My Little Piece of Serenity

“Enter as Strangers...Leave as Friends.” It is a simple sentiment but when you actually experience that sentiment the impact is so much more powerful than those few words. These are the words that greet you as you walk through the beautiful double doors (the I want in my future house) and into Rosebud Country Inn. These words are posted proudly above the dining room and what I didn’t realize or expect when I first saw them on my very first visit how true they are. Every time I enter this cozy bed and breakfast the sign is always the first thing I notice and it always puts me right at ease. It always makes me feel like I’m not just entering a hotel but I’m entering a home.

I have fallen in love with this little B&B and a large part of that has to do with one of the owners, BJ. She welcomes you to the bed and breakfast like you would a friend into your home. (In fact now having visited multiple times we even get hugs). She is one of those women that is so perfectly suited to running a B&B because of her personality. She has the confidence and joy that you see in people that are doing what they love. She is friendly, bubbly, charming, funny and incredibly generous and sweet. She will bend over backwards to make your visit amazing. Whether it is saying yes to a special breakfast request (mmm…orange French toast) or helping arranging a picnic dinner so that I would have food when everything else in town was closed, BJ is always willing to go above and beyond. She goes a long way to helping make you feel special and pampered while you are visiting. It doesn’t matter if it is your first visit or your 4th (or I’m assuming your 10th or 100th) I have little doubt that each visit will always be amazing and a one of a kind experience and that speaks to the brilliance of what BJ has done with this inn.



Me, Anne, BJ, Rose and Hedy

Of course as great as BJ is there is so much more to this little inn that has kept me coming back. Last night, I spent my sixth night (spread over 4 visits) and I’m still just as impressed. I love the fact that when you walk into your room, waiting on your bed is a little treat bag full of stuff to pamper you. Each and every time I have come the scents contained in this bag have been different as well which creates a nice surprise even though I know it will be there for me. The rooms, themselves, are gorgeous. Of course don’t even get me started on the beds. I don’t generally like any beds that aren’t mine but I dream of the beds at the inn. Not only do you come back from the theatre to find the comforter turned down and a little chocolate waiting but they are so comfortable I can almost imagine myself doing nothing but sleeping. I joked before going out in the summer that I was going to skip a couple nights of sleep just so I could really enjoy the sleep the first night I was there. Now as if that isn’t enough to really know you have a good vacation spot but how about a good morning cup of coffee or tea served to your room before breakfast? Well that happens at the inn too. It blows me away (even though I don’t drink coffee first thing in the am) that everything is organized enough to get all the rooms some coffee before they come down for your breakfast. When we are out there at Christmas it creates a great moment of friendship when we can sit around in the lounge or one of our rooms and enjoy a little time together before we head down to breakfast. I really believe that it is these little details that make this place so special to me. They are the details you take for granted but I know if I showed up and didn’t have them I would be so disappointed. Those little touches make you feel like you really matter and aren’t just someone filling a bed.

I can’t talk about the draw of this little inn without talking about Rosebud itself. It is a tiny little place in the middle of Alberta. I think it is actually probably one of the prettiest places in Alberta. I may be a little biased though because I love the way I feel when I’m there. There may not be a gas station but they have a theatre that constantly blows me away. I have experienced more emotion sitting in the seats watching the small stage that I have in any other theatre. As a lover of seeing live performances I have loved going out to the Rosebud Theatre for the last four seasons to see the different plays put on and am very much looking forward to experiencing my fifth season.

The town revolves around the plays. The local residents get involved with them and it gives it a very down to earth feel. But it does not take away from the quality of the shows, so please don’t get that idea. You can tell that the theatre and the town are very proud of the performances that go on. I think it is the town involvement that has created a culture of creativity. I consider myself to be a creative soul and I love creating things whether it is with my writing, my photography or even my scrapbooking and so when I see the support that seems to exist in this little town for the arts I have a great deal of respect for everyone there. I think it is that support and openness to the creative world that has left the air just charged with creativity. It is that feeling that I seek out. When I am out there I have more ideas flow, I have more desire to create and I can produce things that I’m not sure would happen otherwise. I love how inspired I feel when I’m in Rosebud.

I could probably go on and on about the things I love about my time out in Rosebud. I can’t help but gush when I really love something. However let me end this blog with some of my favourite photos from Rosebud and the inn, I mean a picture is worth a thousand words right. All I can say is if you are looking for a place to visit that is close to home but will make you feel like you have been to another world try opening your heart to Rosebud, I don’t think you will be disappointed. Who knows you might just find me wandering with my camera down the streets.

For more information please check out these sites:

Rosebud Country Inn

Rosebud Theatre

Also please check out the Rosebud Country Inn Youtube video and be sure to ‘Like’ them on facebook.