This past weekend we stayed at The Pines of Dresden. This cozy 1812 farmhouse is the oldest residence in Dresden, Ohio. You may know Dresden as the home of Longaberger Baskets or “Basket City, USA.” But there is much to see and do in this town even if you aren’t in the “basket cult.”
Friday evening Tiffany and I arrived around 4:30pm and were immediately greeted by Allison and Marin the Innkeepers. We have two informal hosts also, Sissy, an English Bulldog and Toby, a cat (another cat, Biskit stayed outside). After taking a tour of the four guest rooms –
The Bluebird
The Blue Jay
The Cardinal
The Oriole
We interviewed Marin (pronounced Ma– rin) and Alison about how they found themselves in Dresden, Ohio as Innkeepers. After meeting them you will soon see why they were awarded BedandBreakfast.com's Best Innkeepers!
For dinner we were sent highly recommended to The Depot for their Smokehouse BBQ offerings. When we walked in we immediately noticed this framed Columbus Dispatch article about The Pines.
After a short wait we were seated and presented with a lovely wine list from Raven’s Glen, a local winery. Tiffany had the Merlot and I enjoyed the Sangria – both were excellent. Our BBQ was cooked to perfection and our sides of coleslaw and cheesy potatoes hit the spot. Lisa and Rose enjoyed coffee and also commented that it was very good.
After dinner we returned to The Pines to have some downtime and enjoy a sinfully good dessert of Chocolate Pot de Crème prepared by Marin. Also provided for a nighttime treat were cucumber water, apple cider, chocolates, cocoa and an assortment of teas.
Saturday
We were awakened by the sound of cooking downstairs in the kitchen. We headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast with the other guests that were staying at The Pines as well as The Ivy (a downtown property maintained by Allison and Marin.) We were treated to a breakfast from scratch made by Marin. The pancake was amazing as if we were eating dessert for breakfast and that is always good!
After breakfast we headed to see the sights of Dresden, starting with Prospect Place. Prospect Place was a stop on the underground railroad and is known for being haunted. Tours are given throughout the year.
We moved on to downtown Dresden where there is more to do than just purchase Longaberger Baskets! We perused many shops that sell boutique clothing items, jewelry, candles, primitives and… baskets.
We also stopped by the cutest little coffee shop called The Hen House. We had a great time chatting with the animated proprietor, Bill.
Our lunch was at Popeye’s Soda Shop, which was originally founded by Dave Longaberger. We enjoyed burgers, salads and chicken sandwiches with fries. Great milkshakes and mini-sundaes are there for those with a sweet tooth. Dresden also has a cemetery with headstones dating back to the last 1700s and a suspension bridge that is off limits to driving and walking but very interesting!
After recharging our batteries from shopping and watching the Dresden Christmas Parade we were treated to a three-course meal prepared by Marin. It was amazing.
I don’t like horseradish or asparagus and I had two helpings of asparagus and all my main dish. With the Pumpkin Brulee (another first) it was the perfect ending to a meal that belongs in any 5 star restaurant. The surprising thing is Marin is completely self taught!
For our evening entertainment the house, including our hosts went down to The Depot for Karaoke and dancing. I must say we definitely brought the party. Tiffany supplied the dancing and I supplied some singing for entertainment. Our waitress Melissa did a duet with me on Bohemian Rhapsody and Allison and Dave (a Dresden resident) did a duet of Baby It's Cold Outside.
Sunday
After a long night of food, dancing and singing we were awoken by the smell of Marin’s breakfast lasagna, home fries and fruit salad.
We had the chance to talk to Allison about The Pines of Dresden’s Facebook page and how to be more engaged in social media. Allison was so excited to start, Tiffany will be heading back Dec 11th to talk to Allsion and Marin about the page and some SM marketing tools!
Allison and Marin were fantastic hosts and we encourage all of you to book at least one night in this casual and fun Bed & Breakfast.
If you would like to book a stay at The Pines of Dresden
Call 740-754-4422 or www.thepinesofdresden.com
Mention you saw them on Weekend Retweat and you will receive 20% off your
Three Course Dinner prepared by Marin when you book your stay.
Please tell us of your stay!
We would love to hear of your experience!
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