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WHO SLEPT HERE?: Stay where the famous have dined, danced and dreamt. For his honeymoon, Clark Gable and his beloved wife, Carole Lombard, stayed at the Gold Mountain Manor, a romantic inn tucked away in mountainous Big Bear, Calif. This retreat hosted many of the rich and famous.

For those of us who frequent bed and breakfasts or country inns, the myriad of statesmen, writers, actors and other adorned personalities who once visited these places is one of many characteristics that makes the experience so unique.

For instance, guests staying at the opulent John Rutledge House Inn in Charleston, S.C., may proclaim not only that George Washington once dined there, but that first drafts of the U.S. Constitution were drawn up in the mansion’s ballroom. The home’s builder, John Rutledge, was no slouch himself in the context of American history. Rutledge, was not only a writer and signer of the Constitution, he also served as South Carolina’s first governor and a Supreme Court justice. A stay at Rutledge’s home is to experience a little piece of American history.

Much of our nation’s history is preserved at inns and bed and breakfasts. Authors Samuel Clemens and Jack London, as well as President Theodore Roosevelt were among the famous guests at the Vichy Hot Springs Resort & Inn in Ukiah, Calif. Although the lodging facilities have been updated, the 1860s naturally sparkling mineral baths remain unchanged. As you relax in a mineral bath, it’s not hard to imagine the days when guests were able to discuss “Tom Sawyer” or “The Call of the Wild,” with the authors.

Hacienda del Sol, an 1810 adobe home outside of Taos, N.M. has a rich and varied history. It once catered to young girls as a college preparatory school, with such notable surnames as Vanderbilt and Pillsbury. In the 1920s, owner Mable Dodge Luhan, a famous patron of the arts, hosted such notable guests as D.H. Lawrence and Georgia O’Keefe. In the late 1940s, Hacienda del Sol opened as a guest ranch and catered to such celebrities as Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable and John Wayne.

Named for a Civil War Veteran and four-term congressman, The Colonel Taylor Inn B&B and Gift Shop, has quite a list of historical guests. Its namesake is notable, as well. The Colonel fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg against General Lee, but advised his superior General Ambrose Burnside against the attack. Unfortunately, Taylor was correct and the Union troops suffered terrible losses during the attack. After the war, Taylor built this gracious home where he later hosted several presidents, such as William McKinley, James Garfield and Rutherford Hayes.

At The General Lewis, a stagecoach that once delivered travelers to the springs on the James River and Kanawha Turnpike, rests under an arbor. Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson registered at this 1834 inn’s walnut desk, which was retrieved from an old hot springs resort in the area.

Any of these historic bed and breakfasts stand alone on their hospitality, amenities and beauty, but it’s hard to deny the added ambiance of staying in a place where some of the most illustrious names of the past worked, relaxed, dined and slept.

Tags: History