25th Year Anniversary Feature - Raleigh Downtowner

Here's the link to the Raleigh Downtowner, a local newpaper, that expounds on the goodness of Raleigh Downtown: http://www.raleighdowntowner.com/RaleighDowntowner-Vol5-Iss11.pdf. The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast has a very nice and wonderful story on the 25th Anniversary of the Inn. The Raleigh Downtowner talks about the Inn and the wonderful reunion of the past innkeepers, with their first Inn guests in 1984 and the current Innkeeper, Doris Jurkiewicz. It's a great story that I am surprised that CNN or Oprah have not picked up yet. You can't beat an up-lifting story like this, compared to all the murder and mayhem that occurs in our daily lives. Yeah.... it is a little boring, except to those who are close emotionally to the Inn... like my daughters in Michigan.

In the same issue, it talks about a great party downtown having to do with collecting toys for tots. The Oakwood Inn gave away a one night stay at the Inn for a $139 value for a door prize. The party was on Thursday, December 17, 2009. Hope a wonderful nice couple won it, so they can have a nice quiet and romantic evening out on the town but staying with us at The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast. It was for a great cause... toys for those children who would have been without this Christmas. No Scrooge at The Oakwood Inn B & B!!

Downtown Raleigh Ice Rink

Yup... Downtown Raleigh has a beautiful lighted Christmas tree in the Plaza. A nice tall one brightly lite. We also have an ice skating rink in the Plaza downtown. Un-huh... an ice rink down in the South! I'm not sure if it is real ice or that fake plastic stuff. Sounds kinda nice, though. I almost wish I didn't sell my hockey skates! In case you plan on coming to visit Raleigh over the next few weeks, and want to do some skatin', well... bring your skates.

Admission to the AT&T Raleigh Winterfest Ice Rink will be $6.00 per person, which includes the rental of a pair of ice skates. The admission price is the same whether you rent skates at the rink or bring your own. The new skating rink can hold up to 140 skaters. The hours of operation vary, so be sure to check the Winterfest website for details. It is a 40-by-85-foot rink, kept frozen by portable chillers, will be open seven days a week through Jan. 31 at City Plaza on Fayetteville Street, between the Progress Energy and BB&T buildings.
Admission, including skate rental, is $6 for as long as your legs hold up. The rink can hold up to 140 skaters at a time, though the ice may be crowded at that capacity.

I can't seem to find a good photo of the rink, but it looks like a hockey rink with boarded sides. Something different to do down in the South.

GRAND HOTEL of Mackinac Island

My cousin, Sandi and her husband Carl came to visit over Thanksgiving. Both of them work at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island which is right at the tip of the "mitten" of Michigan. Actually, the island is between the two peninsulas. We had a great time with them. Ate dinner at 18 Seaboard and J. Betski's in Raleigh. Two of our favorite restaurants. This was the forth times the they have come to Raleigh to visit and it usually is over the Thanksgiving Holiday. The hotel and actually the whole island close down for the winter.

If you never have been to Mackinac Island, you need to make room on your calendar and go some time. The only mode of transportation on the Island is by bicycle, horse, horse and carriage, or walk. No cars or trucks are allowed on the island, so it sort of brings you back to yesteryear. The only way to get to the island is by ferry or fly. There's a small landing strip in the middle of the island.

There's a lot of interesting history for you history buffs. A lot of small gift stores for you shoppers. And for those with a sweet tooth... well, there are the fudge shops. One on almost every corner. The fudge is good and it comes in all flavors, but honestly, they all taste about the same to me... however, I am not a fudge connoisseur. However, the thing that I do love about the fudge shops is watching them make it. Some of the shops have a little entertainment setup with the fudge makers, who are usually good looking male and female college students, singing a little song and maybe a little dance. Quite entertaining!

Another interesting note about the Grand Hotel (http://www.grandhotel.com/) is that this is where the movie, Somewhere In Time, was filmed. It starred a young Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour in a wonderful love story about a young playwright who goes back in time to meet a woman he met in at his opening night of his play. The Grand Hotel is where he supposedly met this woman back in time... in another life. Beautiful music.

The Hotel boasts having the largest wooden porch in the world. The Hotel is made out of North While Pine native to Michigan. It is a very exclusive place, high end, but very charming and very good food. Your room rate includes breakfast and dinner.

If you have not had a chance to visit Mackinac, you really should. And, of course, don't forget about visiting Raleigh. We may not be the Grand Hotel (although the Oakwood Inn is made almost entirely of wood), and we may have cars drive through our neighborhood, and we may not have fudge shops, but we have the same historical charm and homemade cookies!
Sandi and Carl always have a great time when they come and visit and we certainly enjoy their company. Hope they can make it again next year, and maybe bring her brother (my other cousin) Brennan and his wife Peg.

OAKWOOD CANDLELIGHT TOUR 2009 in RALEIGH

Another Christmas Season!!

Need something to do over the holiday season, well check us out at www.oakwooodinnbb.com.

HISTORIC OAKWOOD CANDLELIGHT TOUR 2009 !!!

Man Oh Man... here we are all ready getting into the Christmas season! Another one coming up quick. What makes it really a fast upcoming holiday for Doris and myself is the fact that the Oakwood Inn B & B is alway involved in the Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour. This event is a fund raiser for Historic Oakwood which helps us preserve the Victorian nature of our neighborhood and also has provided funding to help save some older homes from the wrecking ball. Here are some of the details:

Oakwood Candlelight TourDecember 12-13 from 1-7 PM
Light up your Christmas season at the 38th Annual. Take a walk through the past this holiday season as this year thirteen properties, that's right THIRTEEN PROPERTIES, in the Historic Oakwood neighborhood open their doors to visitors during the 38th annual Historic Oakwood Candlelight Tour, December 12-13 from 1-7 PM.

Whether you’re interested in getting a glimpse inside the candlelit windows, learning more about Raleigh’s history and architecture, or simply looking for an excuse to spend a little extra time with friends in downtown Raleigh, you’re invited to come celebrate the holidays on the Candlelight Tour. There will be some entertainment like groups singing Christmas Carols, or FREE cookies to munch on, and other activities.

You can purchase your tickets in advance for $15 at a variety of locations.

The Oakwood Inn, 411 N. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh
Calm & Sense, 2603 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh
CyberGraph Advertising, Inc., 610 N. Person Street, Raleigh
Fallon’s Creative Flowers, 700 St. Marys Street, Raleigh
Fallon’s Creative Flowers, 4215 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh
Frances T. King Stationery, The Lassiter at North Hills, Raleigh
Garner Chiropractic Center, Timber Crossings S.C., 205 Timber Drive West, Garner
Logan Trading Company, 707 Semart Drive, Raleigh
NC Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh
Quail Ridge Books, 3524 Wade Avenue, Raleigh
Raleigh City Museum, 220 Fayetteville Street Mall, Raleigh Side Street Restaurant, 225 N. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh

Or..Or you can do it the lazy way like I would and just go to Etix.

Tickets are available for advance purchase online or at select locations throughout the Triangle. On the days of the tour, they may be purchased at The Oakwood Inn, 411 North Bloodworth Street. Tickets are not tax deductible or refundable. Tour held rain or shine. In Advance: $15 Tour Day: $20
Online Ticket Purchases - AVAILABLE NOW!

Please bring the printed ticket to The Oakwood Inn, 411 North Bloodworth Street the day of the tour to receive an official Candlelight Tour ticket that includes a list of the homes on the tour and a map.
We are expecting a record crowd of about 2,500 people this year. Remember the Tickets are $15 in advance. ADVANCE SALES END ON FRIDAY, DEC. 11 AT 4PM.

My Next blog will discuss some of the fabulous homes that will be on Tour, and as always... your favorite, The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast will be on tour celebrating its 25th year anniversary as a B & B.

Oakwood Inn Remodels Balcony

For those of you who have stayed with us, and in particular in the Pell room, you know we had a balcony off that room. It was not the prettiest. It was not the grandest. And it was fairly small. But it did offer you a decent view, but more importantly, it gave you access to the outside without having to walk downstairs and out the front door. Many of our guests who were smokers, liked it just for that reason, because you could go outside and smoke.

Well, the old one was a little old and rickety and was razed. We had a new larger one installed with a beautiful backyard porch area for us, the innkeepers. The new balcony can hold four people, not two like the old one, and we hope to put a nice table and chairs up their with a fold out canopy in case the sun is too hot. For now, we are still trying to get the darn thing painted. A little bad weather put us about 10 days behind and the painting still needs to be completed. But you can use it! Come see us and check it out.

Raleigh's Oakwood Inn B & B Economy Special

They are saying the Recession is over. Yeah, right. Unemployment is still high as Mt. Everst, people are holding onto their money because they do not have a lot to spend, and the banks still hold onto what was given to them so they can hand out executive bonuses. I thank all of those guests that have spent some of their hard earned savings with us. I thank them for stimulating the economy. The only way to stimulate the economy is to spend money. Lord only knows the banks are not doing their share.

We appreciate all of you who have done your share and spent a little. To help kick the economy in the buttocks, we at the Oakwood Inn B & B in Raleigh, NC are offering an Economic Special. We have lowered our prices to from November 1, 2009 until a date in 2010 when we see an increase in people traveling. On an aveage we have cut $20-30 per night off of the 2009 rack rate. Check out our prices on our website. The website reservations offer the best discount rate we have to offer. Some rooms are starting at $119. Now that may not seem like a deal, but add a breakfast for two, snacks like sodas, chips, cookies, internet service, and parking, and you got a darn good deal. The hotels downtown, where we are also located, charge a daily fee for internet and you may have to also pay for parking. Heck, you can stay with us, and walk to anywhere you need to go in downtown Raleigh. You can also take a free ride on the R-Line, a free daily bus service. Or if you'd like to pay a little, take a Raleigh Rickshaw ride right to the doorstep of where you are headed to.

Economic special for now is a great deal. If you are coming to Raleigh or the surrounding area, check out our website for some darn good pricing for rooms AND ALL THE AMENITIES included.

Daughter's Wedding in Michigan

My oldest daughter, Erin, got married on Saturday, October 17, 2009. In the photo is my 92 year old father, Lou, who made the drive with me from Raleigh all the way to St. Clair Shores, just east of Detroit. The standard French poodle of ours, Chimay, also drove up with my Dad and myself. The other two individuals in the photo are my cousin, Rick, and his wife Judy. I'm not much of a picture taker so there are none of the bride. Heck, she had a guy taking photos all night long, so I'll see if I can get her to send me some. I left Raleigh on the Sunday before which took us about 12.5 hours of driving. Doris flew up on the Thursday before the wedding. She had to tend to things at the Inn. What else is new, eh? It was a very nice wedding at St. Peter's Catholic Church in downtown Mt. Clemens. Later we had a grand celebration at Gino's Surf Lounge in Mt. Clemens, right on the Lake St. Clair. The weather was a little chilly to be outdoors on the patio/dock, but it was so, so nice to be off the water. Great atmosphere! The food was fantastic, roast beef, breaded chicken cutlets, and breaded pork loin, mashed potatoes, a wonderful bow-tie pasta with a non-meat alfredo sauce, and a huge dessert table! The DJ was really good, playing a variety of music for the young and old. The highlight, at least for me, was dancing to Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie".... I still have some moves in this 56 year old body. I also did a polka with my cousin Sandi, but I couldn't spin her around because she got too dizzy. You'd think I could lose some weight from the dancing... naw... ate too many apple fritters from the Italian bakery by my younger daughter's house.

On Sunday, after the wedding, Doris flew back with her daughter, Donna, and her boyfriend Jeff. My Dad, Chimay, and I left around 12 noon and arrived in Beckley, WV. Stayed over night, and then continued Monday morning at about 6am. Arrived in Raleigh at 10 am. It was a great trip with a lot of memorable moments. I have a few regrets of things I wish I did, but that is typical of me... always hoping for more or doing something different. Overall though, it was a grand time for all of us.

CookWise cookbook by Shirley O. Corriher

Remember when your mother or grandmother told you that you can change things in a recipe when cooking, but do NOT change a thing in a recipe for baking because disaster will be right around the corner! “Baking is a science; the recipe is a formula that can not be changed!” And of course, like most of us, you didn’t listen and you substituted magazine for butter, or used three eggs instead of one, or changed the melted chocolate to powdered chocolate and the results were a total flop. So how did the person who came up with the darn recipe in the first place figuring out the ingredients and correct quantities. Was it a dedicated trial and error process? But if it is science, well then like a scientist who understands the chemistry and physics of transforming a plant resin into rubber; if you understand the chemistry and physics of flour, water, yeast, and salt then it is reasonable to say that you can make bread from your own recipe.

Well, Shirley O. Corriher has written the “chemistry/physics” text book for cooking… “CookWise”. As Ms. Corriher says in her book introduction, “CookWise focuses on how and why things happen in cooking so the roles that ingredients and techniques play are of paramount importance.” This gives you the “rules” of cooking and the reasoning behind them. Once you know the “rules”, then you can understand what can change in a recipe and how it will affect the outcome.

As I said in my other blog entry, Frank Dono, told me about this book. He let me peruse his copy, and it was only after 15 minutes, that I knew I needed this cookbook on my shelf. CookWise covers everything from the rise and fall of cakes, to understanding the mystery of eggs, to how the difference in the protein content of flour affects the final product. Shirley has talked to various scientists and chefs to understand the dynamics of the cooking process. She has not just developed her recipes and published them for us to use, but she has also shared all the knowledge she has gained in the process of putting them together.

Elliot Essman of Style Gourmet reviewed Cookwise and said, ”It will suffice that Shirley Corriher (who, by the way, is a benevolent, cherubic presence who frequently pops up as a guest on Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” television series) has pulled all the science together into a package I can use every day in my own kitchen.” Visit his website at http://www.stylegourmet.com/reviews/006.htm.

And yes, for all of you Alton Brown fans, Shirley not only appears on his Food Channel TV show “Good Eats”, but it is quite evident that Alton as learned quite a bit of what he knows about cooking from Ms. Corriher.

So, if you know someone who loves to cook, this would make a wonderful birthday or Christmas gift. I constantly recommend it to my guests at the Oakwood Inn during breakfast. I tell them how I used Alton Brown’s recipe for the puffy chocolate chip cookies I bake, with some modifications that I added. Alton’s recipe is in Corriher’s book…. Or is it Corriher’s recipe was on Alton’s show. Doesn’t matter, understanding some of the basics of the type of flour and oil to use, help me master the cookie that is wonderful, and the developed a recipe that I can call my own.

You can get CookWise at bookstore or order it online at Amazon.com.

Bon Appetit
Gary

Cooking At The Inn with the book CookWise, by Shirley O. Corriher

I’ve always enjoyed cooking. And eating. As a youngster I used to help my mother in the kitchen when she would be baking… more so at Christmas time. My job was to put the walnut on top of the cookie, or sprinkle the powder sugar on the chruscik (Polish dessert of fried dough covered with a blanket of powdered sugar). I also did the taste testing and also got to lick the beaters and bowel of uncooked cake mix, back when you didn’t worry about uncooked eggs. Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s you just worried about under-cooked pork…. Not like today… chicken, eggs, beef, spinach, peanut butter, hamburger, green onions… wait… is there ANY food that hasn’t been recalled or put on the FDA Alert?

The one thing I always wondered about was, how in the heck did the person who wrote the recipe know to use one cup of sugar and not two, or two eggs instead of three, or why do you use baking soda and not baking powder like the recipe we did last week? Must’ve been the scientist in me. As I got older I once in awhile gave cooking that Why question… why did the recipe call for this or that. Or maybe the How.. How did they know to use a teaspoonful of salt… and then why salt?

Alton Brown’s Good Eats TV show on the Food Channel sort of sparked my interest since he seemed to cover the Why’s and How’s of cooking and not just the “just do this, and mix it with that… and don’t ask questions”. When I started working at a local pharmaceutical company in the Research Triangle, I met Frank Dono, a real foodie!

Now this guy just immerses himself into cooking. I mean he enjoys the heck out of it! He's volunteered to work in a restaurant’s kitchen just to learn more about cooking and not even get paid. One year he grew in his own garden some eggplants…. in the numbers of 40… that’s right 40-some different varieties. He would cook different dishes with them. Now it also helps that he is Italian and learned some of his cooking technique from his grandmother, which explains the eggplant fetish. Over the past year, Frank has been cooking with peppers… all kinds and all varieties. Some of the dishes he comes up with are just fabulous! It also helps that his wife, Leanna, is a master gardener. She gives some brilliant direction on how to properly grow Frank’s fresh ingredients. Between the two of them, they could do a fantastic B & B utilizing fresh home grown garden veggies, fruits and herbs. Frank respects my baking capabilities, but I’ll tell ya, this guy can out cook me any day. I certainly respect his capabilities because he is a Master at the Stove…. and his wife a Master of the Soil!

Anyway, Frank is the one who told me about Shirley O. Corriher’s cookbook entitled CookWise The Hows & Whys of Successful Cooking with over 230 Great-Tasting Recipes. It also has on the cover, “The Secrets of Cooking Revealed”. It also won the James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence. This is a very prestigious cooking award… you can Google it to learn more about it.

This had to be one of the best recommendations I have ever had from Frank. Better than, “Here try this pepper it is only a 3 on the pepper hot scale, 10 being the hottest.” And then I bite into it, and my mouth turns into Hades just as he says, “Wait… oops.. I’m sorry that was a 7!” No kiddin’ my mouth knows it very well by now, Frank. No, really he is a very knowledge cook, chef, and all around foodie. I was just having some fun. He recommended Shirley’s book, and I really have learned a lot about the scientific basis of cooking. This is a fabulous book for anyone who really wants to learn about what happens on the molecular level when cooking. It would make a great Christmas present, or birthday gift for someone you love who just loves to cook.

I promote CookWise by Shirley O. Corriher at the Inn all the time with our guests. It is a cooking reference all good cooks and chefs should have on the book shelf…. and should read it as well.

On my next blog post, I will discuss CookWise in more detail. Until then.. which only should be in a couple of days…. Bon Appetit à l'Auberge!

Oh! One more thing. Frank the "The Little Italian Foodie" (really, I think he is only about 5ft 6 inches) also told me about Penzey Spices... another fantastic recommendation for herbs and spices... another blog post in the near future! Another great Christmas gift.

SHIRRED EGGS

Oakwood Inn B & B Shirred Eggs

Over the years, we have had many guest stay with us that have had our Shirred Eggs for breakfast and thoroughly enjoy them to the point that they would like the recipe. Now there are various ways to prepare this delightful dish. I learned about this breakfast entrée while taking a culinary class at the Macomb Culinary School in Michigan. This is a fairly simple dish to prepare and one that is filling enough so you shouldn’t want to snack before lunch.

Basically, shirred eggs mean baked eggs. The recipe that I have perfected is one with some cream, cheese, a dash of herbs, and a meat. It can be made without meat for vegetarians.

Many of our guests have asked on numerous occasions, on how to prepare Shirred eggs. The recipe although fairly simple, requires you to use a shirred egg ramekin, which seems difficult for people to find at a regular store. The ramekin is a special baking dish. I have decided to assist many of you wanting to make this breakfast dish, by purchasing the ramekins from our restaurant supply store and offering two of them for sale along with the recipe, all for a $10.00 price.

If you truly love this breakfast dish as much as we do, and would like to prepare yourself at home, please let us know and we will be happy to sell you the Oakwood Inn B & B Shirred Eggs recipe package complete with recipe and two ramekins all for $20.00 which includes sales tax.

I you stay with us and we happen not to prepare this breakfast dish, since we are a chef's choice B & B, we will still sell you the Shirred Egg Recipe Package if you ask for it prior to you departing.

Bon Appetit

Doris

Shirred Egg

Linden Room Remodel

Well its been over two months and we are finally coming down to the final wire with the Linden Room remodel. For those of you who have stayed with us and in particuliar, rented the Linden room, may remember that it was the room across from the office. It is the second largest room in the Inn. It had a light tan and white design wall paper... old and sort of worn. The bathroom, which was the first bathroom in the house, had a yellow semi-modern bathtub from about the 1960's. Yellow 4 inch hexagon floor tiles, a forest green painted vanity, and a green print wallpaper. It also had a queen size bed.

The new look will sport the walls with chocolate colored walls, white trim and a new white crown ceiling molding. A new hand made king size bed that can be split into twins if needed will be the focal point of the room. If you remember the little carpeted foyer area that granted access to the bathroom, well it is not a part of the bathroom with new 12 inch tiles of multi-shades of tan, brown and cream colors. The foyer has had a shelf built in with a mirror and lights to provide a make-up area.

The tile scheme continues in the bathroom, on the floor is 12 inch tiles, in the new two person shower with dual shower heads and bench are 4 inch tiles and some smaller two inchers creating a border about 5 feet off the floor. A new 17 inch high toliet, so you do not feel like you are sitting on the floor to take care of business. The vanity is a brown colored wood cabinet with a white marble top. New lighting fixtures throughout the bathroom/makeup area.

I'm not sure what Doris has in store for curtains or drapes if anything. The TV is a new 17 inch, I believe, screen with DVD player. A new radio/clock with an iPod docking station will also be in the room, so for all of you who have those iPod machines... here you can play your customized song lists.

Overall, I must say the room looks darn good and very upbeat. As soon as I can get some pictures, I will post them which hopefully will entice some of you to rent it out.
Well, back to work. Talk with ya'all soon.
Gary

Carolina Beach & Butter

On Friday, Doris and I went to Carolina Beach for a relaxing two days. We left the Inn at about 11:00am and go to the condo about 1:30pm. Not a bad drive at all. Our neighbors have this one bedroom condo with a nice view of the ocean. They let us rent it for the two days since it was not rent that week, normally they rent it by the week. We had a great time relaxing watching the sun rise and in the evenings, the moon rise on the horizon. The last night, the moon was full and a beautiful reddish-orange ball just as it rose above the ocean horizon. Very peaceful looking.

Went into town and had a couple of good meals. We went to one restaurant called Bowman's. I was a little skeptical of the broiled flounder because the waitress explained that it was cooked in a microwave! Quite unusual for me... but I agreed to try it. It was good... not fabulous, but good and quite a large portion. The baked potato was good although the margarine is not my favorite topping. At least the sour cream was real.

That is one thing I do not get down here in the South... real butter is very hard to find. Everyone eats margarine. You would think in land of fat back, lard, bacon grease... you'd think that butter would be one of the major food groups in the South. I know many people think margarine is healthier for you, however, only the spreadable ones may be better than butter.... and I think there is more and more research coming out that shows that butter may be better if only from the stand point that it is naturally occurring. Yeah, it has to be churned, but margarine is nothing but a chemically processed food. Natural is more agreeable to the body than anything that is chemically altered or processed for consumption. I have to believe that Southerners used and even made their own butter years ago, but for some crazy reason, margarine has been in the majority of restaurants and even homes. We can only hope for the Good Olde Days. Today is Labor Day, a day to sit back and rest.... ironic, isn't it?!

EIGHT YEARS OF INNKEEPING

Doris and I celebrated being bed & breakfast innkeepers for eight years on September 1, 2009. Eight years! It really doesn't seem that long.... not when you are having so much fun! Yeah... right! Don't get me wrong, it has been at times fun, interesting, very rewarding, and exciting. But, it certainly has had its down periods.

Like ten days after we bought the Oakwood Inn, 9/11 hit us. Occupancy tumbled with the weekends generally full, but we lost all of our weekday business. I still wonder why the terrorits waited until Doris and I bought the Inn. Then we had some issues trying to get affordable healthcare insurance as small business owners. Government not putting their nose in operating health insurance... that is a joke here in North Carolina where some of our part-time lawmakers are insurance agents and others take funding from healthcare lobbyists.

Then we had to replace two of our three furnances and A/C units.... not all at once, in a reason span of 2 years. Then the guest who broke the foot of our sleigh bed... sitting on it. Heck, it was going to break.... what do you expect from old wood... it was an antique bed! And then the bride who threw up all over the room. Red wine can have different hues and shades when mixed with stomach acid.

And now we got hit with the Wall Street Fiasco which caused our occcupany to once again tumble but this time with longer and more devastating effects. And the list goes on and onm and will continue to do so. But so will the good list!

The upside in all of this is that we live in Raleigh, North Carolina where it is predicted that the recovery of the economy with be strong. We will be looking at an upward swing and people getting back to work. The state government is doing it's share. It just raised our sales tax from 6.75% to 7.75% to raise more money for more government programs creating more jobs... and it's only temporary. Right! The only thing polictians create as temporary is the lag time from constantly screwing the taxpapers.

But lets celebrate! Doris and I have achieved another milestone at The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast as the longest staying innkeepers. The four sets before us stayed only an average of 4 years... we doubled it. Maybe because we are nuts and have lost all sense of intelliegence. Maybe because we have severe demenitia and forgot those bad times. Or maybe because the good outweights the bad and the potential for outstanding is always presence. Life only comes once around for a person. Enjoy it whenever you can.
Gary

Dogs Banned From Outdoor Dining - Raleigh

Here is our LeCouffee and Chimay (both named after Belgium beers) resting at Napper Tandy's on West Street. Napper Tandy's has a nice outdoor seating patio area.

Well, our county health department has gone n' done it now! Earlier this month (August 2009) they told restaurants that dogs are not allowed on the dining patio area. Dogs are not welcome to eat with their owners in an outside dining area! That is how the Wake County Health Department interpreted a very poorly written rule. You can read more about the rule in the Links section. Basically, the rule stated that dogs are not allowed in food preparation or storage areas. Now unless you are at a very fancy place where they are flamin' your food in front of you, or are planning on storing your food instead of eating it.... this rule does not apply to outside dining. Heck! It don't even apply to INSIDE DINING!

Apparently, the local newspaper, the News & Observer, ran a piece on pet-friendly restaurants. The county health inspectors who inspector out dining establishments, took it upon themselves to interpreted this rule to mean, Fido can not eat outside with the dog owners. Now, let's side step one bit. A couple of days before this article came out about the county enforcing this poorly written rule, a local radio station talked about how dog crazy Americans are where they treat their dogs like family... like children... maybe even better than family! Now knowing that, you can imagine the reaction of the public here in Raleigh... and I am not talking about the restaurant owners... but dog lovers. You would cause less ruckus by walking into a bar in the Deep South hosting a bunch of rednecks and yell, "Hey, what do you think about those Yankee boys winning that Civil War?" This was not a good move.

Evidently, it caused the County Attorney General to re-interpreted, or basically use the good old common sense and state that dogs could be in the outside dining areas at the discretion of the restaurant management.

I've included the Links to the N & O stories in chronological order if you are interested in reading about this.... good entertainment.

It never ceases to amaze me that government in all of its wisdom authority, wishes to protect us public from the evils of society, and they pick on something that is not broken.... not only that.. but something that is working well for everyone. It's like those at the top are trying to dominate us in every aspect of our lives, but in fact, make themselves look like fools. You have to wonder what is going through their minds picking a battle on such shaky ground.

www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1656168.html,
www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/1656793.html,
www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1661069.html

Memorable Reunion At The Inn - May 2009

On May 28, a memorable reunion was held at the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast between the original first guests of the inn and the original Innkeepers from 25 years ago. Paul and Jean Higgins were the first guests that stayed at the Inn when it first opened on June 2, 1984. They were driving down from Virginia and stopped at a visitor center just into the North Carolina border. They asked the visitor center staff if there were any B & Bs in Raleigh. They told them that they just received information that one just opened that weekend. Paul and Jean continued on to Raleigh and registered as the first guests at the Inn.

An interesting side line on how all of this evolved is shared by Gary Jurkiewicz, one of the current Innkeepers. Gary read an old copy of the Raleigh Times given to him from Janet Wellman about two years ago. The article there was about the grand opening fo the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast and had some facts about a couple who was coming in as the first guests of the Inn. I decided that during the 25th year anniversary we would try to get Chris, Steve, Donna and Oakley all together with the origin guests, once the original Inn Guest could be contacted about the anniversary. I wrote a short press release and sent it to the USA Today and ask if they could help find the original guests by publishing a story on it. Gary heard nothing from the newspaper.

Then as luck would have it, like in the movies. On the 25 of May, I received a call.

“Hi, I’d like to rent a room for Thursday, May 28.”
I said, “ Not a problem, do you know which room you would like?”
“Well, we’d like a room on the second floor, however, is the Polk room available.”
“Yes, it is,” I reply.
“That is the one my husband and I stayed in 25 years ago. We were the first guests that stayed at the Inn.”

Yeah, right, I thought. “Oh really, and when was that?”
“June second, I believe, it was the first weekend of June.”
She could be the one, or at least one of the first guest if there were more than one couple, I thought, I asked a couple more questions, and decided that Jean and Paul, must be one of the original guests. I then promptly called the four innkeepers and asked if they could come to the inn on Thursday and have a little reunion, Chris, Oakley, and Donna all agreed to come. I then wrote the N & O and they agreed to come out and do a story. The rest just fell into place.

The Innkeepers at the time were Oakley and Donna Herring, Chris Yetter and Steve Zamparelli, and Donna’s mother, Olive Colman. Back on that momentous day, Oakley and Donna were there to greet the couple at the Oakwood Inn B & B. Twenty five years later on May 28, 2009, Chris Yetter, and again Oakley and Donna Herring welcomed Paul and Jean to the Oakwood Inn, along with the current innkeeper Doris Jurkiewicz. As soon as they all saw each other, they quickly recognized each others face, and June 2, 1984 was reborn once again. Hand shakes and warm greetings were exchanged. Everyone introduced themselves, including Josh Shaffer the writer from the News & Observer. Josh took copious notes and listened to the stories and memories shared by the two guests and three innkeepers. He heard how Donna made dinner and asked for Paul and Jean to join her and Oakley. Later, Doris Jurkiewicz took everyone on a tour of the Inn which again had Innkeepers sharing stories from back when the Inn first opened.

After an hour or so of reminiscing, Paul opened a bottle of champagne which he brought to celebrate the occasion. As was stated in the recent N & O article, Oakley said that after they sold the inn, he didn’t think the new owners would be able to make it work. Business was bad and the Inn not profitable. Eventually the Inn was sold to Vera and Jim Cox who worked the inn for 4 years until they sold it to Billy and Darlene Smith. Billy and Darlene ran the inn in 1996 and sold it to Doris and Gary Jurkiewicz. Gary and Doris are the longest running innkeepers of the Inn. The others were on an average four years for each group.

When you realize that many B & Bs are just people’s homes that are rented out to strangers, and many innkeepers just seem to handle the pressure for about 4-7 years. Many B & Bs, close down or return back to personal residences after a short run. Those that run longer maybe go about 10-15. But to make it 25 years, is a major achievement according to the Professional Association of International Innkeepers. The Oakwood Inn be has made it this far. Hopefully it will go on to see its 50h… golden anniversary. Doris and I hope we are here to see that accomplishment….. and, I doubt we will be the innkeepers , but we we’ll have the glowing pride that Chris,Donna and Oakley had on May 28, 12009.

Remodeling Offers Specials for the Summer

TO SPEND MONEY OR NOT TO SPEND MONEY.........
Renovation. Remodel. Make it look better. Face Lift! That is what Doris and I are doing for the Inn. Spending money. I wish we would have maybe put the Inn on the market two years ago and sold it to get our retirement money out, but we felt that Doris could handle the Inn for a least a couple of more years. Because of the Wizards of Wall Street, she will probably be an innkeeper at the Oakwood Inn for at least another 5 years; unless someone comes along and offers us an amount that we can not refuse. But that’s another story.

We had a B & B consultant come in the middle of May 2009 to help us assess what we need to do, if anything. He was Peter Scherman of the B & B Team of Virginia, www.bbteam.com. We called him because we have heard him talk at various B & B Conferences and seminars. He’s always made sense to us, and we have had a couple of individual one-on-one talks with him. We sort of knew him and he knew us. We trusted him. And that was important to us. We could afford his fee, and that was important to him! So I called him in mid-April and asked him to help us with a basic overview.

Peter came out in mid-May and stayed almost two days with us. He gave us quite a bit of information and suggestions; some of which we all ready knew. I guess we just needed to be assured that we were on the right track, especially when it comes to spending money in these very hard economical times where money is tight… tighter than a Victorian corset!

Peter said that he thought we were the most Victorian looking Inn on the coastal states area. I took that as a compliment, but he felt that some of the décor needed an upgrade.
Peter Scherman felt that some of the furniture was uncomfortable for reading a book for 2-3 hours. I could agree about the furniture, but who reads a book for 3 hours? Computer games and surfing the net for about six, yeah!

Than came the comments about some of the bathrooms. Plumbing needs a upgrade, maybe fancy showers and tubs. Showers that feel like a soft rain fall, massaging the scalp and relaxing the muscles… the kind that has a shower head the size of a car tire and uses about 50 gallons of water per second. Maybe something guests like, but in Raleigh and the surrounding area, may not go over very well with the Raleigh Water Guard. Raleigh is in water restrictions now and probably for the rest of its life, due to some very severe droughts in the last eight years. Go to Raleigh.com and just look up water conservation. Hotels, motels, and Bed & Breakfasts have to install water saving shower heads… those that allow 1 gallon per 24 hours or less. Actually, if you can just shower with no water and just use a dry towel and “sand paper” the dirt off your body, that would be acceptable. In reality, you can shower using water, just use it with conservation in mind.

In the next article, I will explain how we proceeded.

But by the way, check out our website, oakwoodinnbb.com for a summer special due to the remodeling…. Stay two consecutive nights at regular price and get the third night free! A great deal in today’s economy for saving money!

NC Legislature and Taxes on Services

State Lawmakers feel the need to tax services because they can not figure out where to make budget cuts. They have no idea where the inefficiently ran programs are, nor have any idea how to stop wasteful spending. They could start by firing themselves.

So in their great wisdom, they take the easy way out by generating revenue with a law that would create a new tax on certain services. Now mind you, they said that they would not raise taxes. In fact, they plan on lowering the personal income tax 0.25%! I believe the real thrust behind lowering the income tax, is because issuing a new tax in new chartered waters may give them more money than what they could use. A State government raising more money than what it needs? Ridiculous! Give the meddling morons 24 hours with the lobbyists and special interest groups, and they will have the excess spent faster than my wife and five daughters in a one hour shopping spree at Macy’s! Actually, my wife and daughters would do better because they constantly seek out sales. The only thing politicians sell are their souls to the devil.

Since these highly educated individuals can not figure out Zero-Base Budgeting, they should consider apply this new tax on ALL services. Why not just tax all services at a much lower and reasonable rate like 1%, and then the burden is applied to everyone on all services. If you get $100 in car repairs, it will be an extra $1 for the service tax. If you pay a white-collar professional a $1,000, it comes out to $10. Blue collar services are taxed just as white collar so everyone pays. If government would tax the red collar services like prostitution, heck… we could probably knock off the Federal deficient in a few months…. and that would be just from many of the Federal politicians having to pay this tax for this service.

Taxing all services at a lower rate seems to be more equitable than just applying a 4% sales tax on certain select services of the Lawmakers’ choice. Gosh… with their choice… prostitutes… oops… I mean escort services... not to be confused with the Secret Service; would never be taxed. Although, both of these services are usually provided for in secret… more on a Federal level. Man, I am getting off the real subject here.

Taxing all services in the Grand Olde State of North Carolina, would be more equitable and fair to all tax payers. Of course, those white-collar professionals will complain that the extra costs will drive clients away, and their businesses will suffer and they could be out of work. But don’t worry! They can always get a job as a Legislator, because the current ones will be out come election time!

Related Links......

News & Observer News article, June 23, 2009: http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1579697.html

Tax Spa Services: http://www.skininc.com/spabusiness/regulations/49206152.html

RALEIGH: THINGS TO DO AND SEE

Check these things out on the web and stay with us. We are located right downtown just minutes away from all of these activities and fun things to do in downtown Raleigh. Check out our website and make an online reservation. www.oakwoodinnbb.com

In APRIL.......
4th... World Pillow Fight Day in Moore Square; Raleigh Spring Music Festival; Warehouse district######################

9th... Burning Coal Theatre: "1960" Opening Gala

24th... Yanni live in Concert.... RBC Center

24-26th... Lord Of The Dance of Broadway Series South; Memorial Auditorium

In MAY.......
2nd... World Beer Festival... need to buy tickets early!!

5th thru 10th.... WIZARD OF OZ of Broadway Series South; Memorial Auditorium

16th... Downtown Raleigh Home Tour

16th to 17th... Artsplosure: The Raleigh Arts Festival.. Huge Festival in Moore Square

28-29th... Carolina Ballet: Beauty and Beast... Sounds Fabulous!

############################################
IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC... FOR ALL YOU MUSIC LOVERS at the Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek:

April 23.. Jimmy Buffett

May 16... George Strait

June 8... No Doubt also with Paramore & the Sounds

July 11... Toby Keith

August 1..Nickelback

August 2... Rascal Flatts

August 6... Coldplay... buy tickets soon and stay with us at The Oakwood Inn

August 30... Kenny Chesney

The Oakwood Inn is about a 20 minute drive to the Walnut Creek Pavilion. Why drive all the way home. Make a day of it. Stay at the Oakwood Inn, have dinner downtown, and then drive... it may be a late night, but only a short drive back to the Inn for sleep and then a wonderful breakfast in the morning.

RALEIGH'S R-LINE DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR

A new service to get your around downtown Raleigh and its FREE!

Raleigh has purchased two buses to help you get around the downtown area.
The R-Line is Downtown Raleigh's mode to connect employees, residents and visitors to retail, restaurants, entertainment venues and parking in the Central Business District (CBD). The service has its own distinct look and feel from regular Capital Area Transit bus service. This makes the R-Line distinguishable for riders from a distance.
****************************************************************************
The green and blue colors emphasize its unique "green" attribute; they stand for blue air and green earth. The design of the bus also symbolizes that the R-Line is a joint effort of the Raleigh Transit Authority, Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (GRCVB).
The R-Line is an example of the Raleigh Transit Authority's commitment to expand transit service in Raleigh and the City of Raleigh's commitment to make Raleigh a "green" city. For more information visit www.YouRHere.com.

*****************************************************************************
The R-Line only stops at designated R-Line stops indicated on the route's map.

==============================================================================
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the purpose of the Circulator?
The Downtown Circulator was proposed as a resource for commuters in the central business district (CBD). The purpose of the circulator is to provide connectivity to the CBD's major parking decks and entertainment districts.
How often will the circulator run?
The circulator will run every 10-12 minutes. The route will be served by 2 buses that will allow for headways to remain at 10-12 minutes.
What type of buses will run on the Circulator route?
This route will be served by 3, 40' hybrid electric, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) style buses; one bus will serve as a spare. The City of Raleigh chose to use 40' buses because they can easily be placed into regular CAT bus service if necessary.
Why a BRT style hybrid?
The City of Raleigh chose a BRT style hybrid because it is environmentally friendly, will run quietly in the CBD and it provides a distinctive look to the service.
How much will it cost to ride the Circulator?
This will be a free service!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What are the hours of the Circulator?
Mon-Wed Hours: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thu-Sat Hours: 7:00 AM - 2:15 AM
Sun Hours: 1:00 PM - 8:00 PM

25 YEARS OF SERVICE !

THE OAKWOOD INN BED & BREAKFAST CELEBRATES


The Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast of Raleigh, North Carolina is celebrating its twenty five year anniversary this year. In June 1984, Raleigh’s first and largest Bed & Breakfast opened its doors to welcome Raleigh visitors. The house that was converted into the Oakwood Inn was built in 1871 and is located in Raleigh first historic district, Historic Oakwood, which is a part of the downtown area. Because it was the first B & B in Raleigh, there was a lot of resistance from the city fathers. The city council had to be convinced and educated as to what a Bed & Breakfast was in concept, as well as what type of cliental it would bring into the area. The city council did not want anymore boarding houses in the area at the time. The Oakwood Inn B & B was certainly not a boarding house when it opened on Saturday, June 2nd of that year. The beautiful house, which was totally renovated and decorated with antique furniture, custom drapery, and gold-gilded chandeliers, was also Wake County’s first bed and breakfast.

Now that may not seem a long time, however; in terms of the Bed and Breakfast industry, a 25 year anniversary is a milestone achievement. “For a bed and breakfast to stay in business this long is quite an accomplishment. Innkeeping can be a tough, yet rewarding business. The folks who have been running The Oakwood Inn must be doing it right, obviously having been rewarded by a constant flow of loyal customers for a quarter-century,” said Jay Karen, President & CEO of Professional Association of Innkeepers International which is referred to as PAII in the industry.

Doris and I purchased the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast on September 1, 2001. Since that time we have gone through a lot of good and bad times. The one thing we have tried to maintain is to make sure our guests are satisfied and happy, and we must be doing it right, because we are still here running the Inn. We are the longest running Innkeepers of the Inn as we will be completing our eighth year this coming September. Over the past couple of years, I have had to return to the workforce outside the inn for various reasons. That means that Doris is really the sole innkeeper still providing the high quality service. It’s a lot more demanding on her, but she loves doing it, and it’s that passion that provides the basis to achieve a long sustaining tenure.

For the next few months, I will try to have a article in the newsletter providing a little more history of the house and its past owners as well as pass on a few bits of information about it as a B & B. “One definite thing we need to do,” said Doris, “is thank all of the neighbors who have stayed with us or have had family and friends stay with us. The neighborhood business is well appreciated and always welcome. We are so happy to be a part of this wonderful community.”

And of course, we need to thank all of our past guests who have supported us whether it was their first and only time they stayed with us, or if they have come every week or month for a night or two, and we have had some that regular.

Now I will also tell all of you that the Inn, just like many other businesses today, is having a difficult time business-wise. Occupancy has been down since about early September last year when much of this worldwide financial fiasco hit. Luckily, I am working and can help keep providing some cash flow to keep it moving along. As I tell many people, Doris and I bought the place 10 days before September 11, 2001. That day changed everything for us. What happened was that we lost all of our weekday business travelers, but our weekends were fairly full with pleasure travelers. People were afraid to travel, but had the money and means to do so. With today’s economic mess, people are not afraid to travel, but they just don’t have the money to do it.

“But things are starting to get a little better for us,” Doris said. “I tell Gary almost everyday to just think positive and the positive will come.” And it will. When you think about the first people who had the house built in 1871, and all of those others who lived in the house, or came to visit. When you think of who dug out the basement, who installed the first bathroom, when did the house convert from fireplace heat to a furnace, and who made what renovations and why…. you really appreciate the house and its soul. You begin to understand that this house has a life and a will to survive.

This house is one of Oakwood’s fourth or fifth oldest surviving homes. It has endured wars, wind, possibly fire, termites, snow storms, hurricanes, foreclosure, tax auction, tornadoes, segregation, integration, renovations, floods, additions, deletions, diseases, epidemics, depressions, recessions, and inflation…. it survived 9/11 and it certainly will survive and add to its legacy the Greatest Worldwide Depression of 2008/09.

Come and join us celebrate this year. Check out our website for 25 year specials. www.oakwoodinnbb.com
Gary
Owner/Innkeeper