Hollinger House

August 15, 2017

One of the blessings Linda and I have enjoyed in recent years is being able to occasionally afford the luxury of staying at a bed and breakfast when we travel. Linda isn’t much for traveling, so it doesn’t happen too often, but maybe once a year we get away just to spend time together. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not much of a people person. With the exception of Linda. If I’m going to spend time with anyone, my first choice will always be her. I like my friends, but I love spending time with her; unlike us, it never gets old.

Tonight we are in Lancaster, PA, at the Hollinger House, an 1857 mansion recently renovated by  a woman who was battling cancer even as she was making her dream come true. When she felt well enough to travel, she scoured antique shops, Craig’s List, and vintage homes that were selling off fixtures and furniture. The draperies and bedding she and her mother sewed themselves, sometimes having a friend hold the cloth while she sewed because she was too weak to hold it herself. She died on July 3, 2016, shortly after opening. Two young friends who had walked with her through the renovations quit their jobs to operate it in her honor. 

You don’t get those kinds of stories from the Holiday Inn. This entire place is a testament to the power of love and the depth of friendship to overcome even the most difficult of obstacles. Tonight, we aren’t just staying in pleasant surroundings; we are sharing in a dream we didn’t even know was being dreamed, and are thankful to have chosen this particular house for our little getaway.