Escape to The Inn at Westwynd Farm in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, and you will find a quiet countryside retreat with 25 beautiful horses roaming the hills. The B&B is situated on a working horse farm in a rustic setting, but it's conveniently only a few miles from Hershey. Innkeepers Frank & Carolyn Troxell turned their family home and 32-acre land into a charming inn with 11 guest rooms. Carolyn kindly took the time to let us interview her and learn more about her unique inn, the best things to do in the Hershey area, and why she loves her job.

1. How long have you been an innkeeper?
We have been innkeepers for 10 1/2 years.

2. What were some of the first steps you took once you decided to become an innkeeper?
My career in bank marketing and administration served me well. We felt we had an excellent location, but we still did our research on tourism statistics and developed a detailed business plan and five-year pro forma. We also gave a lot of thought to what it would mean to our lifestyle and whether we were ready for all the challenges. It's definitely a team effort. We both love what we are doing--our joke is if Frank (an engineer) couldn't fix stuff we couldn't do this. The cooking is the easy part. We also have wonderful staff and great marketing partners in Whitestone Marketing. It's important to be very clear on knowing what you don't know and then finding folks who do it well.

3. What do you enjoy most about being an innkeeper?
Most importantly, seeing our guests really enjoy the inn and farm. Their smiles are sunshine to us. We love every aspect of innkeeping--meeting new people, entertaining , cooking,  problem solving  even cleaning

4. When you opened The Inn at Westwynd Farm, what was your vision for it?
We wanted it to be a lovely respite that reflected some our own best travel experiences.

5. Why did you choose to have an inn in Hummelstown/Hershey?
We actually have owned our horse farm since 1980. When I retired from a career in banking, we added on and remodeled to create the bed & breakfast. We knew we were fortunate to have an ideal location just three miles from Hershey but also close to Lancaster County and the Amish and Gettysburg as well as Harrisburg, our state capitol. The farm also has a beautiful setting.

6. What are some of the local attractions or activities that make your town worth visiting?
The entire list could take pages. We are very close to Hershey Park, Chocolate World, The Hershey Story Museum, The Hershey Zoo and all the concert and theater venues in Hershey. In addition, there is a wonderful Antique Car Museum and Indian Echo Caverns and some great wineries all within a few miles. Lancaster County and Gettysburg are also nearby. The area is great for biking, and the Swatara Creek offers canoeing and great bird watching

7. What is your B&B's history?
Our children were showing horses, which led to purchase of the farm. We thought it would be more economical to keep their horses at home, and we would board a few to keep them company...The few horses now number 25 in addition to two alpaca, a goat, two dogs, and some very friendly barn cats. We stayed in a bed & breakfast on our 10th Anniversary and liked it. The more we traveled, the more we felt we would like to offer this special type of hospitality to others. When the children went off to start their own lives, that is exactly what we did.

8. What sets your B&B apart from others?
Our farm setting, yet still having the proximity to so many attractions. We often say we are "so convenient but a world apart."

9. Do you have any food specialties that guests love?
We try to use seasonal and local foods as much as possible. We have a small garden, and it's great fun when asparagus comes in or wonderful summer tomatoes. When we have a bumper crop of concord grapes as we did this year, we make juice and jam and really good pie. As for breakfast, our egg blossoms (eggs baked in ham cups) are always a big hit.

10. Why do you think travelers should choose B&Bs over hotels?
It's all the little unexpected extras, but most of all, the caring attention of the hosts that sets B&Bs apart.

By Emily Starbuck Crone

My recent trip to the Inn at Westwynd Farm was combined with a “kidcation” to Hershey Park, and while the roller coasters were the high point for my girls, the highlight for me was the chance to stay at this fabulous farm and inn. The Inn at Westwynd Farm had been on my “B&B Bucket List” for awhile, so when planning our end-of-school trip, there was some method to my madness in taking the kids to Hershey Park, just three miles from the inn.

Take a big dose of romance, combine it with a gorgeous horse farm, add a kid-friendly attitude, and you begin to understand the Inn at Westwynd Farm. Now imagine huge helpings of extra amenities like a guest fridge filled with wine, beer, soft drinks, juice, popcorn, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, plus four or five different offerings for afternoon refreshments, along with free wi-fi, and you’ll fully appreciate the haute hospitality and extra value here. Gorgeous rolling hills with horses grazing, manicured gardens and lilies popping open everywhere complete the picture.

My youngest child went right to work making friends and managed to find her way to the kitchen to help Carolyn Troxell, the inn’s co-owner and innkeeper, make zucchini bread for the next morning. Carolyn’s husband Frank had no trouble luring both daughters away from the kitchen  to see the horses and the barn. We all got the chance to meet the goats, alpacas, horses, cats and barn dogs, which were a highlight for the girls. My youngest stayed behind to help feed and brush the horses while my older daughter and I set off to explore the waterfall, koi pond and gardens next to the inn.

Just three miles from the thrills and chills of Hershey Park, I was impressed with how quickly the landscape changed from outlets and amusement parks to the rolling hillsides and farms of Pennsylvania Dutch country. The inn offers a perfect bucolic retreat for rest and relaxation, with complete access to the restaurants, outlet shopping, concerts, caverns and rides in Hershey. Yet once at the inn, it’s tough to think about leaving. Upper and lower living rooms featuring snacks and TVs, ambling porches, a library with a guest computer, plus a barn filled with interesting animals mean that common space and built-in entertainment are plentiful.

Rarely does one inn do so well catering to diverse interests, yet here honeymoon couples can easily co-vacation with families and corporate guests. Guest rooms are located throughout the house, and the two-story carriage house adjacent to the inn offers living and dining rooms, a kitchen and a bedroom spacious enough for a family or those wishing for extra privacy.

The note on the chalkboard in the dining room captures the essence of what vacations are all about here and hit home with me; it read “it doesn’t matter where you go in life, it’s who you have beside you”. The Inn at Westwynd Farm is a place to enjoy having those you love beside you. I did.

For More INNformation:

Inn at Westwynd Farm, 1620 Sandbeach Road, Hummelstown, PA 17036, 1-717-533-6764 or 877-Westwynd(937-8996). Rates: $109-189/nightly, a BedandBreakfast.com Diamond Collection member.

Fly Jet Blue direct from Boston to BWI or Philadelphia Airport, then drive under two hours to Hershey. Alternately, fly from Boston Logan to Harrisburg, and then it’s a twenty minute drive. Enjoy lovely country views, gourmet breakfasts and afternoon refreshments, and comforting amenities in rooms accented by antiques, fireplaces, jacuzzis and luxurious linens The inn is also fully equipped for business travelers with wi-fi access and a guest computer. Experience the attractions of Hershey and Pennsylvania Dutch country, go biking or canoeing, explore Amish Country and Civil War sites easily from the inn's central location.