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Show Franklin Manor Bed and Breakfast, Telluride the twinkling like little d town and nestled up against, the Manor exudes romance. From calla lily (the the massive stuinal-gl.iN- s I ranklins logo) adorning the front door to the thick carpet and neoclassical art work inside, the Franklin is sure to appeal to anyone's softer side. Its very romantic, think, says owner N'ancv I.ee, who opened for business in Decemlier of" 1998. Nancy, a former counselor and art collector, and her Just snow-cappe- it is Where to find it: Telluride, 728-335Ave.; (888) www.telluride.comfranklin.htnil. What you pay: $180- - $250 (Rates are lower in summer with the exception of some festival dates.) What you get: 5 gufest, rooms, privgte hot tub. baths, Jacuzzis, decks. Roof-toWhat to do: Walking distance to ski lifts, downtown shopping and restaurants. Ride the free gondola to the Mountain Village. Browse though the downstairs art gallery. What's on the menu: Chef Nancy, a gourmet cook, prepares decadent breakfasts such as fresh fruit (includ- husband, Lee, T had been .xHnding time between their home in Phoenix and their place ill Telluride. They filially decided to make e "lelluridc (heir home about four and started years ago building the B&B and an accompanying art gallery. I jnce, also an aspiring architect, drew up the house plans lor the and worked on the construction of it. Lvcii the story behind the Franklin Manor and art gallery is one of romance and intrigue. The inspiration came front artist Richard Franklin, who died in a plane crash in 1997 at the age of 35. Unfortunately for the lavs, they didnt discover Franklins works until after his death. We went into this gallery in Kauai and the first painting we saw was the one (that is now) in the entry way and on our sign," says Nancy. We asked about it and (hey said he had died three months ago. We said, Tell us about him," Nancy was intrigued by Franklins Renaissance-styl- e paintings of women draped in lush tapestries and framed by gilded backgrounds, which harkened back to the era of the great masters Monet, Rembrandt and Rubens. I was so inspired ... that I knew we wanted to use his paintings for our art gallery, she says. Nancy returned to Phoenix determined to find out more about the elusive artist. She did some research and eventually discovered all of his original works were in private hands and quite expensive. So instead, she tracked down Franklin's widow and obtained permission to use reproductions of his works which now hang in her gallery. Since opening the B&B and art gallery, Nancy has also become somewhat of an international resource on Franklin via her Web site. We never knew, having this art gallery, the inquiries wed get from all over the world, she says. However, the art of the Franklin Manor is not just confined to the gallery. Fach guest room, named for a different flower, displays Franklin's works as well as the works of two other artists. And Nancys eye for beauty carries over into the rooms as well. Fach is lavishly yet tastefully decorated with Furopcan bed linens and Yicrorian accents. All have private baths, decks or porches, and self-taug- ing mangoes) with yogurt sauce, homemade banana bread with cream cheese, crepes with lingonberry sauce, and fresh brewed coffee (cups preheated, of full-tim- course.) What else: Don't miss Nancy and Lee's wine tasting with hot hors d'oeu-vre- s and lively conversation. apres-sk-i C full-bodi- 8 Cross Currents - February 1 8, 2000 P.O. Box 2520, 81435; 627 West Colorado 1 computcr-proramnic- Colo. Clockwise from upper left: The third floor of the Franklin Manor Bed and Breakfast in Telluride is where guests gather to eat breakfast, sip wine and soak in the outdoor hot tub. The three-stor-y Victorian Franklin Manor was designed and built by owner Lance Lee. The Calla Lily Room, overlooking Telluride's ski runs, is popular among honeymooners. Jacuzzis, many with mountain views. The rooms are also heavy on the details, with his-and-h- er matching robes, guest books (with snapshots of happy guests) and small fabric heart cutouts on the beds in the honeymoon suites. veil the toilet paper is folded into a neat v. Nancy insists keeping her B&B small allows her to pay attention to these sorts of intimate details. We wanted to keep our B&B small, she says. We wanted to run it ourselves fabric-cover- 1 ed |