About the Innkeepers and Inn Greeters
The Inn was designed, constructed and opened in the Spring of 2003, by the original owners, Linda and Lynn Hayes. Linda and Lynn were pioneers in their own way to have had the vision to build an exclusive Inn in Giles County in one of the most beautiful spots in the whole county. Inn at Riverbend offers spacious, wraparound decks and terraces, a platform in the sun, a hammock and Adirondack chairs in the woods, and plenty of spaces to enjoy the panoramic views of the Appalachian Mountains, bird watch and even spot a deer or two in the lower meadow! Train lovers can count the cars on the trains that pass along the tracks next to the New River.
Janet and Jimm Burton took over ownership of Inn at Riverbend on November 30th, 2010, after a journey which started in the beginning of 2009 to discover “what we wanted to do when we grow up.” Janet had spent over 21 years in the Bio/Pharmaceutical industry in Government Affairs, with almost weekly travel around and across the U.S. Jimm’s career included being a geophysicist and being a partner in a software consulting company. The journey had begun to pursue our passion for all things outdoors and an effort to simplify our lives.
Finding the right inn was a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears – we started our search in the Northwest (we lived in Vancouver, WA), moved across to the Northeast, and finally landed in Giles County, Virginia. We knew we would know the “right” inn when we saw it. Many were too big or too small and Inn at Riverbend was “just right”!
Janet hails from Dublin, Ireland, and loves cooking, decorating, hosting, as well as downhill skills, hiking, biking, kayaking and doting on Gaby and Zoey, the resident greeters.
Jimm from Detroit, Michigan. Jimm's passionate about bicycling, kayaking, hiking, cross country skiing and is hoping to learn how to fly fish and play the mandolin (look out, his mandolin has arrived. We aren't sure about his skills though).
No story would be complete without a little history on our Inn Greeters – Gaby and Zoey. our Shih Tzu’s. Gaby is 3½ and we have had her since she was 8 weeks old. Gaby is not a morning person so she usually curls in her bed in the office until around 10:30am. In the afternoon she is happy to greet you and may bring you Spotty, her soft toy which is almost as big as she is. Zoey, who is 4, joined our family in April of this year. She is a very sweet and bubbly rescue dog, and is very focused on pleasing everyone. We believe in a former life she worked for TSA as she insists on sniffing every tire that parks at the inn! Gaby and Zoey are never allowed in any guest rooms or in our kitchen and learned the rules from Jackson, the previous owner’s dog.
Questions? For more information, please email us at stay@innatriverbend.com
