Last year we turned 30! And we honestly didn’t scheduled anything big to celebrate our birthdays, granted the pandemic didn’t help much. And after a long time staying at home (with kids!) during 2020, we decided that we needed to get away from it all! So, we did something we have NEVER done before- we went to a bed-and-breakfast !
After lots of research, Daniel found the perfect place for us to stay for my birthday-Mayhurst Estate. Mayhurst Inn is an 1859 Plantation Manor House in Orange Country. The house itself, is a four story 9200sq ft Italianate Victorian Plantation Manor House situated on 37 acres. And all of it is gorgeous!!
We didn’t know what to expect having never stayed at a bed and breakfast, but it was quite personal and an experience. Instead of an hotel, where you just come and go, you had the chance to slow down, sip coffee by the fire and talk to other people (safety!) and hear their stories. We were even able to share a meal with a few other couples (again, safely!). It was so nice! And we were able to have many different conversations with the owners, which turns out the wife is a wedding photographer and they are both Christians and view this place as their ministry. They have HUGE plans for this place!! And it was wonderful to talk to other business owners and creatives who are like-minded! It was a lovely weekend away inside a gorgeous home.
Isn’t this place gorgeous!
This is the room we stayed in while we were there! It was so cozy and just perfect for an unplugged weekend. Since it is a historical home, they do not have any televisions or computers set-up, which was refreshing. We spent our time away from our phones and the world. We also packed a lot of books! We were both determined to finish books that we had started months ago. 
Daniel was so sweet and ordered/asked Casey (owner) to set-up some roses in our room for my birthday! 
It was just so peaceful and restful! 
We even brought a puzzle! We didn’t make it very far, but we did have fun trying! 
And the best surprise ever for us, is that it started to snow!! It was SO lovely and beautiful! (And yes, there is a little cat on the porch! Keep reading to learn more about the cat!)
As the owners put it, the cat came with the house! Apparently, this cat has been around for over a decade! And this is her home! She has had a litter here (all of them grew up and went off, except for one!). And she just hangs out watching and waiting for all the guests to stop and pet her. (And she is looked after!) We loved her! The cat made us feel right at home 🙂
Behind the main house, there is another building (actually they have a few smaller buildings-one is available as a room, the others are a work in progress), that they are working on renovations for to make it their own personal home. The Cashell’s (owners) have 4 kids ranging in ages from 12-3 years old of age and they live on the bottom floor of the main house currently. 
We had a wonderful stay at Mayhurst Estate and we can’t wait to see how the Lord works through the Cashell family!
Interested in what they are doing, their farm life (they have goats!! and just recently had two of their goats give birth!), their renovations, or everything and anything they are doing, follow them on Instagram (personal and Mayhurst account), and their youtube channel!.