The stay is sweet at Sweet Gum Bottom Bed and Breakfast – so sweet the Straughn School Road getaway is one of 12 B&Bs featured in an upcoming series airing this month on Alabama Public Television.

Opened in 2001, the restored home-turned B&B is the brainchild of Rick and Laura Oswald. It features three suites, each named after the couple’s daughters – the Laura Leigh Suite, the Bethany Dawn Suite and the Lindsey Paige Suite. After winning several awards, including “Best Breakfast in the Southeast” and “Fifth Best Breakfast in North America” by Arrington’s B&B Journal, this most recent honor is the one of which the couple is most proud.

“It was really neat having the filming crew here,” Oswald said. “Julian Elmore and Kathy Farnell of Alabama Public Television spent three days with us filming our everyday activities. From behind the scenes to the full crowd at breakfast, he filmed it all. The guests really enjoyed being a part of this.”

Oswald said they also did an interview about the daily operations of the B&B.

“They talked to us about what we have to offer our guests and what there is to do in our area,” she said. “What some people take for granted, others find very enjoyable. So they were able to also focus on our city and county and spotlight some activities for visitors to see and participate in.”

Oswald said the APT crew also filmed the facility and the amenities found there.

“They did an outstanding job in capturing what we are all about,” she said. “As a bed and breakfast guest, sometimes you want to do things and see the area and other times you just want to relax. We are blessed to be able to offer both. But we do find more often than not, that people just want to relax, be quiet and enjoy doing nothing. No schedules, no meetings, no phones, no children…just peace and quiet. So, we think he did a great job in capturing that kind of atmosphere here at the bed and breakfast.”

The special four-part series on Alabama’s bed and breakfast inns, titled “At Home in Alabama – Bed and Breakfast Inns,” will air in April on public television stations across the state. Some of the inns featured include the Kate Shepard House in Mobile, Cobb Lane in Birmingham and Gorham’s Bluff near Scottsboro, as well as Andalusia’s Sweet Gum Bottom.

A total of 12 B&Bs are featured.

The B&Bs are spotlighted in four 30-minute shows on Alabama Public Television (APTV). APTV produced four 30-minute segments to air in April. Catch the show on Sunday, April 19, from 8 p.m. until 9 p.m.