Hello from the Castle, we hope you and your loved ones are doing well. The Castle is buzzing with excitement! Guests are coming and going, enjoying great food at our wonderful La Crosse eateries and shopping the fun shops downtown. I just discovered a few to stop in and have a look. Start with the Painted Porch (http://paintedporchlax.com/). I’m not much into shabby chic, obviously based on the Castle decor, but what a fun shop! I found some gifts and even a small table we can use in one of the guest suites. What a surprise! The La Crosse Antique mall is another fun stop, three floors of goodies in all price ranges. Again, I found some fine crystal and a piece of art for our home. Then I found Larson’s General Store (https://www.larsonsgeneral.com/) what an experience! I learned so much about products for healthy living. Earth friendly body & home products that are fantastic! LOVE YOUR MOTHER, the Earth will thank you. Several other small shops, clothing stores, jewelry and then my biggest guilty pleasure…..Pearl Street Books! (https://www.facebook.com/PSBooks). Bring your big purse or three shopping bags, you’ll need them. I found my stack of winter reading and had to be physically removed from the store before I bought more. We are library and museum guys for sure, so a bookstore jam packed with things we love to read is pretty much heaven.
Using my off-key singing voice “I’ll be home for Christmas…” almost as good as Bing! So will Brandon, we have guests staying on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A few places are open to get a bite to eat, or bring something from home and we will heat it for you and set the table. We love sharing our home, it’s far too big for just the two of us and two pooches. It’s also GIFT CERTIFICATE season! We have been busy printing those and getting those sent by mail to everyone around the country. GC’s are still great gifts, travelers can have a look at their schedule and see when they have some time to visit La Crosse and stay at the Castle. We will keep the Christmas decorations up until January. Rotary Lights is such a treat! We drove through the light display last week, then over to Pettibone Park to look back at our glimmering town and the reflections in the River. The Rotary Light festival gets bigger every year, see photo below, we saw a few of the new additions and our old favorites as well. We are definitely home in La Crosse, as we looked out over the top of Grandad Bluff last night I could not help but think “who would have thought”. I’m reminded of the old saying “Fate laughs at those who make plans for her”. If you’d have told me six or seven years ago I’d be sitting in Castle La Crosse as it begins it’s 130th year, writing a blog, getting ready for guests to arrive and planning our next projects….I’d have laughed but probably said ‘that’s possible’ because I know when I make plans, the opposite is sometimes bound to happen.
Yesterday I wrote a note to a friend going through a rough patch with her health. I reminded her that the world has changed since COVID became and everyday thing in our lives, nothing will be going back to the way it was, might as well get use to that. But we can enjoy the challenges of getting to know the new normal, we can make this new era a great adventure. I’ll remind myself of that the next time something doesn’t work as quickly as it did a couple years ago or something takes three times longer to arrive. Just be patient, relax, breathe. Or put the kettle on in the best British afternoon tea tradition! The Castle is warm and cozy, it’s here for you when you need it!
Safe Travels,
Billy and Brandon proprietors – Castle La Crosse Bed and Breakfast. www.CastleLaCrossebnb.com. Facebook and Instagram for more photos and stories
