What turns a rail-trail stop into an overnight stay? At Highland Lake Inn, Pecco Beaufays says cyclists generate 25% of revenue.

Craig Della Penna hosts Roads Less Travelled to explore how trails connect communities and local businesses. As the first U.S. REALTOR to specialize in homes near rail trails and the author of five books on greenway development, Craig brings a rail trail real estate perspective to Pecco’s experience serving Northern Rail Trail visitors.

Learn how bike tourism shapes guest services, premium hospitality, and the daily demands of running an inn along New England rail trails.

🎙️ Host / Guest

Host: Craig Della Penna — Realtor and rail-trail advocate.

Guest: Pecco Beaufays owns Highland Lake Inn and Andover Barn in East Andover, New Hampshire. His hospitality career began with a cooking apprenticeship at Hotel Sacher in Vienna and later included work with Kempinski in North and South America.

💡 What You’ll Learn

Assess bike tourism’s business potential: Pecco says cyclists generate 25% of Highland Lake Inn’s revenue.

Make one-way cycling trips easier with trailhead transport and access to guests’ cars.

Support premium rates with quality bedding, breakfast ingredients, and personal service.

Prepare for guest emergencies through Pecco’s account of four EMS calls in two days.

Build trail awareness through collaboration with New Hampshire’s tourism office.

Decide whether running a B&B fits your life and willingness to care for guests.

❓ Key Questions Answered

Q: How does bike tourism differ from resort tourism?

A: Craig Della Penna describes bicycle touring as journey tourism, with visitors traveling along a route. Resort tourism centers on one destination.

Q: How does Highland Lake Inn handle e-bike charging?

A: Pecco describes an outdoor charging area away from the building, following local fire department advice, and discussing battery condition with guests.

Buying an inn or investing near a trail? Follow Roads Less Travelled on Spotify for more conversations about trail-connected communities.

🎧 Considering a trailside property? Follow Roads Less Travelled for the conversations behind the purchase.

⏱️ Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:39) - From Luxury Hotels to Highland Lake Inn

(06:20) - Alex Bernhard and the Northern Rail Trail

(13:05) - What Cyclists Need From an Inn

(18:52) - Bike Tourism and Local Economies

(23:14) - Guest Services and E-Bike Charging

(27:49) - Before You Buy a Bed and Breakfast

(30:56) - Premium Rates and Personal Service

(34:22) - Four EMS Calls in Two Days

(36:06) - Cyclists and 25% of Inn Revenue

(37:54) - Working With Tourism Partners

(40:27) - Addressing Rail-Trail Opposition

(43:21) - What Makes Innkeeping Rewarding

(48:36) - Closing Remarks

💼 Connect with Pecco Beaufays:

🌐 Website → https://www.highlandlakeinn.com/

🌐 Website → https://www.greenwaysolutions.org/nyt-bb-story-1

🎧 Follow Craig Della Penna:

🌐 Website → https://www.northamptonrealtor.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/craig.dellapenna/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/craigdp413/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdp/

📌 Don't Forget to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔 & COMMENT 💬 Below!

#RoadsLessTravelled #CraigDellaPenna #RailTrailRealEstate #NorthamptonRealtor #PioneerValley #BikeTrailHomes #GreenwaySolutions #NewEnglandRealEstate #RailTrails #SugarMapleInn

What if the people who used to feel like strangers could become the family you choose? Craig Della Penna talks with Alex Jarrett (Petal People Cooperative) and Daniel Trenner (a 17-year intentional co-living household) about cooperative business, shared living, and the insurance and policy challenges still standing in the way.

🎧 Hosted by: Craig Della Penna

👤 Guest:

🏡 Alex Jarrett - Co-Founder, Petal People Cooperative

Alex Jarrett co-founded Petal People Cooperative (founded 2002), hauling trash and recycling by bicycle in Northampton, MA every day since 2007, and serves as President of the Northampton City Council.

🏡 Daniel Trenner - Professional Dancer & Co-Liv

Daniel Trenner is a professional dancer who converted his Florence, MA home into an intentional, intergenerational household that has hosted more than 100 residents over 17 years.

ing Pioneer💡 What You'll Learn:

✔️ How Petal People hauls trash and recycling entirely by bicycle

✔️ Why Daniel converted a five-bedroom house into a nine-bedroom intentional household

✔️ Cooperative living vs. co-housing vs. co-living, explained

✔️ Why insurance and lending are still unsolved problems for co-living

✔️ How group living reshaped the pandemic experience for both guests

🎧 Listen now for a fresh, practical look at alternative ways to live and build community.

💼 Connect with Alex Jarrett:

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/pedalpeople (company)

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/pedal_people_coop/ (company)

💼 Connect with Daniel Trenner:

🔗 Website → https://www.alexjarrett.com/campaign/

🏢 Company → https://www.pedalpeople.coop/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/DanielTrennerTango/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/trennerstangoarchive/

🔗 Website → https://danieltrenner.com/

🎧 Follow Craig Della Penna:

🌐 Website → https://www.northamptonrealtor.com/

📘 Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/craig.dellapenna/

📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/craigdp413/

🔗 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdp/

#CoLiving #Cooperative #Sustainability #RealEstate #Northampton #IntentionalCommunity #RoadsLessTraveled

Marianne Borowski joins Craig Della Penna on Roads Less Travelled to discuss the creation and expansion of the 83-mile Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail. Learn how historic rail corridors, multi-use collaborations, and local business partnerships are transforming rural tourism.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Roads Less Travelled now.

🎙 What you'll learn:

• The layout and geography of the 83-mile Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail.

• How combining rail trails with dirt back roads creates multi-day cycling journeys.

• The importance of community collaboration with local chambers and businesses.

• Managing multi-use trails alongside snowmobiles, ATVs, and walkers.

• Technical insights on trail surfacing, crushed stone mixes, and maintenance.

• Why cycle tourism drives sustainable economic growth in small mountain towns.

🎧 HOSTED BY: Craig Della Penna

👤 GUEST: Marianne Borowski – Trail Developer & Outdoor Recreation Advocate

Marianne Borowski is the President and Founder of the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail and Vice President of the New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition. A former protein biochemist during the early years of biotech, she shifted careers after moving to Mt. Washington Valley in 2003, becoming a cross-country ski instructor, later director of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation ski school, and now a member of its Board of Directors. Today, she focuses on restoring, maintaining, and connecting rail trails across New Hampshire. An avid cyclist, Marianne has also biked across the U.S.

👉🏻 CONNECT WITH MARIANNE BOROWSKI

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/crossnewhampshire

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/crossnewhampshire

👉🏻 CONNECT WITH CRAIG DELLA PENNA – ROADS LESS TRAVELLED

• Website: https://www.greenwaysolutions.org/

• Website: https://www.northamptonrealtor.com/

• Website: https://www.sugar-maple-inn.com/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigdp413/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdp/