B&B's Bed and Breakfast
Personal Review by Gord Gallant
 


Over the last 16 years of birdwatching I have gone to Point Pelee about ten times. I have stayed in a variety of places, but this was the first time I stayed anywhere in the Pelee area for more than just a few days, and I was really looking forward to the experience.

 This year I was fortunate to be able to arrange accommodations for 6 nights at B&B's Bed and Breakfast at 216 Erie St. South in Wheatley. It was just 10-15 minutes away from Point Pelee National Park’s main entrance. Being an avid birder, being this close to Point Pelee was high on my priorities when choosing a place to stay. It was an added bonus being a couple of minutes away from Wheatley Harbor. This year I discovered how great of a birding area Wheatley Harbor is. It is one of the best areas to find Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons on a regular basis. I was rewarded with great looks at a Laughing Gull on the first day I was there - only a couple of minutes from B&B's Bed and Breakfast.

 I had already spoken with Bruce and Bea Patterson on the phone prior to arriving in Point Pelee this year, and found them both very charming. They were even more charming in person! Upon check in, Bruce and Bea gave me a tour of the place and made me feel comfortable and welcome in their home and B&B.

The B&B is a self contained extension of the McLean House, which was erected in 1905. The B&B section is newly built, but care and effort were taken to make it warm and welcoming. There are 4 guest rooms, capable of accommodating 8-10 adults. The properly is well maintained, and sits on a large corner lot with ample parking next to the private guest entrance.

There are a number of accommodation features that are not available in many other B&B’s in the area. One of the features not listed in their brochure is the fact that Bruce and Bea cater to birders by providing a large country breakfast - at the time that is suitable for birders! It was incredible how they managed to get up that early and make a great meal - day after day for a steady flow of guests. They offered suggestions for places to eat during the day, and evenings that were reasonable and convenient.

 Accommodation Features are as follows:

Another plus is the fact that they have a toll free number (1-800-851-3406) which allows you to make your reservations without costing you in long distance fees.

Bruce and Bea have recently taken up birdwatching, and are eager to hear about the birding episodes their guests relate to them and other guests. It is a great place to share birding stories, and make new friends. On one of the days I took Bruce along with us while we tried for a big day. We did fairly well, and ended up getting Bruce his first "100 Bird Species" pin from the park for identifying 100 or more species in a single day. It was as much fun for us as it was for him. Bruce and Bea helped us by showing us the Screech Owl that was just a few yards / meters south of their property. It turned out that there was two Screech Owls (one gray and one rufous phased ).

 Besides the great birding, the accommodations were excellent, the atmosphere was genuinely warm and friendly, and a good time was had by all. Everyone I spoke to there indicated that they were going to book for next year at B&B’s Bed and Breakfast, or had already booked for next year already. I plan to do the same soon as well.

 In addition to being a great place for birders to stay at, it also looks like it would be good at any time of year for any reason! There is plenty to do even if the weather was to be bad. This is quickly becoming a very popular place to stay, so I would recommend booking for later this year, or for the spring of 2000.

More information can be found on their website located at http://www.mnsi.net/~brucep/

 Any feedback, suggestions, or comments would be greatly appreciated and encouraged.
Thank you

 Gord Gallant
gallantg@interlog.com
 
 

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Thank you in advance, for your input. Your views are very important !
I look forward to hearing from you!


 
 

Please send comments, corrections, or inquiries to myself, Gord Gallant

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This page was created: Tuesday, May 25, 1999
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 26, 1999 - 10:33:51