Innkeeper Profile: Paradise Pittsburg

BY BETTY GAGNE

Betty Falton has been welcoming hunters, bird watchers and those who enjoy fishing to The Glen in Pittsburg since the early 60s. A past president of the NH Lodging & Restaurant Association, Falton offers her insights.

NHHN: How did you become interested in inn keeping?

Betty Falton: My husband, Allen, and I used to hunt and fish in New Hampshire a lot. We loved this area particularly. I decided that we needed a place to stay (instead of our travel trailer), and we purchased The Glen in 1962.

NHHN: Were you trained in the hospitality industry?

BF: Not really. I attended fine arts school before I decided to switch to fashion designing and marketing.

NHHN: What made you decide to purchase this property?
BF: Allen and I thought recreational vacations were popular and decided we’d try playing host to those outdoor enthusiasts. I told my husband, “We’ll just have a lot of company, and we’ll cook and clean for them.” When you’re a people person, it really doesn’t matter what field you’re in.
NHHN: Tell us about the meals you serve.
BF: Three meals a day are included in the rates. We serve a full country breakfast. Our guests are usually gone during the day, so we pack them box lunches to take with them. A four-course dinner is served family style in our dining room.
NHHN: Four courses! Really?
BF: Yes...my executive chef, Bev Johnson, does the menu planning and cooking. Tonight she’s serving homemade chicken-rice soup, followed by baked beans and ham with oven-browned potatoes, corn bread, vegetable blend, salad bar and fruit shortcake for dessert.
NHHN: What is there to do around here?
BF: Each season brings different people. The lake is a mecca for fishermen. Bird-watchers are great; they’re happy even on the worst weather day because they always spot some rare species of bird. The hunting is superb, and it’s not uncommon to see a bear.
NHHN: What amenities do you offer?
BF: We’re in the AAA travel book, but we’ve only got one star because we don’t have televisions, hot tubs, saunas or Internet access. There’s no cell phone service, either! NHHN: You were 36 years old when you bought The Glen. Has it gone the way you expected?
BF: I didn’t expect to be a widow at 45. After Allen was gone, I figured it would either work or it wouldn’t. We had some tough times during the mid-70s, and some slowdown during the early 90s. But overall, it’s been wonderful.
NHHN: What about the future?
BF: We’re an anachronism…I stood on the porch one day and watched two fox kids playing in the yard. Later on, I saw a deer munching apples from the tree in front of cabin two, and after that, I saw a beaver tramping around in the cove. I thought how wonderful it is to know that there’s still a place where you can go and see wildlife in its natural habitat. There will always be people who’ll want to stay in a place like this.
NHHN: What advice would you give a prospective innkeeper?
BF: I was asked that question before. Someone came here asking me how to run a place like this. After I finished telling her about all the work involved, and how many hours of the day it takes, she asked me what I did for fun.
NHHN: And what was your answer?
BF: I told her, “I run The Glen!”