09/29/2026
✨ The Story Behind Abigail’s Grape Leaf Bed & Breakfast
Gary and I have always loved entertaining in our home. We enjoy making people feel welcome, cared for and special, and for many years we thought that perhaps owning a bed and breakfast might someday be part of our future.
When our children were mostly grown, we approached the city where we were living and asked whether we could open a bed and breakfast. At first, the answer was no. There were no other bed and breakfasts in the area, and the city wasn’t ready for the idea.
Not long afterward, Gary and I traveled through Europe. That trip helped us make a decision that would change our lives. We wanted to live in a community where we could celebrate both European traditions and American hospitality.
We had visited Hermann before and knew it was already a destination because of its award-winning wineries. We looked and looked for the right place to establish our bed and breakfast, and eventually we chose the property that would become Abigail’s.
It was very run down.
By the time our former city changed its mind and decided we could have opened a bed and breakfast there after all, it was too late. We had already chosen Hermann.
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions we ever made.
We completely restored the property, and for three years we lived out of boxes while much of it was gutted and rebuilt. With the exception of a few specialized jobs, Gary, our son Adam, and I did most of the restoration work ourselves, slowly bringing the property back to life one room at a time.
When Abigail’s opened, the Milliner’s Bedchamber Cottage was our only guest accommodation. Every few years, we added another. We grew right along with the business.
Today, this once run-down property truly is our home.
We believe everyone has a gift. Ours is hospitality.
We are doing what we were meant to do, and because we truly enjoy it, it has never felt like simply a job.
It is our way of life.
~ Laurie & Gary
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