Elk Forge Inn
807 Elk Mills Road
Elkton, MD 21920
877-ELK-FORGE

Elk Forge Inn Home Page

October 2007

Welcome to www.weloveourlife.com. This is our page dedicated to our experiences while staying at the Elk Forge Inn in Elkton, MD.

Accommodations

We initially booked the Brandywine Suite, which appeared to be a two-room suite with a large whirlpool in the sitting room. When we arrived at the inn to check in, Harry Lenderman (the husband of the husband-and-wife innkeepers) could not locate an envelope for us and it became immediately apparent that they did not have our reservation. He calmly said, “Don’t worry – I will fix it.” He tried looking up multiple things. Keith discovered a guest computer in the sitting room, so Lori got on it and printed out her e-mail confirmation. Once he had that in hand, Harry was able to locate the record, but for some reason the actual reservation did not go through. He offered us their “VIP suite” (which cost $100 more) for the same price as we would have paid for the other suite, which we took. We must say that he was apologetic and was calm throughout – we realize it is because he knew he had the most expensive suite in his back pocket that he could offer to us. If he didn’t have that, we figure he would have figured something else out – contacting another inn or the like. But it all worked out.

We ended up in the Longwood suite. Lori hadn’t booked this room because she thought it appeared a little frillier than what we usually like and because it had a corner whirlpool, which we generally find to be not as comfortable. Once we saw the suite, it was fine. We agreed this is probably one of the larger suites we have stayed in.

	The inn itself was built in the 1760s and the Longwood was on the second floor of an addition. There was a separate outside entrance with a long flight of stairs up to the suite.
	The door opened into a room with murals on the walls, a fainting couch, and the corner whirlpool, which proved to be more spacious that we thought it would be. There was also a non-working fountain in the room. In two places, there were arched openings that revealed old brick underneath. There was a ceiling fan in the room and windows on two sides.
	There was a sitting room with a couch, chairs, tables, a corner fireplace, desk, refrigerator, microwave, ceiling fan, and windows on two sides. There was also a VCR/DVD combo with the TV. There was a cord for high-speed Internet access on the desk (the inn also has wireless access throughout).
	The bedroom had an extremely comfortable king-size bed with an iron frame. A nice extra was that there were two individual controls for heat in the bed (we’re not sure if it was the mattress pad or the mattress itself – probably the mattress pad). There was a corner fireplace, armoire, bedside tables, TV, another non-working fountain (it probably worked – it just wasn’t plugged in). Interestingly, on the mantle we found a sound machine (recreations of different sounds to help relax you – heartbeat, rain, waves, etc.).
	The bedroom had sliding doors to a balcony that contained two chairs and a table and a very nice countryside view.

There was also a bath (with two doors – one opening into the bedroom and the other into the sitting room). The bath was large, had a window, and contained a toilet, a large shower, and a unique sink. There were many thoughtful things provided in the bath – hairdryer, curling iron, razors, even smoking cessation gum!

Inn Amenities

The inn has lots of amenities. There is a hot tub set down into the deck on the side of the house. Lori hadn’t seen this on the website so we didn’t take our swimsuits and didn’t get to use it. Towels were provided for the hot tub.

There is a beautiful conservatory where breakfast is served – plenty of windows overlooking the deck and beyond. This was probably the home’s porch at one time. There was stained glass in there as well. It could accommodate a number of people.

There was a large deck around the back of the house, a putting green, nature trails, and a billiards room. The inn also has a conference room and can accommodate meetings and small wedding receptions.

There are a large number of videos available in the office (self-serve). Microwave popcorn was also provided. We did select a movie and some popcorn and took it back to our room to enjoy.

Inn Food

Breakfast came with the room. It was a self-serve, expanded continental type breakfast. There was fresh fruit, granola, fruit juices, coffee, hot water for tea, and an espresso machine. There were a variety of breads, bagels, Danish, and the like. A nice feature was a waffle-maker which was very easy to use. You sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray and then poured on the batter. You shut the iron and spun it upside down. After about 3 minutes, you heard a beep that told you the waffle was done. We split a waffle and it was very good.

Inn Bar/Lounge

The inn does actually have a license to serve wine and beer, although there is not really a bar. Contact the innkeepers for additional information.

Inn People/Service

Harry and his wife LeAnn are husband-and-wife innkeepers. There is also a spa. We only met Harry – he is the one who resolved the issue when we checked in and showed us to our room. He was also there to greet us at breakfast in the morning. He was helpful and pleasant and we want to stress this, even in light of the mix-up with the room. We had the feeling that even if the place was booked to capacity he would have found a work-around.

Area/Attractions

Although the inn’s address is Elkton, the town is actually a couple miles away. It is a good location, not far from Wilmington, DE, the Brandywine Valley in PA, and is at the northern end of Maryland’s famed Eastern Shore region. There are a number of attractions that are easy drives from this location.

Dining

Chesapeake Inn & Marina - 605 2nd Street, South Chesapeake City, MD 410-885-2040
Chesapeake Inn Home Page
This is a great place. We’ve been here several times on previous stays in Chesapeake City. It was only about 8 miles from the B&B where we were staying. We were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather for late October – the sun was shining and the temperature was nearly 80. We had shorts on and hit the deck of the Chesapeake Inn for lunch. The deck overlooks the C&D Canal and watching some of the large container ships go through the canal is fascinating. It is also a marina and the weather was beautiful so there were a number of pleasure craft docked there. The deck has a large outdoor bar and lots of tables. There was a guy singing classic rock songs and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and the place was buzzing. We could have eaten inside, too, but not on a beautiful day like this. We each had some cold beer. Keith had chicken tenders with buffalo sauce, accompanied by fries with hot sauce, bleu cheese, and Old Bay seasoning. Lori had the crab pretzel. It was as good as it sounds – a large soft pretzel topped with crab, a mixture of cheeses, and toasted golden brown.

Howard House Tavern - 101 West Main Street, Elkton, MD 410-398-4646
Howard House Tavern Home Page
When we checked into the B&B, Lori mentioned that we were thinking of having dinner at the Howard House. The innkeeper looked surprised and asked us how we knew about that. Lori smiled and said, “I’m a research professional.” We asked if we needed reservations and he said probably not. He said, “They do a good job.” The fact that he was surprised told us it was probably very much a place the locals go to, and that’s what we were looking for. Since it was a Saturday night, we went on the early side (around 6). They were full “upstairs” so we got a table downstairs. It was a smoking section but it didn’t smell too smoky. There were all decked out for Halloween. We ordered some wine by the glass (this doesn’t seem like the sort of place you go to where a sommelier comes out to discuss your wine preferences). Keith had the filet mignon, a side salad, and mashed potatoes. Lori went for the crab melt (English muffins topped with crab and cheese) and the same sides. The side salads were huge and seemed more like dinner salads. We were each given a huge scoop of mashed potatoes that looked like ice cream. The potatoes were home-made and were delicious. Keith’s filet was more well-done than he liked (hey, it’s not exactly a steak place – their emphasis is on seafood) so he got some steak sauce. Lori’s crab melt was good, but it could have been hotter. It was an extremely affordable dinner. There doesn’t appear to be much in the way of dining in downtown Elkton, and this place was really mobbed.

Nightlife

There are usually bands playing down at the Chesapeake Inn in Chesapeake City (see above). We opted for popcorn and a movie in our suite.

Weather

This is the Eastern Shore region. Because of their proximity to water, they don’t generally get a lot in the way of snow. We visited in late October. It should have been in the 60s/possible hitting 70 during the daytime and in the 50s at night, but the whole area was experiencing one long, extended summer.

Tips/Suggestions

Elkton is really the gateway to the Eastern Shore. If you like crabs, this area is the place to be. We’re talking about backfin crab meat here (blue crabs) and not Alaskan king crabs. The crab is affordable and plentiful. Also, do yourself a favor and drive a few extra miles to Chesapeake City. It is a really quaint, Victorian, waterside town with breathtaking views (of the high bridge and the ships on the canal).