We hope that you will find our Rivendell House to be for you as Tolkien’s Rivendell was for its guests: They stayed long in that good house…and they found it hard to leave.

When we opened the house at 16 Park St, Bethel, Maine, as a bed-and-breakfast lodging in December of 1998, we were realizing a long-held dream. In the ten years since then, the dream has borne fruit beyond our greatest expectations. We have met wonderful people from around the U.S. and the world and feel fortunate to have shared in their experiences as they stayed with us.

We first learned of B&Bs while on assignment in Europe for Allen’s company. It didn’t take us long to figure out that hosting people in our home was something we would really enjoy. When Allen chose early retirement from his company in early 1998, we had already discovered Bethel and purchased this house. We were ready to embark on a whole new life. And what a life it has been!

Besides being a quintessential New England village nestled by a river and surrounded by mountains, Bethel is filled with an amazing community spirit and we have felt at home here from the very beginning. We find ourselves deeply involved with town affairs and active in various non-profits.

Allen's skills as a systems engineer and manager from his "other life" have proved useful to organizations like the Bethel Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce and the town's Planning Board. Jackie uses her training as an educator and ecologist on the town’s conservation commission. Gardening, hiking, and kayaking keep us busy outdoors in the warmer months. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are winter activities – followed by cozying up to a fire and reading good books!

When we moved to Bethel, we had two adult children, neither of whom was married. It is amazing how a few years can change things! Now we can rejoice in the addition of a daughter-in-law and son-in-law to our family, and four grandchildren - two in Vermont and two in California. Becoming grandparents has opened up a whole new wonderful world to us!

Our guests continue to add another dimension to our lives, making it difficult to imagine the future where we are no longer innkeepers. We are delighted by discovering interests in common and learning something new with every guest. We share recipes and favorite places, and have great discussions on all sorts of topics. We maintain our connections with many of our guests who have become our friends.

Tolkien’s Rivendell was a place of refuge. It is certainly that for us and we welcome you here to find rest and relaxation for yourself.