by Association member Tom Sanguigni
Gaylord House B&B
3301 Grand Avenue, Everett, Washington 98201
Telephone: 425 339-9153
Toll Free: 888 507-7177
Fax: 425 303-9713
gaylord_house@msn.com
http://www.gaylordhouse.com/
NOTE: The Gaylord House offers our members a 10% discount. Let them know that you are with the LHBA when you are making your reservation. We also recommend asking them to provide a sack lunch for you to bring to class.
I’m not usually one who likes to travel,
especially in a strange community far from the things I am familiar with.
However, I wanted to go to the Log
Home Builders Association class. I did not want to stay at a hotel/motel
for $60-70 a night, and have to find all my meals out. The expense of dining
out for three days could easily cost me well over $100 for my stay. Plus there
was the possibility of being disappointed with local food and hotel
accommodations. I reasoned the same amount of money could be spent, and I could
have twice the satisfaction staying at a local bed and breakfast.
I rechecked the LHBA website, and found they had highlighted a few local bed and
breakfasts. After reviewing all their websites, I settled on the Gaylord House.
Boy, did I get lucky!
First off, it was easy to find. There was no paper work to fill out. It was a
snap to check in. This family, Gaylord, Shirley Ann, and Theresa run the
Gaylord House B&B. I was given a
tour of the house. It is very nice and well taken care of home. The house is
nearly 100 years old. I was then shown to the cookies on the dining room
table. The dining room was decorated with maybe 100 different teacups. The
living room had many musical instruments, cordials waiting to sip, magazines,
and overstuffed comfortable furniture. There is a game room full of videos,
books, and games. I wished already I could stay longer just to be able to lose
myself in a novel or an old movie.
My room was well decorated. I chose the "Commodore's Room". It was the
smallest and least expensive room. It was well appointed with sea faring books,
an old trunk, and nautical instruments. The bathroom was bright and cheerful.
The shower had two showerheads to ease away stress. It was very nice.
Everything was very clean. I felt very at "home" even though I was far from my
home.
Next, we get to the food. I must say it was much more enjoyable and easier than
hit or miss local restaurants I know nothing about. Each day delicious strong
coffee was delivered to my door before waking. I could hardly wait for
breakfast to begin. The aroma of fresh homemade food was in the house each
day.
Day 1: I had dinner only this first night. It consisted of delicious stuffed
chicken breast sliced into neat little bundles. These were surrounded by a
bright and tasty array of spring vegetables clad only in a little olive oil salt
and pepper. For the dessert, I had a dish of premium chocolate chip ice cream
and a handful of shortbread cookies. This was finished off with a cup of Earl
Grey tea served in one of many teacups.
Day 2: Besides the morning coffee, I enjoyed a delicious three-egg omelet
seasoned with fresh tarragon and basil. With the omelet, I had three strips of
bacon, and a special bran muffin, and plenty of tasty local jelly.
During the LHBA meeting, I requested a sack lunch for the day. To my surprise,
the lunch held two sandwiches. One was a chicken sandwich, the other a ham
sandwich. There was a Fuji apple, a few cookies, and a bottle of real fruit
juice. Needless to say, it was welcome fare. I had more than I needed to eat,
and it was all neatly packed for me in an insulated bag.
I traveled towards the Gaylord House for dinner. I did not need to "look" for a
place to eat. My dinner would be waiting for me. I could relax, eat, and be
ready for the next day. When I arrived for my supper, I freshened up while they
cooked up my food. I sat down to a plate full off pork, potatoes and
vegetables. This was a large full plate of food. Everything was tastefully
sautéed and mixed with just the right amount of seasonings. I cleaned my
plate. I turned down the ice cream. I could not eat another bite. I had some
tea, and spoke at length with Gaylord. We chatted for almost an hour. I could
not believe how friendly old-fashioned hospitality felt. It certainly was a
comfortable feeling I had not enjoyed for a long time.
I’ll just list my meals for the remaining time.
Breakfast: To start, I had a baked apple cooked with brown sugar cinnamon and
raisins. Next, an egg blossom baked in a Philo dough shell, hollandaise sauce,
and scallions. Finally, I had a poppy seed muffin and plenty of local jam.
Lunch was similar to the day before, and packed and ready for my day.
Dinner: This was the simplest dinner. It consisted of a very large baked
potato drenched in cheese, bacon, broccoli, onion, and sour cream. I also had a
bowl of soup, and at this time I cannot remember how it was made. However, it
was a cream soup, and very delicious. Although simple, it was very welcome
because it was 28 F, windy, cold, and icy.
My final breakfast consisted of a pear poached in a sweet white wine. The pear
flesh had a most wonderful flavor. A very large croissant sandwich followed
it. It had eggs ham and cheese. My daily muffin and plenty of local jam
finished off the final morning meal.
I would heartily recommend staying at the Gaylord House. It felt good to be
there. The house was quiet, pleasant, comfortable, and very clean. Anytime you
need to visit the LHBA or a member’s meeting, please stay at the Gaylord House.
It is a more enjoyable stay than at a hotel. You can compare the math. I spent
a total of $283.00 for the entire stay. In addition, I had to top off my rental
car’s gas tank. For maybe a very few extra dollars over the local hotels, you
can stay a top-notch local bed and breakfast.
Tom Sanguigni
nobleknight@earthlink.net
Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with Gaylord House in any way. No one at the Log Home
Builders Association of North America nor
Tom Sanguigni gets any type of compensation if you choose to stay at Gaylord
House. Our instructors asked Mr. Sanguigni to write this review when they
noticed that he had brought a very elaborate and delicious-looking lunch to
class.
Visit the Gaylord House B&B website.
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