Archive for category: Michigan Romantic Bed and Breakfast Getaways

Making the bed and breakfast grounds beautiful each year means many trips to the local West Michigan nurseries and greenhouses.  One of our favorites for excellent healthy plants and flowers in Vantil’s greenhouse close to Lake Michigan, between Saugatuck and South Haven on Lakeshore drive.  Our bed and breakfast guests have often bed referred to Vantil’s by ourselves as well since they are open to the public.  You can’t beat this greenhouse for healthy thriving annual flowers.  We have already made two trips to Vantil’s since the spring planting season began including one more trip just yesterday.  It definitely makes a difference as our bed and breakfast guests rave about our landscaping and flowers while visiting with us each year.

Some of the first fresh Michigan farm produce of the season is already available and evident as you drive down Blue Star Highway from South Haven to Saugatuck.  Asparagus, Rhubarb, perennials, and hanging baskets are now available.  We suggested the Holland Farmer’s market to guests of our bed and breakfast this past weekend.  It was the opening weekend for the Holland farmer’s market which is held every Wednesday and Saturday from now until late October.  One of many in the area, there is always a bounty of Michigan farmer’s produce, baked goods, cheeses and more for the gourmet in all of us.

One of the romantic facts about the Kingsley House bed and breakfast is just how many families have lived here.  Many local Michigan residents from Saugatuck, Fennville, Douglas and beyond have stopped by for visits over the years to return to what was once their family home.  The romantic getaway theme of the  bed and breakfast is certainly fitting as it must have had much love and memories shared inside the Inn’s walls over the years.  One can only imagine just what the walls of the Inn would say “if these walls could talk.”

When folks hear that I spent nearly twenty years living the city life of Chicago and Dallas, they often ask “Isn’t this extremely different than city life?”  Actually, Saugatuck area, Fennville and West Michigan farm country are not all that much of a stretch for me as I grew up in the Midwest farm country of Northeast Iowa.  I grew up on a farm just outside of a small town in Iowa, so West Michigan and specifically the farm country that surrounds us here in the Saugatuck area, is not at all that different than what I was use to when growing up.  So in a way, living in West Michigan today is not all that different than what I experienced growing up in my childhood.

Whenever possible, we feature local fresh produce for our bed and breakfast guests.  Our eggs actually come from a local Michigan farmer who has free-range chickens and the traditional brown eggs.  So our Inn guests can always be guaranteed that we have Michigan farm fresh eggs for our breakfast items.  A tip on cracking eggs that many folks don’t realize….don’t crack them on the edge of the bowl or the edge of the counter.  Rather, strike them against a flat surface such as your flat counter surface.  This actually produces less chance of egg shells in the bowl.