Big News: Monty Goes to The Doctor’s House, Newfoundland’s Newest Inn and Spa!

May 1 was a special day – the culmination of months of hard work and years of dreaming, that I have been dying to share with you. Now it is official – Monty has a new home, and Laurelyn and I have a big new project – The Doctor’s House Inn and Spa. It is a wonderful and amazing place surrounded by open meadows , fields, forests and ocean, just minutes away from our cottages, still perfectly situated on the Baccalieu Trail. It was May 1st that we officially acquired this magnificent place for all to experience and enjoy.

The Doctor’s House Inn & Spa began more than half a century ago by a young Irish couple with big dreams and an extraordinary vision.  Having newly immigrated to St. John’s, Dr. Charlie and Mary Boddie loved their rugged new homeland but were homesick for the lush gardens and greenery of Ireland.

Dr. Boddie was a dedicated dreamer, so bit by bit he sculpted a big country sanctuary, taking decades to create this masterpiece I fell in love with.  Using their dreams and memories, and their unique story, the Boddie’s fashioned Newfoundland’s hidden jewel.

While Dr. Boddie found joy in creating his sanctuary, Mary found joy in her animals and her beloved horses. She was extremely fond of the Newfoundland Pony, rescuing many and starting a breeding program. You can still find 3 Newfoundland Ponies on the property today.  One of them is now Monty,  who is happily falling in love with Beauty and Shamrock, his new barn mates (whom you might remember from a trip we took last year!).

The Boddie’s no longer reside here at The Doctor’s House, but the splendor, love and romance they created is still very much alive. And so, in that spirit, we were happy to bring Monty to his new home. If it was a sad day for Clifford, Annie and Misty, with whom Monty has spent the past winter, it will be short lived.  Rather than put his horses out in the pasture this year, Clifford will bring them to The Doctor’s House, to join Monty, Beauty and Shamrock under the care of Perry Oliver.

And we are so excited to share this truly remarkable space and landscape with friends, family, guests, travelers, and, mostly, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. If ever a place showcased the beauty, potential, dreams and inspiration of this island, this is it. Mary had an exquisite hand for gardening.  This is obvious when exploring the grounds, each flower, tree and bush neatly placed. It’s not just an oasis. It’s a sanctuary for poets, artists and wanderers, and the ultimate romantic escape. Wandering the vast grounds, exploring the nooks and crannies of the extravagantly and carefully built home, I’m not only proud to be a Newfoundlander. I’m happy to be alive, in this moment, and to be able to share it with others.

To that end, stay tuned! The Doctor’s House Inn and Spa is launching soon, but we wanted to give our faithful blog readers and supporters a heads up. We’ll be officially opening Saturday, June 1st – and this is such a special, premier place that we’re already getting pre-bookings! We’ll be launching some promotional specials this May 6, so be on the lookout (we’ll be using the blog and our Ocean Delight Facebook to promote the Doctor’s House for a little while, so check back here). The Inn is a luxurious Tudor mansion with 10 rooms – traditionally but elaborately decorated – and the Spa will offer a wide variety of world-class treatments featuring Aveda botanical products. Trust me – you haven’t seen anything like it!