“A night at the Dr. Dodson House could change your life!,” my bubbling host Jamie said to me as she refilled my coffee. I had just commented how this was the second summer in a row where I had met a couple who had retired from the Foreign Service, a secret dream of mine, & maybe it was time to do something about this. Conversation flowed freely around breakfast, not always something you find at a B&B filled with strangers. But here, encouraged on by our hosts Jamie & Ben, we weren’t strangers but friends. Friends who can share far fetched dreams. Alas, a few nights at the Dr. Dodson House Bed & Breakfast might not change your path in life, but it will leave you refreshed, relaxed & fulfilled – by new friends & by the amazing savory breakfast.
The house was built in 1799 & served as a tavern & the town’s first post office. The house had a brush with history when Frederick Douglass visited in 1877 when he returned to make amends with his former master. The B&B itself is made up of two buildings: the Sarah Louisa Bruff House (you can thank Sarah for expanding the amazing porch!) & the Joseph Harrison House.
The Dr. Dodson House has three bedrooms: the Dodson Room & the Harrison Room on the second floor &, up a steep set of stairs, the very quaint, cozy Harborview Room, where we stayed. The pitched ceiling of the room leads its guests to feel like they are actually part of the historic house (& during Friday night’s violent thunderstorm, we did indeed wonder if the house was going to come down around us!). The Harborview Room is in the only one in the house with a majestically large king sized bed & the tiny bathroom offers views over the rooftops to the harbor – not a bad view for your morning shower! The room comes with all the comforts of a modern hotel – hair dryer, coffee maker, in-room snacks, TV (the cable is not the most reliable – but you’re at a romantic b&b, so it shouldn’t matter!) – yet retains the charm of a small inn. Breakfast is served at a time of your choosing & is delicious & sinful. The coffee flowed freely each morning & a mini-fridge stayed well stocked with bottled water throughout the day.
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