And They Have a Dog!

I began my Valentine’s Day weekend by shopping at a new place for a gift for my husband Steven: Grand Colonial Bed and Breakfast in Herkimer, NY.

One does not usually think about a bed and breakfast as a shopping destination, but I saw on Facebook that Grand Colonial was opening their gift shop to the public on Friday and Saturday just for the occasion. I was naturally delighted to check it out, especially as they said they carried locally sourced items. Additionally, I am seeking a topic for an article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. A local B&B might fit the bill.

The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was the nicest dog! I barely remembered to shut the door before I went over to let him. His name is Brick, and he loves people.

Linda Costanza and Michael Martin, two of the owners, could not have been nicer. When I told them I wanted to write about their place, they showed me around and answered all my questions. I took a lot of pictures. If I can’t write the article, I can definitely get another blog post or two out of it.

I also accomplished my intention of purchasing a present for my husband.

They said they could offer testers of the Berkman 1802 products, but such things could not be left just out these days, due to COVID. Sadly, COVID has wrought havoc on their business. Problems continue as, for example, the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown goes virtual for their annual inductions. Obviously, these kinds of precautions are necessary during a pandemic, but I feel we are justified in saying, this really sucks (pardon my French).

I think it was pretty smart of the folks at Grand Colonial to use Valentine’s Day to call attention to themselves and bring in a little gift shop business. I asked if the shop was open to the public at other times. Linda said anybody interested could give them a call and they would be glad to open.

“Ooh, private shopping by appointment,” I said. That would actually be a perfect way to shop during COVID times.

For anybody who wants to stop in for Valentine’s Day, the Grand Colonial will be open tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are located at 112 W. German St., Herkimer, NY, phone number 315-982-5004. You can visit their website at https://grand-colonial.com/. You can also Like them on Facebook.