Somewhere in Bayview.. The Terrace Inn offers a trip to the elegant past

May 18, 2005

Walking into the lobby of The Terrace Inn in Bayview is a little like walking into a refined time warp. The front room, panelled with dark wood and topped with wide beams stretching across a high white ceiling, is softened with floral carpeting, and elegantly lit by tall windows that gaze out on the inn’s wide lawn dotted with old trees. ‘30s and ‘40s music plays in the background while thick cane rattan and brown leather chairs beckon you to sit down and read the daily newspaper, which is cheerfully delivered by hand.
This definitely isn’t your everyday Radisson or Ramada Inn -- and that’s definitely a good thing. Located just two blocks off US 31 -- the main route through Petoskey -- The Terrace Inn is set on Glendale Avenue in the heart of Bayview, the seasonal Petoskey community known for its turn-of-the-century houses and summer music and entertainment program. And the inn itself welcomed new owners just last year.
Purchased by Patty Rasmussen-Rave and Mo Rave in May, 2004, the inn originally opened for business in 1911, and is now a National Historic Landmark. Another inn, which was built in 1880, was torn down in order to build the current inn in the early 1900s.

HISTORICAL SPIRIT
The afore-mentioned lobby still uses the original fireplace on chilly winter nights (“we did find 80 years’ worth of ashes we had to clean out, though,” Patty chuckles), and the windows all have the original glass, which has turned charmingly wavy. Replacing any architectural details in an inn like this are done carefully, so as to keep the building within National Historic Register regulations, so the Raves opted to keep the glass -- and many other accoutrements of the inn -- intact.
“It’s called Victorian, but if you look around, you can see more of a late Victorian / Arts and Crafts influence,” Rave muses. And as far as the parking lot goes, there’s simply no room for expansion in the neighborhood, where the friendly Bay View neighbors and guests park on the street in a mutual understanding.
“Both of the original inns were built with the intent of having people arrive by ferry and train. You can tell they didn’t expect a lot of cars, because the parking lot is postage stamp sized,” Rasmussen-Rave says.
The Raves -- gregarious, stylish Patty, who does all of the general overseeing of the Inn, and her husband, Mo, an accomplished chef who is in charge of the restaurant -- have found their recent acquisition full of surprises, including odd-shaped rooms, a resident pair of ghosts, and that miniature parking lot.
It’s a good thing that the hospitality industry is a familiar venture for the duo and their crew. “We have another place in Grand Haven,” Rasmussen-Rave explains, “it’s similar to this, a little older, with only 20 rooms -- but the innkeeping thing isn’t really new to us, although we’ve had a lot of fun with this inn.”

FRESHENING UP
They’re old hands at restoration work, too, which is a good thing, as the Raves found The Terrace Inn in need of some serious freshening up.
“Oh, we’ve been doing tons of work in here,” Rasmussen-Rave explains, “It’s a real balance between making things a little more modern and comfortable, while still maintaining the experience of what it was like back then.”
A tour of the inn, however, reveals that the Raves don’t have much to worry about -- the rooms still retain an engaging retro charm, but the improvements that Rasmussen-Rave has added -- including new paint in many of the rooms, high-quality bath products, pretty lamps, and quirky artwork -- will keep things luxurious enough to make their guests want to return again and again.
“Most of the rooms are still in their original layout,” Rasmussen-Rave points out, “the building itself is quaint -- there are strange long hallways here and there, odd-shaped closets -- it’s very unusual by today’s standards. Most of the rooms have 9 to 12 foot ceilings and original transoms. We’re taking five of those rooms and are expanding them into suites, for something a little different - we’re adding a jacuzzi tub and a small kitchenette, but we’re doing everything very carefully so we don’t lose the feel of the inn. The paint work is really helping to freshen things up, too.”
Journeyman painter Tim Fazio is heading up much of the aesthetic restoration, and pays almost as much attention to detail as Patty herself. And don’t worry, potential Terrace Inn guests - each room does have its own private bath, although that wasn’t so back in the day. “There used to be just one bathroom per floor,” Rasmussen-Rave explains, “that’s pushing today’s limits just a little bit!”

THEME ROOMS
The Raves have brought back much of the feel of the Victorian social scene to The Terrace Inn, as well. There are two well-thought-out theme rooms for guests to stay in that add to the fun - The Ernest Hemingway room, complete with photos of Hemingway himself, Hemingway books, and a fishing pole and basket donated by the Hemingway family.
“It’s a more masculine room, too, which is nice for men who like to come for a little getaway by themselves,” Rasmussen-Rave explains.
The other theme room is the very vintage “Somewhere In Time” room, named after the famed movie that was shot on nearby Mackinac Island -- the room is outfitted with Victorian lace curtains, movie stills and headshots of the film’s stars, Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve, and rose wallpaper. And, in a thoughtful turn, 5% of the proceeds from the “Somewhere In Time” room go to the Christopher Reeve Foundation For Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis.
In addition to the theme rooms, there are plenty of special happenings for guests to enjoy. The inn’s popular Murder Mystery Weekends happen four or five times a year, and can also be scheduled by special request. The inn just wrapped up a Western Dance Weekend that included dance classes and a special reception. There’s a Dixieland Jazz Festival, Women’s Pamper Weekends, Yoga Retreats, Victorian Teas (which can also be arranged by request for private groups of 12 or more), Ski Packages, and much, much more - the inn’s website (www.theterraceinn.com) is probably the best place to keep on top of all their special events, so you don’t miss a thing.

WEEKEND GETAWAY
Book now for the summer while there’s still room, or if you’re already living in the area, consider stopping by for a wonderful meal in their newly air-conditioned dining room. Many people don’t know that The Terrace Inn is a dining destination as well as a great place for a weekend getaway.
“We’re developing our new menus right now, actually,” Rasmussen-Rave explains, “we’ll be serving our family-style brunch every Sunday, and lunch and dinner five nights a week.”
Staffer Jennifer Sheldon continues, adds that each Saturday the inn has an all-you-can-eat Northern Michigan buffet, which is a favorite with guests.
Along with Sheldon - the inn’s new director of guest services - and long-time Terrace Inn staffer Kenroy Henry, who came here from Jamaica and has now been at The Terrace Inn for over five years, long enough where guests ask for the friendly Head of Dining Room by name - the Raves are really putting some life back into The Terrace Inn. Under their careful caretaking it should continue to be a Bay View favorite. It’s a trip back to more genteel times that everyone should make part of their Northern Michigan experience.


The Terrace Inn is located at 1549 Glendale Avenue in Bay View, telephone 1-800-530-9898, email: info@theterraceinn.com.