a guest article by B&B expert, Marti Mayne
My husband and I drove right by the driveway on our way to Winvian to celebrate our anniversary. The unassuming sign marked the entrance, but we were having so much fun driving on the country roads in Litchfield Hills, CT, we missed it. We quickly turned around, and found a closed gate. We announced our arrival, the gates slowly opened, and from there on in, we were whisked into a weekend of whimsy at one of the most spectacular B&B resorts in the world. Located between Boston and New York, Winvian is part playground for the rich and famous and part culinary camp for the adventurous, offering a blueblood basecamp with a touch of traditional blended with swank fancy. Bottom line, it sets the bar a little higher for the next perfect getaway. Topping Winvian will be a fun adventure. Click here for more and be sure to click the link to Part II for to read all about Winvian.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Look for complimentary homemade pie at Rockland Maine’s Berry Manor Inn 24-7-365. Photo by Jumping Rocks. a guest blog by B&B expert, Marti Mayne
Mark Orwoll, trusted travel journalist, recently published a story about the exorbitant $12 hotel minibar fee for a can of nuts (which also resulted in a $12 stomach ache). This confirmed my contention that B&Bs are simply the better way to stay. In his story about the world’s most outrageous hotel fees, Orwoll unveils how hotels stand to gain $12.5 billion in add-on fees that you simply do not find at a bed and breakfast. I know I beat my “B&Bs are more affordable” drum over and over, but Orwoll’s insight into the ever-increasing hotel add-on fees proves my contention.
Read on and you may never stay at a hotel again.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
The Inn at Harbor Hill Marina offers not only a porch, but plenty of chairs for viewing the boats in the harbor. Photo by Marti Mayne.New England is experiencing record breaking heat. Heck, the whole country is! You’re not only really ready to cool off, you’re also ready for a break. Now is the perfect time to consider a quick B&B getaway in New England. Imagine rocking your cares away on the porch of a welcoming B&B, cool drink in hand. Whether it’s in Boston or along the Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island or Connecticut coasts, here are a few recommendations for hot B&Bs in cool places, just a hop, skip and jump from Boston. Each one offers a fabulous balcony or porch poised to catch cool sea breezes and scenic views.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
The Inn at Westwynd Farm was the sweetest part of my recent trip to Hershey, PA. Photo by Jumping Rocks.
a guest blog by Marti Mayne
My recent trip to the Inn at Westwynd Farm was combined with a “kidcation” to Hershey Park, and while the roller coasters were the high point for my girls, the highlight for me was the chance to stay at this fabulous farm and inn. The Inn at Westwynd Farm had been on my “B&B Bucket List” for awhile, so when planning our end-of-school trip, there was some method to my madness in taking the kids to Hershey Park, just three miles from the inn.
Take a big dose of romance, combine it with a gorgeous horse farm, add a kid-friendly attitude, and you begin to understand the Inn at Westwynd Farm. Now imagine huge helpings of extra amenities like a guest fridge filled with wine, beer, soft drinks, juice, popcorn, Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels, plus four or five different offerings for afternoon refreshments, and you’ll begin to understand the haute hospitality and extra value here. Gorgeous rolling hills with horses grazing, manicured gardens and lilies popping open everywhere complete the picture. Click here for more.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Joyce and Don Bilger founded MS Week in Jackson Village, NH. Photo from Inn at Jackson. From May 3-7, 2010, inns, restaurants and retail stores in the small town of Jackson, New Hampshire will once again open their hearts and doors welcoming hundreds of people who are living with multiple sclerosis and their guests. The brainchild of Don and Joyce Bilger, owners of the Inn at Jackson and Whitney’s Inn at Jackson, this event has grown from a weekend getaway for those living with MS to a village-side week-long wellness retreat for those with MS.
MS Week in Jackson Village began five years ago at the Inn at Jackson. The idea originated from Don and Joyce Bilger, owners and innkeepers of the Inn at Jackson. Joyce was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000, and the couple wanted to give back to others coping with the disease. Due to the initial overwhelming response to the event, other inns in Jackson were inspired to step forward to help meet the high demand for lodging.
To read more about this heartwarming week of events, click here.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Send your Mom away to the Squam Lake Inn in Holderness, NH this Mother’s Day. Photo by Jumping Rocks. Squam Lake Inn is nestled in the village of Holderness, NH, within walking distance of the lake made famous by the movie On Golden Pond. The folks at Squam Lake Inn are looking for inspiring stories about great Moms. Whether you are a Mom with a story or have a Mom who’s story you’d like to share, send information to the innkeepers at Squam Lake Inn, and your special Mom might be awarded a weekend getaway at this fabulous inn just two hours north of Boston on Route 93.
Here are the details:
- Submit your entry to the Squam Lake Inn via email to: stay@squamlakeinn.com or mail it to: Squam Lake Inn, PO Box 695, Holderness, NH 03245
- Tell all about your mom in approximately 250 words or less.
- All entries must be submitted by Monday, April 26, 2010, noon.
- Winner will be announced on Saturday, May 1st.
Read more here and see beautiful photos of this scenic inn.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".