Dave & Nan: The Heart of the Laurel Oak Inn

We believe the Laurel Oak Inn Bed & Breakfast is a special place.

So, what makes it special?

Is it the home, the food, the atmosphere? Maybe!

But what really makes the Laurel Oak Inn that magical, special place is simple. It’s Dave and Nan Charland – your innkeepers!

So, what led Dave and Nan to Gainesville to become the proprietors of the Laurel Oak Inn?

Dave is a physical therapist working for the VA. Nan has a background in human resources, having worked for a large senior living company for 17 years and a breast cancer survivor.

They met through an introduction from Dave’s brother, Jeff, who invited them to happy hour in Colorado Springs in June of 2003. Nan was actually leaving for a trip to Jamaica in two days, and Dave was getting ready to head to Las Vegas with a girlfriend. But they fell in love at that happy hour.

They both went on their trips, but Dave changed his reservation to two rooms instead of one.

When they returned from their trips, Dave told Nan that she was the one. They got married on April 30, 2005.

Nan says she wanted to own a bed and breakfast since she was in the eighth grade. She was always intrigued with the travel, whether it was business or leisure. With all her business travel, she was able to create a vision of what she wanted her hotel to be – a bed and breakfast. In fact, she and her wedding bridesmaids rented a bed and breakfast for a week before the wedding.

So, why the career change and the Laurel Oak Inn? Nan says it was a combination of life events and Dave not knowing how to say no to her.

Dave brings great skills as a handyman, something he was taught as a youngster. He restored a Victorian home in Colorado Springs on his own.

Nan didn’t realize she was heading into a 24-7 job and making the pancakes (as she put it) when she moved in here. But as she says, she doesn’t live a life of regret. Being an innkeeper is her joy.

And that’s wonderful news for all those who experience life at the Laurel Oak Inn. Because, in addition to a great home, food and atmosphere, it has heart. The heart of Dave & Nan!