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The warmth of the 1885 home, the Bayfield, Wisconsin, community and interior charms like the old fireplaces were selling points for Mike and Becky Haller when they decided to buy the Pinehurst Inn as a “semi-retirement” option after active careers in the Chicago area.
Mike and Becky Haller are excited about Christmas this year in a way they haven’t quite been before.
It’s their first holiday season as innkeepers at Pinehurst Inn, a Bayfield, Wisconsin, bed-and-breakfast establishment.
“We have always gone in for the holidays, with 10-foot trees and all the trimmings,” Becky says.
The couple agrees that the historic brownstone and clapboard home, built in 1885 by Bayfield lumber baron R.D. Pike, “screams holidays.”
“It calls for lots of white lights and big wreaths,” Mike says.
Bob Gross
All Inn
Only one problem. They didn’t know when they were downsizing that they would land in an expansive home. They gave away or sold most of their holiday decorations.
The upside? They’re free to start anew. “It is fun to start over,” Becky says with a smile. “Though I’m sure it will be a few years before we get it all down.”
The excitement for their first holidays as innkeepers mirrors their enthusiasm for their new roles as gracious hosts and as caretakers of a historic home.
Married for 34 years, the couple decided on “semi-retirement” in Bayfield after longtime careers in the Chicago area. Mike’s career included serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a police officer, volunteer firefighter and paramedic, and as a trustee for a Chicago-area fire protection district. (Not surprisingly, the inn offers veterans discounts.)
Becky had a distinguished career as a partner in a successful law firm.
Becky had been very career driven, but priorities changed when her elderly parents needed care. “I needed to focus on my family,” Becky explains. Afterwards, the couple started talking about the future and decided that they were ready for a change.
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Becky and Mike Haller bring a touch of New Orleans to the inn’s breakfast area with artwork purchased to support artists after Hurricane Katrina.
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The woodwork, which has never been painted, was a selling point. This photo is from Christmas last year, before they took over.
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Earthy mugs for coffee.
They flirted with the idea of owning and operating a bed and breakfast.
“We got serious about it in 2014,” Mike says. “We spent a ton of time researching where we wanted to live. We didn’t want to be in a place where we had to worry about hurricanes or frequent natural disasters.”
Other “musts” were nearby water or mountains and a community with tangible “feels like home” quality.
They narrowed their search to the Great Smoky Mountains region of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee, but Wisconsin also made their list. Pinehurst Inn was one of several Badger State properties they considered.
Claire Duquette
All Inn
Becky and Mike Haller
“We first visited this inn in 2014,” Becky says. “It was November, and we really liked the feel of the town, even though it was the slow season. But we weren’t really sure about the winters, so we kept looking.”
Even as they looked elsewhere, the charm of Bayfield and the unique nature of the inn, set among virgin white pines with Pike’s Creek meandering alongside the rear of the property, kept them interested. And of course, there was Lake Superior.
“Lake Superior is an amazing body of water,” Becky says. “When I look out and see water, it calms me. Water and mountains both soothe me. Something about this place felt like home right away.”
When Becky retired from her law practice in 2015, “we ramped up the search.”
A second visit to Pinehurst sealed the deal. In March 2016, they took over from longtime innkeepers Steve and Nancy Sandstrom. During the Sandstroms’ tenure, Pinehurst expanded from the five-unit main house with the 2003 addition of a new three-room “garden house” built with a focus on sustainability, including hot-water heating provided by a large solar array.
But it was the historic house, built by lumber baron Pike, that drew them. “The woodwork in here is fabulous, and it hasn’t been painted,” Becky says. “The sandstone on the exterior is beautiful. There’s a sandstone fireplace, too, in the living room, and it has carvings on it. … Those are probably some of my favorite features – plus the pocket doors, radiators and original hardware.”
Mike and Becky took over the established business without missing a beat. They’d made notes at their bed-and-breakfast stays across the country and incorporated the little touches they liked best.
Becky unleashed her inner Julia Child in the kitchen, baking treats and creating a breakfast menu so varied that guests could spend seven days at the inn before enjoying a repeat meal.
“I love to cook and bake,” Becky says. “I always have an afternoon treat ready for our guests, like cookies or brownies, and I’m always trying new things in the kitchen. It’s my way of being creative.”
The current kitchen, while spacious, “is not conducive to doing the cooking and baking I like,” she regrets. “It’s large, but it really has limited counter space. … We have a commercial stove, but nobody wants to service it.” Conversations with C&S Design are in the works for a remodel.
While Becky handles the cooking, Mike takes on the cleaning and maintenance of the eight guest rooms.
“We treat our guests like they are family,” Mike says. “So that means we are always trying to do something extra – but we wouldn't do it if we didn’t love it.”
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An old-fashioned sauna is one of the inn’s amenities.
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The garden house.
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A beautiful jetted tub in the garden house guest room.
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Inside the garden house.
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The main house guest spaces feature rooms with old-world charm like a claw-foot tub.
As one might expect with a century-plus older house, the Hallers spent their first spring working on major projects – new drain tile around the historic building and a new roof, as well as tuck-pointing the brownstone. They tapped Steve Schraufnagel of C&S Design as well as the expertise provided by Luppino Construction and Foss Electric on those projects.
“The house is watertight,” Becky says. “Top to bottom, we’re in good shape.”
“The extensive gardens and outside space also were in need of attention,” Mike says. “With the assistance of Latitude Landscaping, the grounds are coming back to life.”
The couple has also made Pinehurst their own, decorating the common areas with art collected in New Orleans, where they had a condominium for several years. They’ve brought in antiques, but don’t intend for the house to be treated like a museum. “The table in breakfast area is 100-plus years old, but we use it. It’s well worn. We want to use the things we love, and we want guests to feel comfortable.”
Operating a B&B seems as hectic as a law-firm schedule, but Becky doesn’t see it that way. “It fits really well with our personality; we’re informal, casual people. I really want people to feel at home.”
Becky adds that they control their schedule. “This area is very conducive to semi-retirement because it’s seasonal. Other businesses you go into, it’s year-round, but here the main season is four or five months. We expect the other months might be much slower.”
“We have met so many interesting and wonderful people,” Mike says. They’ve been thrilled by the number of honeymooners and international guests. And they enjoy “first-time B&Bers” at the inn.
“Sometimes you can tell they are a little apprehensive about staying here, since it is so much more like a home than a hotel,” Becky says. “But soon they are comfortable, and by the time they leave we know they have had a good experience.”
As they settle into their first winter as innkeepers, the Hallers are confident they made a good decision.
“It’s crazy hours, and it’s a lot of work, but we love what we are doing,” Mike says, then looks at Becky. “She’s happier in these past few months here than in the last decade, and that alone is enough for me.”
Good to Know
Pinehurst Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin, focuses on sustainability and being eco-friendly. It was the recipient of the 2014 Wisconsin Governor’s Stewardship Award and has been named twice to the “Top 10 Eco-Friendly Inns” by BedandBreakfast.com. Contact the inn at pinehurstinn.com or 715-779-3676.
Freelance writer Claire Duquette plans to spend her retirement – whenever it is – right at home in Washburn, Wisconsin.