MAYTOWN (Lancaster Co.)

An opportunity to tour 13 Lancaster County Bed and Breakfasts, nibble on a different cookie specialty at each stop, and raise money for Hospice will cost only $5 on Sunday, May 5, from 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

If you're fortunate, you can win a free night's stay at one of the participating inns of your choice.

Jeff Clouser, marketing coordinator for the Authentic Bed and Breakfasts of Lancaster County, said the event benefits Hospice and allows people to see the wide variety of services county inns offer. It's also an opportunity for participants to learn to know the innkeepers and their stories.

Clouser and his wife Julie operate Maytown Manor, an 1880 federal-style home referred to locally as the Hiestand House. Both Clousers have a degree in education, but have always been active in food service-related jobs.

Friends and family members have often commented on the Clousers' flair for turning ordinary dinners into memorable experiences. Extending their natural affinity for hospitality to operating a bed and breakfast seemed a natural progression for this young couple.

When the couple purchased the property in June 2000, they viewed it as a potential site for a bed and breakfast in upcoming years, but the dream became a burning desire, and the Clousers decided to go for their dream immediately.

"We're good at ripping things apart,'' Clouser said of their efforts to redo the home into a guest rooms with private baths, rewiring, and repainting. With the help of an interior decorator friend, the couple achieved an appealing inn.

They named each of the three guest rooms after a historical person who had lived in Maytown. The Whitaker room is named after the operator of the Whitaker Ferry, the Taylor Room is named after a U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and the Cameron Room is in honor of Simon Carmeron, a U.S. Senator during Abe Lincoln's presidency.

Upstart expenses for inns are costly. And three guest rooms do not provide enough income for both Clousers to make a full-time career of their dream. Julie is a supervisor for Tyco, and Clouser works part time at the Dutch Apple.

"The dream for a bed and breakfast was perhaps stronger for me than my wife,'' Clouser said. For that reason, he does more of the general upkeep around the place. The Clousers have no additional staff, so all cleaning, laundry, cooking a big breakfast, and maintaining a spacious lawn keep the Clousers very busy.

"We need our own space,'' Clouser said of retaining a private apartment within the house. "It also enables guests to feel more relaxed because they don't feel like they are invading our space.''

Guests have access to a library/entertainment room. The walls and built-in bookshelves are made from knotty pine. An oriental room and antique chairs offer an inviting spot to curl up with a book or watch television.

Breakfast is served in the formal dining room complete with heirloom china passed down through Julie's grandmother.

Tickets for the Bed and Breakfast Cookie Tour are available for $5 a person at all participating inns, and can be purchased the day of the tour. Proceeds from the event will benefit Hospice of Lancaster County.

The mission of Hospice is to provide the highest quality supportive services to all persons in need of end-of-life care and their caregivers. Hospice care is for people with any illness including heart, lung, cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer's diseases. Hospice advocates effectively for patient comfort, dignity, and choice, and serves a leading resource in clinical, ethical, and spiritual issues of end-of-life care.

- Lou Ann Good,
Food & Family Features Editor
Lancaster Farming, 4/27/02