San Juan Capistrano 1/15/2010 7:43:00 AM
News / People

Bed and Breakfast Secret Hideaways

Whether you need to really disappear for a bone fide vacation away from it all or whether you just need to dip into town for work but don’t want to look up those relatives you haven’t seen for five years, staying at a bed and breakfast inn is a perfect solution. Not only is a B & B the perfect anti-corporate hotel antidote (yes, you’re supporting a small local business!), but personalized service is an innkeeper trademark. So whether you need to keep tabs on your online business while you’re hiding out in Amish country, or whether you’re staying incognito while making a quick business trip to Los Angeles – pull up to one of these fine inns listed below. We promise that all your needs will be taken care of.

 

Go Amish

Get far, far away from all your troubles by booking a room with a private entrance at Garden Gate Get-A-Way Bed and Breakfast in the middle of the world’s largest Amish community in central Ohio. Avoid tourist traps and souvenirs made in China, innkeepers Herb and Carol Steffey delight in directing their guests to follow one of their seven self-guided tours of the region, which will lead you to a variety of authentic Amish home businesses: watch the process of hand-dipped beeswax candles being made or pick up handmade brooms or hand sewn quilts. If you like, they will even organize for you to enjoy a home-cooked meal in one of the neighborhood Amish homes. If being in Ohio is already far enough away for you, have no fear – the one of the itineraries includes a very conventional and very popular tour through local wineries and cheese factories. If you prefer to stay in, the Garden Get-A-Way offers standard in-room spa packages and a nightly campfire outside in the garden – marshmallows are on the house.

 

Into the Woods

Nothing says “getaway” like a log cabin, especially a deluxe accommodation at the Iron Mountain Inn Bed and Breakfast in the mountains of Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. Soar above your troubles by staying up above the clouds and enjoy the view of the Appalachian mountains during every season (although the autumn colors here would be hard to beat). If the outdoors beckons, you are only minutes from Watauga Lake, one of the cleanest lakes in the whole of the United States. Fishing, hiking, swimming are all favorite pastimes in this neck of the woods – and the romantic setting of the forest makes this mountain lodge a great spot for a peaceful destination wedding or elopement (and then you can visit every year for your anniversary…)

 

Slip into Town Unseen

We at IloveInns love California, but we know that some dread the prospect of a business trip to Los Angeles. Well, here’s a way to dip into LalaLand without having to stay there: book your room at Topanga Canyon Inn Bed and Breakfast. You’ll love the elegant style of the inn (which they call “vernacular Mediterranean with Art Deco elements”; we call it “European fancy”) and all the inn amenities. No traffic noise here, you’ll fall asleep to the noises of owls and crickets in the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. You’ll be between Santa Monica and Malibu, but only a 15-minute drive from West LA.

 

Only seven minutes from the downtown of Florida’s capitol, Tallahassee, The Little English Guesthouse boasts that guests - a rocket scientist from NASA, a TV celebrity from Miami, a Mayo Clinic surgeon - guests who don’t want to be “seen” in the lobby of a big hotel, have all called this bed and breakfast their secret hideaway in the middle of town. With three well-appointed rooms delightfully decorated with authentic gems from the innkeeper’s native London, expect to find pleasant British touches like heated towels and a hot cuppa waiting for you when you arrive.

 

The Sea Breeze Manor on the Gulf side of Florida offers not only beach escape, but proximity to both St. Petersburg and Tampa. Island living is surely a favorite way to unwind and rejuvenate, and this inn is located right on the Gulfport beach overlooking the Boca Ciega Bay. You can enjoy the white sandy beaches or get cultured at the bi-monthly art walks in town – also recommended is walking or biking the Pinellas Trail or chartering a boat to watch the dolphins.

 

Visit www.iloveinns.com and browse through the 19,000 Bed and Breakfasts and country inns that specialize in other events and locations that may interest you. Many of the properties listed above are also in the best-selling bed and breakfast guidebook Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free Certificate. ILoveInns also offers Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificates, a perfect solution to help celebrate any occasion.

About American Historic Inns and iLoveInns.com

American Historic Inns, Inc. (www.iloveinns.com), founded in 1981, is the leading publisher of bed and breakfast guidebooks, with more than 2.5 million bed and breakfast guidebooks sold, and runs iLoveInns.com, a top bed and breakfast and country inns directory.

 

Note: For photos or interviews, please contact Deborah at 949-497-2232, ext. 308