A quick overnight to Santa's Village in August with our youngest and a friend found us not wanting to share a hotel room, but the kids were too young to be in a room on their own. Just up the road from Santa's Village, the Jefferson Inn and Gwen came to our rescue. This large Victorian is like coming home again, bringing to mind fond memories of visits to a grandmother's or favorite aunt's house. We were able to book a "family suite" at a very reasonable price, and could even order discounted tickets to Santa's Village with our reservation - a big time & money saver. Gwen met us promptly and showed us around - there's a living room, dining room, and more on the first floor - and then to the "Country Suite", which is the two rooms on the third floor, complete with your own door to the stairs leading up to the rooms, an ensuite bathroom, and a small refrigerator in the master bedroom. The second bedroom right across the hall has two twin beds, perfect for the kids, and a TV that shows DVDs (there's a decent-sized selection downstairs of family-friendly movies you can borrow), while the master has a comfy queen-sized bed. Once checked in, we headed out for a bite to eat after looking through a binder of local restaurants' menus thoughtfully available in the living room. When we returned, we made sure to sign up at the front desk for one of the breakfast times - a great way to be sure our breakfast would be ready and waiting when we were. The kids selected a movie to watch (a Christmas one to "get them in the mood" for the next day's fun), and we settled in for the night. After a great night's sleep, we got to top off our stay with a delicious breakfast made by Gwen, who was sure to make kid-friendly versions of the yummy breakfast burritos for the younger ones in our party. One note for the coffee lovers reading this: your visit will not be complete until you've had a cup of the coffee. The beans come from a local micro-roastery, and trust me - you won't be disappointed. Take your cup out onto the large welcoming front porch, have a seat on one of the wicker couches, and take in the mountain view while sipping some caffeinated goodness. If you want to stay in a family-friendly place that feels like a home, not a cookie-cutter motel, then this is the place for you. Definitely looking forward to returning for more visits! read more