 Bob and Linda Aldrich bought the inn at Weston in May 2001, leaving behind former careers in medicine, Bob as a Cardiologist, and Linda as a Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse. We had entered practice in New Jersey in 1979, and almost immediately began coming to Vermont frequently for vacations, and a general recharging of our souls. We stayed in many inns and met many innkeepers and came to love the peace, relaxation, and friendliness that is so characteristic of inn life.
By the 1980's we found ourselves talking about "owning an inn someday". By 1993 we had talked about that so much that we felt it important to take a course, to be certain we were not fooling ourselves. The course was entitled "So you want to be an innkeeper" and it was taught by Bill Oates and Heide Bredfeldt. The course was realistic and informative and we left with a renewed desire to own an inn, and we wanted that to be in Vermont.
Then, from our perspective, changes began to occur in the world of medicine, and they were not for the better. These included the rise of power and control of HMO's, the increasingly litiginous atmosphere in medicine, and hospital consolidations, buy-outs, and closures. By 2000 we had decided to begin our search for an inn in Vermont, and this culminated with our purchase of the Inn at Weston in 2001.
Shortly after arriving, we built the library in the front room, which now houses our extensive book collection, both fiction and non-fiction covering a wide range of topics. Guests are encouraged to peruse the collection, and if anything is of interest to feel welcome to take a book home, finish it, and mail it back to us. This happens all the time, and many interesting conversations have been sparked by the volumes in the library.
We constructed a state of the art greenhouse, and this now contains our collection of about 1000 orchids, always a source of enjoyment for our guests. We completed a deck and gazebo attached to our pub and dining room, and this is now a sought after area for dining in the summer months. We added our grand piano to the dining room, and diners now enjoy live piano music nightly. We have completely redone the inn's many garden areas, and have added several new garden areas, and all of these are wonderful spaces for enjoying a good book, a morning cup of coffee, or an afternoon glass of wine. We are also always adding new touches to the decor of the inn, and feature the work of many local artists, some of which is for sale.
We enjoy our life at the inn, and always appreciate the opportunity to meet new people, our guests, and we are also always happy to speak with anyone contemplating a future life of innkeeping. Please join us, and become a part of the Inn at Weston family. |
