Ashford Manor, Watkinsville Georgia

Dave Shearon and Mario Castro, life partners, left the cold winters of Chicago behind when they purchased the Ashford Manor B & B in Watkinsville, Georgia.  They saw the inn for the first time on New Year’s Day, 1997.  Walking around the grounds and then inside, both David and Mario each had an aha! moment … they knew they had discovered a new career. On the spot they knew what they would be doing for the rest of their lives – they would be innkeepers.

Needless to say they bought the building that day. Returning to Chicago they sold their house and bid farewell to their fast-paced careers in fashion advertising and restaurant management. A mere seven months later Dave and Mario were settled at the inn and welcoming their first guests.

Surrounded by five acres of manicured grounds, Ashford Manor Bed & Breakfast is a stunning Queen Anne Victorian built in 1894 by businessman Alexander Woodson Ashford.  Dave and Mario’s flare for interior decorating shows in the inn’s five guestrooms and cottage suites.  The Asian room is filled with East Asian furniture and antiques, wedding kimonos and ceramics collected by Dave when he lived in Kyoto.  All chintz in pattern and plaid, the English Room with two double beds feels very British.  A massive white canopied bed, Persian rugs and a fireplace take center stage in the ultra-romantic White Room.  Take a cat nap in one of the overstuffed chairs in the private sitting room.

The Safari Room takes glamping to indoor heights.  There’s a world map covering one full wall and the tin ceiling is original to the house.  Hung helter skelter around the rest of the room is a storied art collection amassed by Dave and Mario on their world travels. The bathroom is a kick; restored bead board paneled walls, an antique claw foot tub and a sink fashioned from a 1920’s style mixing bowl.

Decorated with art by local and international artists, the Cottage Gallery and Hideaway Suite both offer king beds, daybeds, kitchenettes and private porches which make them ideal for three people.

Arts and crafts by local artisans are big in this area. The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation purveys the work of over forty artists.  Set in an early 19^th century building, The Yarn House is filled with everything imaginable for knitting and crocheting and Gone with the Bead contains a profusion of colored beads, glass sculptures and jewelry.

Chappelle Pottery is well-known and collected throughout the south.  Forty-five years ago Jerry and Kathy Chappelle started their business, Happy Valley Pottery, in Watkinsville on the farm where they live.  Take a tour of the studio to see where they create their one of a kind works.  Afterwards stop by their downtown shop, Chappelle Gallery, and pick up something to start your own collection.

For more art and culture a 15-minute drive down Highway 441 leads you to Athens and the Georgia Museum of Art on the campus of the University of Georgia.  A noted capital of cool and a prosperous college town, Athens is full of shops, galleries, theaters, bistros, pubs and restaurants – perfect for exploring during your stay.