Meet the Innkeepers
In the early morning of Christmas Day 2000, Pam and Don Andersen awoke in their home for the holidays, the Overlook Inn. The young couple was eagerly looking forward to celebrating Christmas on Cape Cod with family and friends, and particularly to the joy of sharing the news that they were expecting their first child. The setting could not have been more appropriate: two years before, Pam and Don had been married on Cape Cod and had stayed at the Overlook Inn on their wedding night. As they left the inn for the Christmas Day festivities, Pam and Don mentioned to the innkeepers they would be interested in buying the inn if the owners ever wished to sell. Upon returning to their room, the couple found a note on their bed along with a broker’s name and phone number. The couple’s journey with the Overlook Inn began.
The road leading to this journey originated much earlier in their lives. Pam grew up on Cape Cod and had ties to the Cape Cod hospitality industry; her grandfather owned a large motor inn in Wellfleet. Pam pursued her education in Boston and became a civil engineer for a large successful corporation. She enjoyed success with challenging assignments throughout the United States and Mexico. Pam eventually transferred back to Boston.
Don, a native of Iowa, grew up on a farm founded by his Danish immigrant grandparents in the 1920s. He completed his education in Missouri and became a software engineer. Don worked for several high-profile corporations as he climbed the corporate ladder, and eventually came to Boston. In a Boston suburb they met at a racquetball game, later fell in love, and decided to get married. In spite of successful careers and a comfortable lifestyle, Pam and Don became disenchanted with the demands of the corporate world, and talked of their dream of buying a bed & breakfast. Their 2001 purchase of the Overlook Inn helped them realize that dream.
In October 2001, Pam and Don assumed ownership and moved to the Overlook Inn with their four-month-old son, Christian. The couple enthusiastically made additions and improvements to the inn and brought a tangible feeling of family to the inn and its guests. Pam’s familiarity of the area, its people and attractions, paired with Don’s American work ethic, small-town friendliness and hands-on practicality proved to be the perfect combination to bring their dream to fruition. The Overlook Inn, for the Andersens, had become a dream realized and a joyful home to share with guests from the world over.
In February 2004, the Andersens were blessed with the birth of daughter Kali. The growth of their family—combined with their enjoyment of the families that visited the inn—convinced Pam and Don to develop the inn into the “family-friendly” inn. Along with this transition in focus, the Andersens changed the name of the inn to Inn at the Oaks to reflect the towering English Oaks gracing the grounds of the inn. The Inn at the Oaks became more than just an inn—it became a family home.
Today, Pam, Don, Christian and Kali look forward to meeting every new guest at the inn. Pam’s warm presence can be felt in the thoughtful touches gracing each guest’s stay. Don’s Danish heritage and farming background can be seen in the hearty Sunday morning Aebleskiver breakfasts and the “Tractor” dining room. Christian and Kali love sharing their playground with guests’ children and can often be found helping Pam give guests tours of the inn. Pam, Don, Christian and Kali hope that the charm of the stately old sea captain’s mansion and the majestic English Oaks will captivate guests.
