Sunday, April 28, 2002
Pampering with all the details
It was my boyfriend's birthday this past week and I wanted to do something special this weekend. Our visit to the Maple Leaf Inn in Barnard, VT certainly qualified as special.
Just driving to the inn was very enjoyable. My route took me through beautiful mountains and fields, as well as farm houses and barns that evoke the New England charm.
Upon arriving, we were greeted, given a tour of the house and offered a beverage. Along with the beverage were some excellent light cookies that Janet baked. We had conversation with Gary and Janet (the inn's owners) as well as some of the other guests in the parlor.
Our gracious proprietors keep a book of menus from various local restaurants for review by guests. Being that Spring is the off-season for the area, several of the restaurants close for varying amounts of time. Once I picked the restaurants of interest, Gary made calls to the restaurants to ensure that they were serving that evening and made the reservations for our eventual choice.
Arriving back from dinner, the descriptions that Gary had given of the room really sunk in. We had looked forward to enjoying the large whirlpool when we decided on the inn; but the surprises were in the details--the heated floor in the bathroom, the wonderful thick towels and the luxury toiletries.
After the bath, my boyfriend built a fire in the wood-burning fireplace and we settled into a king-size bed made up with beautiful (and high thread-count) sheets for a comfortable night's sleep. We had chosen extra pillows from the linen closet (yes, you can choose the one that suits you!).
If that wasn't enough, getting up to a gourmet breakfast with fresh flowers and candles on the table and really excellent coffee.
Driving back, I felt so relaxed, the stresses of the previous week all gone and wonderful memories that will remain for some time to come. Truly the only problem was that we couldn't have stayed a little longer and enjoyed some of the sights in the area. I'm sure, though, that a plan for a longer weekend will be in our future.
Saturday, March 31, 2002
Amazon.com may well be one of the most recognized shopping websites and has been rated #2 in popularity after eBay.com as reported by ZDnet.
I've been an Amazon shopper for about 3 years now, and can report that I've never suffered a disappointment. The search engine does a great job in locating books I am looking for specifically, but then most online bookstores can do that.
What sets Amazon apart is that they can somehow duplicate the feel of bookstore browsing. You can look through categories, and you even have personal recommendations!
Amazon will always send an email verifying your order within minutes of receipt and will send email when your order has been shipped.
Delivery has always been on time or earlier. Gifts I have ordered came gift-wrapped and tagged as specified.
I've been very satisfied with this experience. I would hope that other online merchants would strive to uphold the same standards of usability and service.