Donna and Jim Reagen brought Christmas to stranded travelers after a winter blizzard kept them from reaching their destination last weekend.
BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week
OGDENSBURG – As a blizzard buried much of the Northeast in deep snow and swirling winds last weekend, many travelers failed to reach their destinations in time for Christmas.
But some were lucky enough to share a little holiday magic at the Sherman Inn, where hosts Jim and Donna Reagen held a Christmas soiree for weary travelers who described the event as something from a Hallmark movie.
Jim Reagen said when the storm hit, all of the reservations that they had were canceled as flights halted, roadways closed and the bridge to Canada shut down.
“The people that were coming in to visit with family in Ogdensburg couldn’t get here, so we braced ourselves for an empty weekend,” he said.
However, as the snow piled up, the phone began to ring.
“Suddenly we were busy with other people who were stranded due to the storm looking for a place to stay,” he said. It wasn’t long before the inn was booked full.
Donna and Jim had Christmas Eve plans, but Donna decided that the stranded guests shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves, especially as they had traveled through harsh conditions and were away from family.
Most of the stores and restaurants had shut down by this point, according to Reagen.
“Donna felt we couldn’t have people stranded at our place without trying our best to make their Christmas Eve as special as we could,” he said.
So Donna sprung into action and set up hors d'oeuvres and refreshments and invited the guests down for an impromptu Christmas Eve gathering.
The guests – from Ottawa, Montreal, Rochester, California and Washington D.C. – came down and mingled.
“We just had a wonderful Christmas Eve and the guests all seemed to hit it off despite being from all over the place,” he said.
“One couple described it as a ‘Hallmark movie;’ another family that had been shaken from the drive called us a ‘Christmas Miracle,” he said.
Reagen said chairs were circled and conversations went on throughout the night. Fortunately, most of the families were on their way Christmas morning.
Reagen said the Sherman Inn provides a certain atmosphere that travelers won’t easily find.
“We had the place decorated for Christmas with trees in each of the rooms. I just don’t think people were expecting something like this,” he said.
“One of the guests said it felt magical. And I think every innkeeper in the world dreams of being described as something out of a Hallmark movie.”
He said the guests were all grateful to have shelter from the storm and a night that felt a bit more special than just being stranded in a small city.
Reagen said some of the families had children who were able to enjoy what’s probably the largest playroom in the county, being that the inn is converted from a former elementary school.
“Christmas morning, Donna served a hearty homemade breakfast to make sure everyone continued their journey fully fortified. The guests told us that while they would have rather been able to get home to their family on Christmas Eve, if they had to be stranded anywhere, they were glad that the spirit of Christmas guided them to the Sherman Inn where they enjoyed our home away from home,” Reagen said.
Reagen said the Sherman Inn has had a lot of success in recent years and is ranked by Tripadvisor as one of the top 10 percent of lodging places in the world.
“We’ve had guests from Wales, Scotland, England, Germany and Spain. A lot of people use us as a sort of hub when they shoot out to Ottawa, Lake Placid, Alex Bay or Upper Canada Village,” he said.
“Most people who end up here have never heard of Ogdensburg or St. Lawrence County so we are pleased and proud to represent the North Country and show them all we have to offer,” he said.
