Follansbee is a fun, relaxing, immaculate home away from home. Cathy and Dave Beard, the innkeepers for the last 12 years, make you feel like family and their spotless inn is outfitted with lots of what an outdoors-person enjoys. Yes, some window frames can use painting, the floors aren’t exactly level in places and you might spot a ceiling crack here or there, but that’s to be expected in such an old building. The original inn was built in 1840 and is now an integral part of the main building. Dave said it had been a stagecoach stop and the granite stepping stone is still on the property. The inn has four floors. Floors two and three have a total of 17 rooms, some with suites. The fourth floor is not rented and was previously used for staff at the inn and a former, sister inn across the street. According to Dave, the second inn, now long gone, was also owned by Mr. Follansbee and was outfitted with luxurious rooms for the wealthy. You can see pictures of it on the hallway wall of the second floor.
My wife and I stayed in the Ichabod room facing Lake Kezar, which is across a quiet country road. The carpet was clean and appeared rather new and the room was furnished with older, but well cared for furniture. The bathroom was equipped with a hair dryer (in the bureau drawer), shampoo, soap and towels, changed daily. The room also had a love-seat and ceiling fan. Outside in the hallway were filled bookcases and period pictures of the inn and surrounding area.
Downstairs, on the main floor, are sitting and game rooms – one with a small, cast iron stove, a bar and the main dining room where Cathy makes great breakfasts, buffet-style. On the three days we stayed, she served quiche with ham, fruit and assorted pastries on two days and delicious apple pancakes with sausage, hand-made pastries and fruit on the other. You can have all the home-made granola, milk, coffee, cranberry and orange juice you’d like. It was more like a brunch than breakfast.
At the back of the inn is a garage that holds well-maintained Specialized brand mountain bikes - including a tandem - biking helmets, life preservers and paddles for the kayaks. On the shore of the lake, directly across the street, is a dock where you’ll find two, single kayaks and one tandem. Up a hill from the shore is a wooden, rocking love-seat, which my wife found comfortable for reading. The lake is placid and includes an island. Our three day stay of uncommonly warm weather was ideal for kayaking and hiking. Dave said that in the winter when Lake Kezar freezes, he provides snowshoes for guests to use on the lake and miles of area trails.
The road around the perimeter of the lake is 3 miles long, which we walked, and includes the entrance to Wadleigh Park where you can go swimming in the summer. The large old and small homes are scattered about on heavily wooded lots.
The inn is in North Sutton, a small village without restaurants as far as I could discern. Four miles up the road is the town of New London, home to Colby-Sawyer College and some small, good restaurants, including Pizza Chef, where we ate twice. The grinders and pizza were excellent. Very clean, busy place with reasonable prices.
Dave and Cathy are ideal innkeepers. He gives directions, stops and asks if you need anything before going to town, provides loads of historical tidbits and knows all the favorite area attractions. He gave us discount coupons for our visit to nearby Canterbury Village, a former Shaker community, which you don’t want to miss if you’re interested in the now extinct, communal sect renowned for its quality products. Cathy sat and told us about her upbringing in Detroit, move to Colorado and later purchase of the inn. You thought you were talking to your sister; she was so relaxed and open.
My wife and I will return to Follansbee regardless of the season.
