would make visits to the Grey Goose Inn in Chesterton, IN. Innkeepers Chuck and Tim would deliver a gourmet meal plated on delicate china.

So whenever we have an opportunity to stay at a B & B, we love to. I love meeting the innkeepers, the cozy surroundings and the delicious breakfast that awaits us in the morning.

Our most recent B & B was in the charming historic downtown area of Goshen, Indiana where we stayed at The Inn on South 5th Street in an 1887 home and had a breakfast of homemade waffles with warm berry compote and sausage and a yogurt and berry parfait. We enjoyed every bite as we sat in a breakfast nook looking out onto the porch and the street full of large three-story 19th century homes. Our host, Karen, was so sweet. She learned that I was in town to do a book signing at a nearby bookstore and she even stopped by during the event to purchase a signed copy of my book. It’s the kind of homey hospitality you just aren’t going to get from a chain hotel or an Air BnB.