A Warm Welcome To Abigail’s from Innkeepers, Susan and Adam Lemon!

Being new not only to America, but also to Ashland, Oregon I often ask myself: “would Adam and I have made the same decisions that we made five years ago in March of 2014?” A decision that was made within a week of our first visit to Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast Inn. The answer would still be a definite yes, no doubt in our minds at all!

Our Innkeeping Journey

Our parents were both immigrants to (Rhodesia – at the time) Zimbabwe  where both Adam and I grew up. For most of our life we have lived in a country filled with political turmoil and very little stability. Unstable as it was, we still managed to deal with the issues as best as we could. There was never any question of not coming to America for us. We were both more than ready for the opportunity to search for a new life in our golden years.

After a trip to Florida and many discussions with our American friends, we decided upon a two-month RV road trip to the Western United States.  Starting in Phoenix, Arizona, we headed up through Sedona, Arizona, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Nevada and on into a cold, wet and windy Ashland, Oregon. We entered Ashland on Route 66.  By the way, the back of Route 66 is not for the fainthearted in a 28-ft RV.  When we finally crawled into Ashland, the plan was to move on without stopping. In the end, we stayed for a week before heading out to explore the Redwoods, the Pacific Coastal Highway and San Diego!

Well to cut a long story short – we eventually returned a year later to Ashland. We spent a month here and finally decided on a way forward.  That way forward was so obviously Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast Inn – we became Innkeepers!

Hospitality “Love Affair”

I myself have had a passionate “love affair” with food, wine, hospitality and people for the last thirty years of my life. A self-taught Chef with a thirst for food and wine knowledge I felt that Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast Inn was the perfect canvas for me. Adam’s background has been in Accounting.  However, he has been greatly influenced by my passion for the hospitality industry. We have a wonderful son, Matthew, who has remained in Africa for the time being. In owning Abigail’s Bed and Breakfast Inn, our greatest achievement will be to maintain the high professional standards of hospitality that the previous owners brought to the inn. We will also aim to add to them!

“Great Service, Great Food, Great Value and always, a warm Abigail’s Welcome!”

* Photo credit for header image: Barbara Tricarico