Grand Oaks Manor Bed and Breakfast Athens, Georgia Experience the grandeur of the Old South in this magnificent AnteBellum home nestled on 30 acres- Open only on Weekends. Contact Info | Email this page to a Friend | Click to see a map  | Additional Pages... Introduction Guest Rooms/Rates Dining Room How to Find Us Grand Oaks Manor History Pictures of Gum Springs Our Favorite Recipes Reservation Request Form Special Packages   Availability Search: See which rooms are available during your stay. Check in: Check out: Powered by Webervations Clear search results Rooms Available from  to  Learn more about these rooms These are our base rates - certain discounts and/or charges may apply

The INNside Scoop Dedicated to the Discovery of Bed & Breakfast Getaways THE NICHOLSON HOUSE INN CREATES A SERENE, SYLVAN SHANGRI-LA - January 2001

Turning off the main highway. I drive down a road once bounced over by rugged stagecoaches. Through the trees, I spot an inviting dwelling with rocking chairs decking a colonnaded veranda of an antebellum Georgia home. Oblivious to my arrival, two deer and a fawn amble up to an apple tree adjacent to the house. They eye me, quizzically, as I approach—but their plans for apple-bobbing proceeds without hesitation. In 1820, Ransom Nichols purchased the wooded acreage from Willium Few. A signer of the U.S. Constitution. Few received the property, through a land grant, in 1779. Later, the house served as a tavern, a stagecoach stop, and a campingground for farmers and traders traveling the old 1805 Federal Road. “We invite our guests to slip back in time to the spirit and splendor of the Old South in an elegant antebellum Georgia home”—Celeste and Harry Neely J.P. Nicholson acquired the farm in 1947 and spent two years building a Colonial Revival home; the original 1820 house served as the substructure. Following a total renovation and refurbishing in 1994, the old Nicholson home was converted into a bed and breakfast inn. Celeste and Harry Neely became the new proprietors of the Nicholson House Inn in 2000; they are assisted by their daughter Susan. The Neelys are born-to-be innkeepers who delight in sharing their home and caring for guests. The moment I walk into the nineteenth century inn, I am struck by a sense of style, ambience, and hospitality. The common rooms—including two parlors and a library—are anything but common. Jewel-toned walls imbue a rich background for aesthetically pleasing rooms appointed with furnishings mirroring the inn’s vintage. In addition to handsome period antiques, the décor is enhanced with impressive Civil War artifacts and fine limited edition prints. Comely guest rooms and suites vary in design, each presenting an alluring atmosphere with a unique flavor of its own. A wide range of accommodations is available to suit whatever one’s needs or desires might entail. Bookings of the entire house are especially popular during UGA’s football season.

Privately situated upon six magnificent acres of woodsy property, the Nicholson House Inn also serves as the domicile of delightful deer and a host of other wildlife. I relish sitting in my room, early in the morning and at dusk, watching the graceful deer frolic and feed. For closer communion with nature and the horned, hoofed creature, the from veranda serves as an ideal observatory. When sitting on the veranda, one tends to become lost in time. Leave your watch behind and enjoy a carefree period which you may fondly recall during times of non-escape. Forget mundane cares and allow magical moments to sweep you into a bygone era when weary stagecoach travelers spied the old inn with a sign of relief. Saunter down to the worn stepping stones once stood upon arriving or departing sojourners. Stroll down to the springs at the edge of the forest and envision thirsty horses lapping up the cool, rejuvenating spring water. Bask in a reverie to be savored during a golden moment of the present or, perhaps, for reclaiming later. Breakfast at The Nicholson House Inn must be experienced to be fully appreciated. Celeste outdoes herself in the preparation of morning feasts. Beautifully presented on fine china, accompanied with cut-glass crystal, the morning repast is served in the formal dining room where the outdoors seeps inside. The kindness of serendipity led me to this enchanting woodland Shangri-la. The irresistible charm of the inn, the Neelys, and the apple-bobbing deer create a winning combination which activates my “boomerang mode.” Return I shall! And when I do, my reverie at the inviting springs will be reclaimed and fulfilled. Publisher/Editor: Maxine Pinson Editorial Assistant: Malyssa Pinson

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