The Foster Harris House is one-in-a-million. Innkeepers John & Diane MacPherson are extraordinary hosts and the Inn itself is lovely.

My husband and I have stayed in many, many bed and breakfasts over the years. We swore them off several years ago because we found so many innkeepers to be, in our view, either too needy (wanting to monopolize our time) or slightly odd and off-putting. Our three night stay at the Foster Harris House turned out to showcase the best of what bed and breakfasts can be.

If you enjoy good food (and many of the Inn's guests dine at least one evening at the renowned Inn at Little Washington right up the street) then you will swoon over the breakfasts prepared by John. To say they are sublime may be an understatement. They rival any meal we've eaten at The Inn--or anywhere else for that matter. I could write an entire essay on the glories of breakfast at the Foster Harris House.

Diane is a warm and thoughtful Innkeeper who answered our questions about what vineyards to see and what new restaurants to visit with excellent recommendations. Everything she suggested, we thoroughly enjoyed. And that's not always the case.

As avid hikers and bicycle riders, our visit to the area was designed to enjoy those pursuits. And did we ever! In addition to taking spectacular hikes, John and Diane (who are both avid and excellent bicyclists--John having ridden professionally) provided us with maps of their favorite routes. Especially for my husband, (a Tour de France junkie) a highlight of our stay was the morning that John offered to ride with us. Since I'm just a "weekend cyclist," I was somewhat concerned that I would be riding too slow. If that was the case, John never let on. He made us feel like the pleasure of the morning was all his and matched his pace to ours. That's true kindness.

The property, in Washington, VA, is at the foot of the Shenandoah Mountains and, perhaps more importantly to some, within walking distance of the Inn at Little Washington. The rooms are nicely furnished and the MacPherson's provide much appreciated "extras" in the common areas. There is, for example, a refrigerator stocked with bottled water and soda to which guests may help themselves. Guests may also use the phone (to make both local and long distance calls) at no charge. Finally, a computer for the use of guests is available. This was particularly helpful as cell phones and other wireless forms of communication don't work in this area.

On our last day, we departed early in the morning in order to squeeze in one more hike before heading back home. As we headed out the door, John and Diane handed us a bag filled with croissants still warm from the oven. We've spent lots of time since our visit trying to figure out the earliest possible time we'll be able to return!