It was Sunday evening when Sherry Corder’s phone rang. You might have expected the owner of Wauconda’s Old Victorian Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast, at 26668 Main Street, to exhibit a sense of excitement. Instead, her reaction was one of skepticism.
“How do I know this is legit?” she asked the caller.
When Corder received a promised e-mail from the producer of WGN’s Chicago’s Best program – televised Sundays at 10 p.m. – the excitement set in. It’s not every day that a business is featured as the best of its kind by a major television network and broadcast to 16 of its sister stations.
In this case, Corder’s Bed & Breakfast was named the most romantic Bed & Breakfast in the Chicago area.
“The cameraman told me, ‘I’m not usually the one who is picking sites that we go with,’” Corder said. “He did a search online and told the producer about us.”
The producer, Matt Knutson, looked at pictures on the Bed & Breakfast’s Web site and said, “This is it,” reported Corder. “He said he was going to call me right away,” even though it was Sunday evening.
From there, things moved quickly. That Wednesday, the show’s crew, including host Brittney Payton, daughter of late Chicago Bear great Walter Payton, arrived.
“WGN picked my Bed & Breakfast as the most romantic,” Corder said. “Those were her (Payton’s) exact words when she got out of her car with her luggage Wednesday morning.”
Corder said the timing of the program is excellent with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. However, she said WGN plans to run the piece again next fall in advance of Sweetest Day.
In the program, which involved four hours of filming, Payton explained how the Bed & Breakfast is the culmination of Corder’s dream. Corder opened the business five years ago in a farmhouse she restored and redecorated. The front section of the farmhouse was first built in 1846. The remainder was added on in 1860.
Payton described the High Tea served at Old Victorian Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast where participants first choose a hat. They then sit down for some conversation, tea, scones and other delicacies, including open-faced sandwiches.
“High Tea was started by Queen Anne of England,” Corder said. “She wanted something to eat about 4 p.m. to tide her over until dinner.”
Of course, High Tea is not merely for those who stay overnight at the Bed & Breakfast. Corder said many groups of eight to 28 come in just for the teas. Other groups come in for the murder-mysteries Corder runs at the house with catered meals.
“We usually have up to 16 at our murder mysteries,” Corder said.
Payton introduced viewers to the Bed & Breakfast’s standard poodle with the romantic name of Romeo and described the reasonably priced cost of staying at Old Victorian Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast – $75 to $150 per night, depending on which room is reserved.
When asked what makes her Bed & Breakfast so special, Corder said, “It’s a step back in time. It’s to when life was quieter and more peaceful. You have feather beds, satin sheets – it’s old-time elegance.”
The wonders of staying at Old Victorian Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast extend to the cuisine. As Payton explained in the program, Sherry does all the cooking from scratch.
“Her cinnamon French toast is killer,” Payton said, going on to describe the entire experience as something “I could get use to.”
Corder said she loved having WGN in for the program. However, she said she was so excited she forgot to mention a few things, such as the murder-mysteries. She also forgot to tell Payton about how the Bed & Breakfast is an excellent setting for baby and bridal showers.
Corder said the folks at WGN have been wonderful. They sent her photos from the event to put on her facebook page at: facebook.com/OldVictorianFarmhouseBedandBreakfast. They also sent a link to the full program, which is available on Corder’s Web site at: www.oldvictorianfarmhouse.com.
Corder said she loves running a Bed & Breakfast. One of her favorite aspects is watching people who stay at the house interact.
“People meet at the breakfast table and become good friends,” Corder said. “They exchange e-mails: business deals go down. It’s fun to see.”
The day after the program ran on WGN, Corder received an e-mail from someone in Florida who has stayed at the house a couple times.
“She said she saw it on WGN last night,” Corder said, thrilled to have heard from an old friend she had made with her new business.
To learn more about Old Victorian Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast, visit their Web site at: http://oldvictorianfarmhouse.com/index.html.
