"Historic Burlington's Willis Graves Bed and Breakfast Inn"
—by Ellen Everman Deaton

If a historic setting and elegant surroundings is your definition of the perfect getaway, consider northern Kentucky's historic Burlington's Willis Graves (BWG) Bed and Breakfast. Proprietors Nancy and Bob Swartzel have perfected every detail of the ambience of the 19th century. I say this from experience, having been a recent guest at this sophisticated retreat.

My favorite room is the common area, where a Kentucky full-stock rifle takes center stage over the fireplace mantel. On the mantel sits a pillar-and-scroll shelf clock made by Chauncy Ives of Bristol, Connecticut, circa 1820, reminding you that time is a major player in this house. You're living the elegant present as well as the sometimes inscrutable past. Everywhere, 19th century images, like the primitive paintings of northern Kentucky's legendary Gary Byrge, convey historic riddles that words cannot. If you can imagine yourself an 1800's wayfarer, the 1820's travel map of Kentucky and Tennessee will come in quite handy. A Luman Watson tall-case clock beckons you to the first floor suite, where you'll meet the gaze of a husband and-wife portrait, circa 1843, by Philadelphia's J. F. Hanks.

It was my bedroom, however that convinced me that I never wanted to leave. The golden light from the period wall sconces presented my four-poster canopy bed made of bird's-eye curly maple in a glow. A plate of freshly baked cookies sat enticingly on the coverlet just by my pillow. If books imbue a room with a soul, as a famous philosopher once said, then my bedroom ushered me into another world. Books of all shapes and sizes, historical and otherwise, became my bedtime companions. In the private bath I found my very own terry cloth robe, and luxurious towels awaited my arrival. English soaps, Scandinavian shower gels, and smaller books completed the feeling of indulgence.

Breakfast is a culinary delight, with stuffed French toast, fresh fruit, and a magnificent setting that pampers and delights. Just minutes from downtown Cincinnati, BWG provides the perfect town-and-country combination, with enough history for the history buff, antiques for the antiquarian, a nearby city replete with concerts and Broadway shows for the urbanite, and country for the seeker of peace and quiet.

Come to the top side of the state and enjoy these rare combinations. Your image of northern Kentucky will never be the same.

© 2002. Arts Across Kentucky. Reprinted with permission of Crystal Communications.

Cincinnati Magazine, June 2000

"Antique Road Show"

At 5:30 on Sunday morning when the summer day still harbors a bit of chill, join the arrives of other early-risers in the hunt for the perfect collectible at the Burlington Antique Show. And while the show, which runs every third Sunday of the month through October at the Boone County Fairgrounds, may only be a short freeway shuttle from downtown Cincinnati, it's worth spending the night to make a completely antique weekend. Start Saturday by checking into Burlington's Willis Graves Bed & Breakfast Inn, an 1830's Federal style brick home named after the Boone County Clerk who built it.

You can stroll around the grounds and through the gardens, or relax in the parlor with a garden book from the terrific library. The simple interior is fitted with country and colonial antiques-many from the Burlington show and brick fireplaces with original mantles. The guest rooms are furnished with antique beds (two have four poster beds with handsome canopies). Following your morning antiquing on Sunday, there's nothing better than the wonderful breakfast served here on Spode china; quiche Lorraine or luscious lemon yogurt waffles topped with whipped cream and raspberries along with fresh fruit and homemade breads.

© 2000. Cincinnati Magazine. Reprinted with permission of Cincinnati Magazine, Inc.

Kentucky Off the Beaten Path, 5th ed.

Kentucky has hundreds of bed and breakfast establishments, but this one, Burlington's Willis Graves Bed and Breakfast, is one of the classiest, inside and out. The 1830's federal-style brick home was built for Willis Graves, Burlington's county clerk for the first two decades of the nineteenth century. The home has been exquisitely renovated - Flemish bond brick work and federal mantles are all original. Unlike many b & b's, the furnishings are appropriate. Nearby is a stable that boards horses and offers all levels of riding lessons. The inn is only a twelve minute drive to the airport, so it's a good option for business travelers.

© 2001. Kentucky Off the Beaten Path. Published by The Globe Pequot Press.