THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506020259
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 195 lines
WELCOME HOME.
True, home may actually be thousands of miles away. But Outer Banks visitors who opt for lodgings at one of the resort region's bed and breakfasts will find it hard not to feel they are at home. Or, at least, with family.
The Outer Banks is dotted with B&Bs, each with its own distinctive appearance and atmosphere.
Many are in historic homes. C.W. Pugh's Bed & Breakfast in Wanchese, for instance, dates to before the War for Southern Independence (that's the Civil War for you Yankees).
``The house was my husband's great-grandfather's home,'' said proprietor Nancy Gray. ``But it had been owned by someone out of the family for 30 years. My husband knew he wanted it back, but he didn't know what he wanted to do with it.''
They settled on a B&B, which has now been open a decade.
``Sometimes it takes people a few days to get into the groove of Wanchese life because it's really quiet here,'' Gray said. ``But they find that they can go and have all their activities and then come back here where it's quiet.''
Quiet it is in the little fishing village. And the setting around Gray's house is almost idyllic, with a horse grazing outside and pecan trees growing all around.
The Roanoke Island Inn is another example of a B&B with deep family roots.
Originally a small, simple island home, it was built for current innkeeper John Wilson's great-great-grandmother in the 1860s. The house was enlarged soon after the turn of the century for her son and his family.
``With each generation, a piece has been added on to it,'' said Ada Hadley, the hostess.
Hadley, 43, came to the Outer Banks from Newfoundland. She loves the B&B business. Her top reason is one shared by most B&Bers - customers and owners alike - who recite it as mantra when asked what the big deal is: ``It's wonderful meeting different people from all over the world.''
Many guests return annually, ``and we get some who come back through the door after being away and say, `We're home!' I like that. I like that a lot.''
Repeat guests become part of an extended family. ``I became a godmother to one of our guests,'' Hadley said. ``They are a couple who've been coming since we first opened.'' She proudly shares that her godson's name is Alex.
Success in running a B&B is based on ``making sure that the guests are happy, comfortable and that their needs are met,'' Hadley said.
Most guests come looking ``to just get away from the hustle and bustle. They love the quiet,'' Hadley said. ``We have them go out by the pond and read. They find tranquility here.''
Do not presume, however, that all B&Bs are for the rocking chair set, or that most are amid settings that tempt you to snooze.
At the north end of the Outer Banks, in Duck, the Advice 5(CT), A Bed & Breakfast, is entirely the opposite of what one might expect. The only antique here is the notion that B&Bs can't be fun, too.
Donna Black and Nancy Caviness, who opened the spanking new house in late April, were guided by two unlikely inspirations: Donald Duck and Lucy Van Pelt.
What do cartoon characters have do with overnight lodgings?
``I'm a huge Donald Duck fan,'' said Black, 36. When she heard there was a place called Duck, well, she just had to visit. Trouble was, when she and Caviness arrived to visit, they couldn't find a place to stay. ``There was no B&B, dammit,'' Black said. ``Now there is!
They moved south from Ithaca, N.Y., and ``basically, we put everything we had into making this place be,'' Black said.
They worked with the builder to design a place that would meet multiple goals - first and foremost, to be comfortable and relaxing.
But they also wanted a place that could be fun for beach guests.
The home is nestled in dunes amid sea pines just a short walk from Duck's ``downtown'' restaurants and shops.
The atmosphere is decidedly bright, with light wood textures in abundance and simply yet comfortably appointed rooms. All have their own decks, each with a unique and expansive view.
Furnishings are comfy but built for use and enjoyment.
``We just didn't think it appropriate to do antiques at the beach,'' Black said. ``We have to live here, too, and we wanted something that was comfortable to us. What you do sort of represents who you are.''
Their sitting room is a huge affair with a high, angled ceiling; deep, comfortable couches; a fireplace; a small wet bar; a dining/meeting area and a table in a loft overlooking the ocean. With huge windows everywhere, it's practically a part of the outdoors.
``It's really nice to come in and see the guests in there with their feet up, reading a book,'' Black said. ``The people feel really comfortable.''
So far, the Advice 5(CT) is booking up on weekends with slower weekdays, but the owners say that's typical. And given that they are the new kids on the block, they hope word of mouth will generate business.
``Everyone in Duck and around has been really supportive,'' Black said. ``We've only had positive comments about what we are doing. The town has been really helpful about referring people out to us, and we've been sending people to the town.''
``We're having a really good time,'' added Caviness, 30. ``I think our name is attracting people who are a little more adventuresome. We're getting some really, really neat people in.''
And, about that name. . . just how does Lucy of ``Peanuts'' fame fit in?
``Well, she had her little booth with the `Advice, 5(CT),' sign on it, and we're just kind of like that,'' Caviness said. ``A lot of talking and yukking it up with friends. I always envisioned myself talking to people and pouring coffee for them.''
Many B&B owners are retired couples who found they couldn't just put their feet up and relax.
Phil Scarborough, 62, operates the Scarborough Inn in Manteo with his wife, Sally. ``Better put her name down first; she's the boss,'' he warned. OK, Sally and Phil.
``I'm retired Coast Guard and this is supplemental income,'' he said, ``but it's also a pleasant business. The people are very pleasant.''
Often, B&Bs are nestled back from the heart of tourist areas, providing both a measure of seclusion and the ability to have lower prices.
``For the quality of our rooms, we are moderately priced' Scarborough said. ``We're not out on the main highway, and rooms comparable to ours overlooking the harbor would be almost three times our price. Surprisingly, a night at a B&B is not generally a wallet-breaker. Rates are often comparable to a good hotel, and many times, actually lower. Consider the amenities, such as spacious bedrooms, use of porches and sitting rooms a quiet and relaxed atmosphere - not to mention breakfast and, sometimes, afternoon tea - and it's easy to see a B&B as a bargain.
To be fair, hotels - including most on Outer Banks, offer good rooms in convenient locations at rates that are not unreasonable for the location. But how many memorable hotel rooms have you stayed in?
Unlike most hotels where overnight visitors are parceled out among scores of carbon-copy rooms, most B&Bs feature decidedly distinctive rooms, each with its own theme and flavor.
The most common theme is an old home filled with the furnishings and appointments of yesterday. So it's no wonder that B&Bs are veritable playgrounds for antique lovers. Do not presume old furniture is the only motif.
For instance, Oscar's House on Ocracoke Island is filled with a wide and varied collection of art.
``I am artist, and I have traded my own photographic work with a lot of other artists in the Southeast,'' said proprietor Ann Ehringhaus, author of ``Ocracoke Portrait,'' a photographic history of the island published in 1988. ``So there is a lot of art throughout the house and I have an eclectic decorating style.''
Some other twists she offers: She does therapeutic body work for guests, welcomes folks with special dietary needs and, finally, she can give plenty of fishing advice given that she is a champion angler herself.
Some B&Bs are more expansive and elaborate than others. The Tranquil House Inn in Manteo, for instance, offers 25 rooms with fully-equipped conference facilities and a full-service, seasonal restaurant.
Still others are reborn hunting and fishing lodges like the Cherokee Inn Bed & Breakfast in Kill Devil Hills.
Bob Combs' parents opened it as a B&B in 1977 - making it the longest operating B&B on the Outer Banks. But the place has been a home-away-from-home since 1945 when it opened as a lodge. ``It's a landmark on the Outer Banks. When you say you're at the Cherokee, old-timers know where you are.''
As might be exacted, it is heavy with dark wood accents and was ``built back when they built them right,'' said Combs, who bought the place from his folks a few years back, keeping up a family tradition.
The atmosphere here is decidedly adult and healthy. There's no smoking or pre-teen children allowed.
``My wife enjoys the people, and we enjoy sharing this old house with them,'' Combs said.
Like many B&Bs, they need not do much advertising. Years of service have established them on the loose-knit circuit traveled by B&B devotees.
``We set the standard for B&Bs out here,'' Combs said with feisty pride. ``We are a true B&B. We are not a large hotel that identifies itself as a B&B, and we're not someone's large home that rents out a couple rooms and calls itself a B&B.''
But he's quick to say that the assorted B&B businesses on the Outer Banks are a good group that are more complementary of each other than competitive. ``Each one, to my knowledge, offers something different, something unique,'' Combs said.
And they tend to help each other out. If one place is full or a would-be guest is obviously seeking something different that is offered by the guy down the street, they'll send them on their way with a smile and directions.
``You are bringing these people into your home,'' Combs said, ``so you want them to feel at home.'' MEMO: A LIST OF B&Bs/ Page 26
[For a related story, see page 7 of the CAROLINA COAST for this date.]
ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
BED & BREAKFASTS ADD CHARACTER TO AN OVERNIGHT STAY
[Color Photo]
Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
One room the The White Doe Inn in Manteo features a four-poster bed.
Every guest room at the inn boasts a distinctive decor with richly
colored wallcoverings.
A wooden cat on the Roanoke Inn's signpost interests a gray
catbird.
Advice 5(CT), A Bed & Breakfast in Duck, is one of the few modern
inns. While most B&Bs were once family homes, this one was built
specifically to be an inn.
KEYWORDS: BED AND BREAKFASTS by CNB