Maple Shade: a well-kept secret
SUSSEX - Tucked away behind broad maple trees, hidden from the road, Maple Shade stands tall.
The 150-year-old house that is now a bed and breakfast was unknown for years to its current owners Jack and Linda Sadler.
Jack recalls driving by the house, but rarely noticing it.
"I drove up and down the street here for a long time wondering what Maple Shade was," said Jack.
When the Sadlers bought Maple Shade just over two years ago, they didn't have many expectations. Three of their children had recently moved out, leaving them with a quiet house and spare time to be filled.
"We hadn't been thinking about being bed and breakfast owners as a second career. It was an impulse venture for us," said Linda. "We saw wonderful potential."
According to the Sadlers, Maple Shade is also a tourist home, which means they don't live on site, a luxury to many travelers who like their privacy.
"We want it to be their home away from home," said Linda.
The Sadlers have a home up the street from Maple Shade, giving tenants the "space and privacy" they need. They said being a stone's throw away in case of any snags or difficulties creates the perfect balance.
The three-bedroom Maple Shade has drawn people from all over the world who are visiting the region. Jack estimates that one-third of their business comes from Europeans, and many times the tenants speak little or no English.
"We've had quite a few from Europe, some from China and Japan,"said Jack. "That was a surprise."
Jack said the idea of a bed and breakfast is to be more hospitable than a hotel or motel, where often people traveling in groups have to use the bed as a seat. He said Maple Shade has a comfortable environment where an entire family can relax without being confined.
"If you've got family coming in, and you can't look after all them at your own place," said Jack, "this is a spot they could come and don't just have one room, they've got a whole facility."
Jack and Linda hope people will take advantage of Maple Shade's centrality, within the town and the region. They say the location is key for people and families who are vacationing and want to site-see.
"In the summertime, we'd like to see people use us as a hub,"said Jack. "We're an hour from St. Martins, Saint John, Fredericton, Fundy Park."
Linda says being in the centre of town, "guests can walk wherever you want to go, downtown, see the murals, go eat, visit the local downtown shops."
The Sadlers, who both work full time away from Maple Shade, said the community has been greatly receptive of their venture.
"We really appreciate the support of other businesses who provide accommodations in the area who refer guests to Maple Shade when they cannot accommodate them," said Linda.
The couple has been pleasantly surprised about the number of tenants who return to stay at Maple Shade, and their openness to sharing a house, often with people from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
"People enjoy booking just one room, and having folks from other parts and countries coming and staying in the other rooms," said Linda.
"We don't speak French," said Jack, "but a lot of the people that come through here certainly don't speak English…but we've never had too much trouble getting by that."
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