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Aerie Inn of Vermont, formerly Erdman's Eyrie Motel new article content ...

Introduction
The Aerie Inn of Vermont is a motel in East Dorset, VT. It was built in 1960 by Charlie and Joyce Erdman as a second home to their friends. A restaurant was located next to the owner's home, which burnt down. After a decade and a half, they sold the motel which was renamed to 'Country Lane Motel'. Six years and another owner later, the motel was purchased by Valter and Mia Utkin who owned the motel for 16 years and renamed the motel to Eyrie Motel, after the original name. On December 22, 2003, the current owner bought the inn and later changed the name to Aerie Inn of Vermont, which is the american spelling of the Gaelic word eyrie.

The Early Years
Charlie and Joyce Erdman built the Aerie Inn in 1960 and opened for business in 1961. They chose the edge of a bluff nestled between the Taconic and Green Mountains of southern Vermont. The location reminded the Erdman’s of a place that a bird of prey would choose as a nesting site, which is how the Inn was named The Aerie, since aerie [or eyrie] is Gaelic for the nest of a bird of prey.

The Aerie and Bill W
What they did not realize at that time was that the property also overlooked Mt. Aeolus. Over time, the connection between The Aerie and its location and vistas, Mt Aeolusand AA would become more intertwined.

Bill and his wife Lois continued to come back the East Dorset area to visit family and friends which is how they found a summer home at the Aerie Inn. Bill W. came to the Aerie Inn and found that the view from Room 6 at the Inn was the perfect place for him to see the vistas that he loved so much and that held the most meaning for him. Looking out the front windows he could see the towering Green Mountainswith their “V” notch, which Bill used to walk as he meditated, and the back windows gave him a perfect view of Mt. Aeolus. When the sun coming over the Green Mountains at dawn shines on the top of Mt. Aeolus, you can see the “halo” surrounding the mountain that was so revered by Bill and Lois Wilson.

On December 22, 2003, Carol Gajdatsy acquired the motel sight-unseen, after her daughter visited a few months before and fell in love with the beauty and tranquility of the property.

Early in 2005 the Erdman’s, the original owners of the property, visited from California. The Erdman’s were pleased and happy to regale the new owner with stories of years gone by with their friends and guests, Bill and Lois Wilson. They spoke of how Bill and his wife had adopted the Aerie Inn as their home away from home during the 1960’s. The Aerie Inn was close to friends and family and just a short distance from Emerald Lake where Bill had proposed marriage to Lois.

The Wilson’s spent much of their time at the Aerie Inn sitting on the front porch speaking, counseling and entertaining friends and participants in the recovery community. The Aerie’s front porch serves the same purpose today, a spot for gathering and supporting one another.

Currently
Through the work and dedication of its owner, The Aerie Inn has kept the integrity, the Wilson’s mission and their examples intact. The spirit of Bill’s laughter and quiet counsel are still reflected in The Aerie’s demeanor today. It is a place to gather where you can always find a smiling face and a supportive hand.

Over the past seven years, The Aerie has had many guests who are with AA and The Wilson House. All are pursuing the twelve steps and all have found solace in one of the twelve rooms avail-able at The Aerie Inn. Support of recovery at the Aerie Inn is about the work of Bill Wilson and his enormous contribution to the world.

“After hearing the history and connection that The Aerie had to Bill W, it became my goal to honor what he had created here,” said owner Carol Gajdatsy. “I was an accountant in Seattle who just wanted to be an innkeeper, but the historic significance of this property and the healing that has been found by so many, demands that I embrace the heritage of The Aerie Inn and the function it served. I felt I had no right to change that, but had a mission to continue it.

It’s all about service work and giving back while still paying the bills. It’s not my place to ask why I have been placed in Bill W's front yard. My higher power planted the seed and it is my job to nurture it.”