Earl and Christy Collins became innkeepers in 1998 with the purchase of The
Village Inn Bed & Breakfast in Stone Mountain, Georgia. After five years with
over 1500 guests a year, the inn sold in 2003 and the Collins relocated to Mendocino
County to open Beside Still Waters Farm.
 The
plans had been in the making since early 2001. The first priority was
downsizing. With fewer guest rooms, more amenities could be offered and guests would
receive more personalized service. No more mornings when Christy would look at Earl
and say "Do you remember those guests at the breakfast table? Did you check
them in yesterday?" The next issue was noise transfer from room to room - a
major concern in the previous historic inn. This was very well solved by having
individual cottages, rather than attached rooms in the main house. This also made
accommodating families an easy thing to do - no more worrying about whether the baby was
crying and keeping other guests awake at night. The location was selected by
carefully choosing the proximity to the Bay Area, wine country, the coast and the
redwoods. Climate was a major factor, as well. The decision finally came down
to the actual property. The Sherwood Road home and land had every single item on
Earl and Christy's wish list - right down to the blackberries and apple trees.
Beside Still Waters Farm opened Easter Weekend of 2004. We are
enjoying welcoming wonderful guests from across the country and spreading the word about a
little piece of heaven called "Beside Still Waters Farm"...
Earl, a Pennsylvania native, formerly worked in the printing industry
as an estimating supervisor. He enjoys nature photography. Earl is looking forward
to learning to make stained glass windows to use around Beside Still Waters Farm.
Christy is originally from Easton, California (just outside of
Fresno.) In her "previous life" she worked in the computer software
industry. She enjoys scrapbooking, reading, canning, and gardening (when she can find the
time!)
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Alyssa Brooke was born in November of 2001. She
enjoys being outdoors and keeping Mommy and Daddy on their toes. Her favorite things
are butterflies, flowers, balloons, and all animals. 