There's simply no way that I can express my overwhelmingly positive experience at James Manning House Bed & Breakfast without getting a little verbose. So, I apologize for the length, but as I found out for myself, this is a journey worth taking. Checked Inn is a television program on the Oprah Winfrey Network featuring Monique Greenwood's journey as a hospitality entrepreneur and her centerpiece resort, The Mansion at Noble Lane. The show revels in the beauty of the Poconos Mountains, the local sights and dining, and the Mansion's grounds and grandeur. In a word, it's impressive. What Checked Inn won't show the viewer is that it's not the real treasure of Bethany, Pennsylvania. Less than a mile away, tucked into the folds of the mountain and shadows of the birch trees, is a quaint old bed and breakfast. This is the James Manning House.
It may seem like a non-sequitur to say that I like socks that are snug. Loose socks are one of my least favorite things in life. As strange as that is, bear it in mind as I continue. I visited Bethany, PA for a wedding, and so I made sure that I had the best of my socks, but when I came upon James Manning House and stepped through its old, red door, felt the greeting of spices and home cooked food tickle my nose, drank in the colors and soft lines of a fashion forgotten a century ago, and received perhaps the most pleasant welcome I've ever known during my not inconsiderable travels, I've got to admit, I felt my socks loosen.
It would not be until the next morning, when I ambled down the hardwood stairs, groggy and begrudging of the sun's insistence on rising yet again, that I would understand the significance of my socks' readjustment. I had barely sat at the table before fresh coffee and juices were served, along with some of the most delicious breakfast. My mother is the best chef I know and even she would would have melted for the delights I enjoyed that morning. Start with a cup of mojito watermelon and blueberries, kissed by tequila. Chase with a frittata and bacon that would lighten the whole day. Finish with bread pudding that redefined my standards. Well, I felt my socks fly right off. Gone. Probably hiding somewhere so they would never have to leave.
I had never felt my socks being literally knocked off before, but it would become a sensation with which I grew familiar. Morning two? Fresh parfait, stuffed french toast, and spiced chicken sausage. Morning three? Whole wheat pancakes -- made by request of a fellow guest, I might add -- pork roll, and fruit salad. These meals were in addition to the constant supply of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and mint-infused water that was kept available throughout my stay. I lost a lot of socks.
What of the rooms, one may wonder. To this I needn't be so eloquent, and I can honestly testify that the accommodations at James Manning House were so comfortable, so spacious, so well air-conditioned, that it became a refuge for several of the guests staying at Mansion at Noble Lane. Yes, guests at a mansion made somewhat famous by Oprah Winfrey's own television network were leaving there, and coming to spend hours at James Manning House instead.
As for those responsible for a significant reduction of my footwear, Janet and Warren Heinly, the gracious hosts who I believe have spent several of their previous lifetimes as doting grandparents, have achieved something that I thought impossible today. They managed to capture the warmth, the coziness of a Norman Rockwell painting and bring it life. So, turning a bit sincere here, there is simply nothing I can describe that would properly convey the feeling of coming home that I felt when entering the James Manning House, despite my being over 600 miles from my house. Later, when enjoying a relaxing evening in the den, I would fervently wish that I could one day experience a family gathering, a Thanksgiving or a Christmas, somewhere that could manage even half the charm as James Manning House. read more