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JBloggs

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You all may have known me a few years ago when we had that guest stomp out of here all riled up because she was supposed to have a view.
As you know we do not promote a view, as such. Although we surely do have one. Depends where you are, the inn is not on a bluff overlooking the ocean, but we are elevated and in the mountains, in a small mountain town. We have a Natural Area Preserve behind us one mile (so there is a nice view of that) out the back.
I decided to snap a photo from one room at the front of the house - this is the same view the porch has as well (southern exposure). Winter sunsets are southern here. So upstairs we have three guest rooms with this sunset view and the upstairs hall as well. I dare not publicize this and have another ranting maniac on our hands.
Sunset view from The Blue Ridge Room http://twitpic.com/8dr9hs
The lights are the end of our street, our downtown. Again, people expect a bustling downtown at times, not sure why, we have like 4000 people in our town tops, so they roll up the sidewalks at night.
 
Always a careful balance between underpromising and overpromising, whether in photos or text. We want to help ourselves by making things appear as nice as they really are, but don't want to over-sell and risk misunderstandings. And what seems to be just the right amount to most folks will still leave some with unreasonable expectations, because some people just hear what they want to hear, just see what they want to see.
I am right in the heart of downtown, but like you, it's small town America with no clubs or pubs. There is a tattoo/piercing parlor across the street, but that's not everybody's cup of tea!
 
Our neighbor has a really nice pond which gives our property a great view. Do I mention it anywhere. . . heck no and I even tell the guest if they make mention of it when they get here, I tell them they can look but don't touch!
 
Always a careful balance between underpromising and overpromising, whether in photos or text. We want to help ourselves by making things appear as nice as they really are, but don't want to over-sell and risk misunderstandings. And what seems to be just the right amount to most folks will still leave some with unreasonable expectations, because some people just hear what they want to hear, just see what they want to see.
I am right in the heart of downtown, but like you, it's small town America with no clubs or pubs. There is a tattoo/piercing parlor across the street, but that's not everybody's cup of tea!.
Agree.
I have heard guests say this town was way nicer than they thought it would be, and others who expected bars to grab a drink with live music in the evenings. I have so many recommendations for places to go to match a guest's interest. If they ask me I can direct them!
Worst case scenario, and I can laugh about it now, were the three Germans here (just one night, as most traveling around the USA) and wanted to experience local music. At least I think they were after that, you see I couldn't really understand them, and did know they wanted live music.
I sent them on out with GPS directions...but they were VERY European, as the saying goes. I can taste the cologne just typing this. They all had on black leather jackets, black clothes, coiffed hair, jewelry (men too, thick gold bracelets) and let me tell you if I was a fly on the wall when they walked into a pack of country folks playing banjo and men dancing in their overalls...and women in beehive hairdos. After all this is rural Appalachia.
But they wanted to experience it. I am glad they did. I am also glad they spoke no English so no one knew I had sent them. I can almost hear the banjo ring ding ding stop and people turning to stare. Many are related to Germans and European Immigrants in these hills, of course, but probably have never met anyone who lives there now.
Arkie, I promote THIS stuff, I am honest and forthright, and slap yer Momma it is a lot of fun! But, perhaps leave the black leather jacket, black leather shoes, black top and black pants in the suitcase.
whattha.gif

 
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience.
 
And you have a great view of your own yard and gardens, too!
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If people think that they're going to have a great view of some huge vista while staying in an urban inn (even small town USA), they don't get out much. LOL!
 
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience..
Arkansawyer said:
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience.
I can understand that, we like to endulge in the local "culture" when travelling. I really can't understand Brits who go to places like Spain and spend their holiday in "English" style pubs watching football on Sky TV and eating Fish and Chips. And people who say "Back home we have....." really rile me.
 
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience..
Arkansawyer said:
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience.
I can understand that, we like to endulge in the local "culture" when travelling. I really can't understand Brits who go to places like Spain and spend their holiday in "English" style pubs watching football on Sky TV and eating Fish and Chips. And people who say "Back home we have....." really rile me.
.
I was in several pubs in Ireland, drinking Harp or Guinness. What were other non-US tourists drinking? Budweiser. I had to speak up. To go all the way to Ireland and drink warm US beer was just mind-boggling.
 
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience..
Arkansawyer said:
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience.
I can understand that, we like to endulge in the local "culture" when travelling. I really can't understand Brits who go to places like Spain and spend their holiday in "English" style pubs watching football on Sky TV and eating Fish and Chips. And people who say "Back home we have....." really rile me.
.
I was in several pubs in Ireland, drinking Harp or Guinness. What were other non-US tourists drinking? Budweiser. I had to speak up. To go all the way to Ireland and drink warm US beer was just mind-boggling.
.
Madeleine said:
I was in several pubs in Ireland, drinking Harp or Guinness. What were other non-US tourists drinking? Budweiser. I had to speak up. To go all the way to Ireland and drink warm US beer was just mind-boggling.
Did the bottles say "Budweiser" or "Bud"? The tourists may have been drinking the Czech Budweiser, which is much better than St. Louis' finest. Read the brief article HERE.
"To give A-B some credit, they didn’t simply ‘borrow’ the recipe and name from Budejovicky Budvar, they also dumbed down the recipe, replacing much of the barley and grains used in the Czech version with flavorless adjuncts like rice and corn."
 
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience..
Arkansawyer said:
Speaking almost no English, it's amazing that they would wander into Appalachia like that. I both admire them and think they must be crazy.
But yes, I've found that Europeans who visit here, and yes, there are some, LOVE doing stuff like watching a farmer change the oil in his tractor, wander around the hardware store downtown, and go to the country/gospel/bluegrass music jamboree where they often outnumber the locals in the audience.
I can understand that, we like to endulge in the local "culture" when travelling. I really can't understand Brits who go to places like Spain and spend their holiday in "English" style pubs watching football on Sky TV and eating Fish and Chips. And people who say "Back home we have....." really rile me.
.
I was in several pubs in Ireland, drinking Harp or Guinness. What were other non-US tourists drinking? Budweiser. I had to speak up. To go all the way to Ireland and drink warm US beer was just mind-boggling.
.
Madeleine said:
I was in several pubs in Ireland, drinking Harp or Guinness. What were other non-US tourists drinking? Budweiser. I had to speak up. To go all the way to Ireland and drink warm US beer was just mind-boggling.
Did the bottles say "Budweiser" or "Bud"? The tourists may have been drinking the Czech Budweiser, which is much better than St. Louis' finest. Read the brief article HERE.
"To give A-B some credit, they didn’t simply ‘borrow’ the recipe and name from Budejovicky Budvar, they also dumbed down the recipe, replacing much of the barley and grains used in the Czech version with flavorless adjuncts like rice and corn."
.
No idea.
 
Although I have a nice view of hills, I cannot post view photos. I am from front - across from the VFD and their parking lot. Catty-corner across the street is the funeral home parkiing lot and funeral home. Across the alley from my side yard is another parking lot. But I am 50 feet or less from the 17 mile rail-trail.
 
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