Time to freshen up!

by Ellen Alderink

 

The spring flowers are blossoming, the grass is getting greener and some days are even light-jacket weather! I’m getting the itch to work outside and work on the yard. Pulling weeds and edging beds are therapy for me. It relieves cabin fever which I’m sure we all feel at this time more than ever! Bob and I took a hike in the woods a couple times to check for spring wildflowers. I enjoy photographing the flowers.

It’s also been the season of home repair and updating, a time to “freshen up”. We painted a ceiling in one of the guest rooms, added a shower surround to one of the tubs, and replaced some furniture. Another of the rooms is halfway through a bathroom remodel and waiting for the stay home order to lift so the contractors can finish up. We’re looking forward to sharing our updates with our guests this summer!

Bob has kept quite busy with painting. We had a water leak this winter which, among other things made quite a mess of our dining room ceiling in the owner’s quarters. It also loosened up a bit of the wallpaper. So, after the ceiling had been repaired and painted, Bob took down the wallpaper, repaired some cracks and painted the walls and decorative molding. It’s the first time we’ve done work on the innkeeper’s part of the house.

Home improvement projects can sometimes lead to little discoveries like how the house was added on to or altered over time. While doing the demolition in a bathroom remodel, Bob found a little “treasure” from days gone by—a jar of Arrid Deodorant from the 1940s. It was stuck behind the radiator. Our home was not a B&B back then so it must have been from a family member in the distant past.

 

Opening day

We look forward to serving guests this summer and helping them enjoy the town and natural beauty of the Ludington Area. We hope to be open on June 1, but we will wait until it’s safe and the “stay-home order” is lifted. Many guests who were booked for April and May postponed their stay until later this year or converted their deposits to vouchers for a future stay. We are waiving COVID-19 related cancellation fees and will refund if the other options don’t work out. If you have booked and need to change plans just call or email.

We’re learning about best methods for disinfecting and serving breakfast with social distancing in mind. Be assured we will be disinfecting surfaces frequently, have wipes and hand sanitizer readily available. Breakfast may be served in shifts or in rooms. There’s much to think about—“a new normal” as we like to say.

Book direct!

We encourage you to book direct. That means to book through our website and not an online travel agency. Just type “ludingtonhouse.com” right into the address bar of your browser. From our website you’ll get the best prices, be able to add extras like a picnic lunch or chocolate covered strawberries, read about the area and events happening and get tips for planning your getaway.

Get a good deal with Downtown Dollars!

If you’re unsure of choosing a booking date due to the pandemic, feel free to take advantage of our gift certificate offer. Use it to book whenever you like. Buy $200 or more in  gift certificates at the Ludington House and receive 20 Ludington Downtown Dollar$ free! The dollars are good at most Ludington restaurants and stores located downtown. Order gift certificates on our website and put “downtown dollars” in the message area. Or you can call and order them.

We have some fun happenings coming later in the year, a knitter’s weekend, a yoga weekend, live parlor concerts and our 3^rd annual cookie tour.  Watch our website and facebook page for details.

We look forward to seeing you!

Ellen