Support Small Businesses

When this Corona Virus thing is all over with (and this too shall pass) let's get out and support our small businesses. A trip to a family owned bed and breakfast is a great way to do this. The big hotel and motel chains have corporate offices to help them but the local bed and breakfast are small, family owned businesses.

The atmosphere is so much better and they are usually very charming run by such nice people. Of course there's always the great breakfast as the name implies! You can find a local bed and breakfast just about anywhere you live.

So the next trip stay at a bed and breakfast...you will be glad you did. Even our small town of Wendell, NC has a charming bed and breakfast called The Sunset Inn.

Cedar Crest Inn of Asheville, NC

Voted #1 in Asheville for Trip Advisor's Romantic Category!

The Cedar Crest Inn of Asheville is located just three blocks from the entrance to the Biltmore House and only one mile south of downtown Asheville! Conveniently located near the art district and downtown restaurants of Asheville this Victorian Mansion offers many amenities.and a variety of room choices, including a newly renovated Carriage House and Cottage.

On your next visit to Asheville, NC be sure to spend some time at the Cedar Crest Inn.

Cedar Crest Inn 
674 Biltmore Avenue 
Asheville, NC 28803 
(828) 252-1389

www.CedarCrestInn.com 
Email: stay@cedarcrestinn.com 
Our Toll-Free: 1-800-252-0310

The King's Daughters Inn

Durham, NC

New owners Colin and Deanna Crossman recently remodled The King's Daughters Inn into a seventeen room boutique Bed & Breakfast. Built in the 1920's with funds donated by the Duke family, The King's Daughters Inn is located close to Duke University, downtown Durham, Brightleaf Square and 9th Street. It's a short drive to Reseaarch Triangle Park or the Raleigh-Durham Airport. Many amenities are offered including: private bathrooms, personal climate control, high-speed Internet, delicious breakfast, afternoon tea, complimentary bicycles and much more. For more information visit http://www.thekingsdaughtersinn.com/ and see all the details about this luxurious Inn! The King's Daughters Inn 204 N Buchanan Blvd Durham, North Carolina 27701-2009 Email: info@thekingsdaughtersinn.com Phone: 919.354.7000, 877.534.8534 Fax: 866.489.2029

Top Ten Romantic Inns of 2010

Each year I Love Inns posts a list of the top ten romantic inns. Check out this year's list if you are looking for that perfect romantic getaway!

The top 10 for 2010 (listed in alphabetical order) are:

Chateau Coralini Retreat & Spa - Salinas, California
Christopher Place - An Intimate Resort - Newport, Tennessee
Clarendon Square Inn - Boston, Massachusetts
Colettes Bed & Breakfast - Port Angeles, Washington
Hartstone Inn - Camden, Maine
Honeybee Inn Bed & Breakfast - Horicon, Wisconsin
L'Auberge Provencale - White Post, Virginia
The Queen Victoria - Cape May, New Jersey
Tyee Lodge Bed and Breakfast - Newport, Oregon
Whispering Pines Bed and Breakfast - Dellroy, Ohio

If you have had a great bed & breakfast experience please send me an email at cmmdtp@gmail.com and I may post it here.

Top Ten Romantic Inns of 2009

Looking for a romantic getaway? Here is the the list of top ten romantic Bed & Breakfasts according to ILoveInns.com.

Top Ten Romantic Inns of 2009

The River Lodge Bed and Breakfast

This past weekend my wife and I helped our granddaughter move into her Sorority House at Western Carolina University. We searched the Internet for a place to stay while we were in Cullowhee and found The River Lodge Bed and Breakfast, only 5 miles from the college.

We finished early with the move in and were ready for a nap since we had been up since 4:00 am and driven 5 hours to get here. The problem was it was only 11:30 am and check in at the B&B wasn't until 3:30 pm. I called and asked if there was anyway that we could possibly check in a little earlier and the innkeeper, Cathy was very helpful. She went out of her way to get our room ready 2 hours early for us and we were so grateful.

Now if you are going here for the first time, I would highly recommend doing it in the daylight as this charming B&B is definately off the beaten path and would be difficult to find in the dark if you didn't know where you were headed! Of course, all of that adds to the beauty and peacefullness of The River Lodge. It sits nestled in the hills and overlooks a valley and the Tuckasegee River.

When you first enter the rustic lodge your attention is drawn to a massive stone fireplace in the great room. We were told the building was made from 100 year-old hand-hewn logs taken from old barns and cabins in the Smoky Mountions Region. It is decoratied with antiques, crafts and a Native-American motif.

The innkeepers, Cathy and Anthony were charming and very attentive to our needs during our two night stay. Our room was cozy and very clean and we enjoyed our visit there so much we really didn't want to go home!

One of the things we like best about staying at a Bed and Breakfast is the breakfast part! Our tastebuds were delighted as we enjoyed the culinary delights offered by Cathy and Anthony. The food was delicious and the presentation was stunning.

We met the other guests at breakfast and enjoyed their company. We made friends with one couple who lives about an hour away from us and their daughter is also attending WCU. We talked about getting together again in the near future. Everytime we stay at a Bed and Breakfast, we meet the nicest people.

We have already talked about coming back again next month for a repeat visit and hopefully our schedule will allow us to return very soon to this wonderful Bed and Breakfast!

Visit The River Lodge Bed and Breakfast when you are in the Culowhee area, you will be glad you did! You can check out their website here: http://www.riverlodge-bb.com/index.html .

The River Lodge Bed & Breakfast
619 Roy Tritt Road
Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723
828-293-5431
Toll-free 877-384-4400
rvrldg@dnet.net

Spring is in the Air

Spring is in the Air
by Mike Marinaro

This is one of my favorite times of the year when the flowers are blooming and the birds are chirping. We look foward to the return of the hummingbirds to our yard as they make their long trek from Mexico back to North Carolina. Spring is in the air!

This is a great time of the year to take a long weekend and visit a bed and breakfast near you. I am in NC and the weather is beautiful here right now. Below is an awesome B&B in Vermont. I'm not sure of the weather there right now or if the flowers are in bloom, so call first to find out. They have beautiful gardens. Visit their website for more information.

The Hidden Garden's Bed & Breakfast
PO Box 100 • Hinesburg, Vermont 05461
802-482-2118

Located just 20 minutes from Burlington, Vermont, The Hidden Garden's Bed & Breakfast is surrounded by 26 acres of woods and gardens. The property borders on over 120 acres of protected natural habitat and Vermont Fish and Wildlife land. These conserved lands have hiking trails that are connected to gravel and paved roads for walking, jogging, bird watching and other quiet outdoor activities. Take a brisk country walk on the Five Mile Loop or branch off on interconnecting back roads. Several golf courses are nearby as well as streams for fishing and rivers for canoeing including sections of Lewis Creek.

Enjoy a garden tea while you are there; either under a tent surrounded by gardens, or if the weather is inclement, inside in the Sun Room overlooking the Sunken Walled Garden.

I haven't had a chance to visit this B&B yet; however, I have heard from friends that it is just fabulous. It's on my list of places to visit next time I am in New England.

Your comments are welcome.