NO ROOM AT THE INN IN MORGANTOWN

My friend Laurie and I set off on a road trip to Morgantown, West Virginia.  Wanting an extra day from our check in at a timeshare week, we stayed at the nearby Lake Manor Bed & Breakfast.  Arriving in the mid afternoon we were told that the last room available was given to us, which was where the owner Kathleen (Katie) Crumbaker and her mother usually stayed.  The room was large, had two queen beds and beautifully decorated, as were all of the rooms.

We popped into the kitchen as it was just off the parking lot and easier to get our luggage in.  There was a group of folks pulling apart what appeared to be a roasted pig.  Augie and his wife Rosemary, two of the guests, brought the pig as well as a roaster doing the job in the parking lot.  All who were present in the kitchen were tasting it as we participate in pulling the pork with forks, placing it into a large pan.  A pot of Cuban Beans were cooking alongside of another pot of rice.  Augie brought some special BBQ sauce.  Someone else was making a salad and Katie had prepared what turned out to be one of the most delicious potato salads going.

Needless to say nobody went out for dinner.  We loaded a potato roll with the pork that was mixed with the BBQ sauce and plated the rest.  How good was it?  The pork was so good that Tricia, a vegan, had more than a mouth full.  She was munching with the rest of us. This might have been one of the best meals all week.  What a way to mingle with the guests!!

The weekend was all about Parents Weekend at West Virginia University.  Parents were there with their family although I'm not sure that the students stayed over.  We heard that although the football team, The Mountaineers, won a game in Texas the "celebration" was creating a riot at the school.  They were burning bean bag chairs and more. Not the best thing for Parent's Weekend!

Tricia and Ken were into juicing.  Having already spoken with Michelle Jaffe from P'Town, I inquired even more.  They brought their juicer and organic produce with them renting a room that lead to it's own patio and jacuzzi.  Breakfast included a sample of the produce that combined vegetables with an apple for the sweetness.  I was inspired.  

About the pig thing.  Let's see....he couldn't find a pig sitter.   No room for the pig.   Better yet...the pig was West Virginia University's mascot and Augie stole it.  Riots broke out and we needed to dispose of the evidence!!!

NANCY AND BARB AT HONEY BEAR RANCH

We arrived at Honey Bear Ranch #24 for lunch. Jody treated me to homemade chicken strudel and Barb had the pulled pork sandwich. Each plate came with a side of Waldorf salad...apples, walnuts, celery and mayo..and a slice of apple pie. Mmmmm...more apples. The chicken strudel was amazing and very delicious with its thin pastry-like dough.

Honey Bear Ranch (HoneyBearRanch.net)is known for its roasted pig that's slowly turning on the rotisserie outside on the grounds near a Koi pond and water wheel. Pretty fishies. I met Chips whose job is to stay outside during the entire roasting process and make sure it cooks evenly. Today's pig is for tomorrows pulled pork sandwich. One pig can roughly feed 125 people.

I was appreciative of Christopher who showed me an operating late 1800s apple peeler/core remover. Since Honey Bear Ranch bakes around 600 pies a day they surely need a fast way to get those apples prepared for the pies! Besides this antique machine in the backyard they also have an apple polisher and sorter on display.

I noticed a lot of children activities that included a crafting table, wagon and pony rides, pumpkin patch, Zippy The Clown and her balloon animals, along with Barkley the Honey Bear.

For my second dessert of the day we stopped at the Fudge Kitchen and that is where I met one of the owners Dorothy Franklin. I tried two samples of fudge pumpkin spice and maple walnut. This tasting led me to purchasing slices of those mentioned plus a caramel apple. With a wonderful food tasting experience we were off to visit two wine destinations.

Photos by Nancy Kozicki. Tech by Barbara Coletta