Life is either a great adventure or nothing at all.
And for one lucky red chair, it’s a journey most could only dream about.
Long considered simply a place to rest after a long day, the lowly wooden chair has been elevated to what hospitality industry insiders are calling “celebrity status” after being photographed in Cape Cod, somehow capturing the hearts of travel enthusiasts across the world.
Since 2012, the chair has visited B&Bs and inns in North America, posing for photos on the beach in sunny California, in a horse drawn carriage in Texas and more recently on the top of a mountain hoisted upon a snow mobile in Revelstoke, B.C.
It was just this past December when the chair crossed the border visiting Canada for the first time staying at Granville House B&B in Vancouver.
Stories from the red chair’s travels have been chronicled on a blog and website at each step throughout its journey. You can follow it by visiting: http://www.redchairtravels.com.
This Valentines Day, the chair is coming to Cornerstones Bed and Breakfast in Qualicum Beach — the first stop on its Vancouver Island tour. It will then head to Ladysmith.
“It symbolizes travel and hospitality and the comfort of home,” said Anna Maria Skopyk. “And that’s what a B&B is all about.”
Anna Maria and her husband, Bill Skopyk, took over Cornerstones Bed and Breakfast last summer.
Bill explains it was a lifelong dream of both his and Anna Maria’s to own a B&B, which they recently got to scratch it off their bucket lists.
“We came to the Island every year and we always gravitated to Qualicum Beach,” explained Bill. “It’s beautiful and it’s quaint and it’s a bit slower paced.”
“And the weather,” added Anna Maria who was born in Holland but raised in Williams Lake where she spent most of her life enduring long, frigid winters.
So when Cornerstones Bed and Breakfast came up for sale, the couple knew it was their destiny.
They moved here in late June and never looked back.
They both agree their favourite part of owning a B&B is meeting interesting visitors from all around the world. Their guests hail from Vancouver Island to Calgary to Europe.
“I like meeting new people,” said Anna Maria. “It’s just nice to sit down for a coffee with our guests over breakfast.”
The couple is excited their B&B was chosen to receive the acclaimed red chair by the B.C. Innkeepers Guild and they’ve committed to using it to bring as much publicity to Qualicum Beach as possible.
The idea of the red chair is that the innkeepers who host it bring it to some of their favourite places to visit in the area — much like you would treat a visiting relative. You take and post photos of the chair showcasing some of the most fascinating corners of your community.
Bill said they plan on taking the chair to Cathedral Grove, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, Coombs Market and The Old School House (TOSH) so far.
“It’s abstract when you think about it,” he said. “You welcome this chair like you welcome a tourist.”
Anna Maria said she’s planning on having Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek welcome the chair to the community in a special ceremony as well.
“I think it’s going to be a great event,” she said. For more on Cornerstones Bed and Breakfast visit: www.cornerstonesbb.com.
