Jamestown, just one of the well-known historic sites around the state, celebrated its 400th year anniversary this year with a visit from the queen. The grand architecture of Jefferson’s Monticello and the University of Virginia, the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and Skyline Drive and the haunting Civil War battlefields at Fredericksburg and Manassas showcase our nation’s earliest history and heritage. I Love Inns (www.ILoveInns.com) invites you to visit the lovely state of Virginia and stay at a historic bed and breakfast, where you can be treated like royalty.
An Oasis of Quiet near Luray
The original log homestead of Jordan Hollow Inn predates 1785 and is now part of the restaurant, while a second 1795 cabin houses the cozy Pub. A restored colonial horse farm, the Inn sits on meandering pastures and meadows looking out on the scenic vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Enjoy the 1900s carriage house with its games and a roaring fire. Spacious suites, cozy rooms and private cabins – all with luxurious tubs and fireplaces - allow guests to bask in relaxation and enjoy the view, while only being a short walk away from gourmet dining at the Farmhouse Restaurant, featuring seasonal ingredients.
Authentic Plantation outside Charlottesville
On the National Historic Register, Prospect Hill Plantation Inn features a 1732 restored manor house and original dependencies and slave quarters dating from 1699. The Inn now offers 13 distinctive guest rooms and cottages, renovated with working fireplaces and queen beds for a romantic atmosphere. At this B&B, history surrounds you outside as well, with many 1840s tree plantings forming a beautiful arboretum, including the rarest magnolia in the U.S. The Garden Pavilion provides a lovely setting for intimate weddings and corporate retreats and the on-site restaurant features original seasonal recipes with a European influence.
Presidential Rooms in Albemarle County
A second stop near Charlottesville brings us to the Silver Thatch Inn, a clapboard home started in 1780 by captured Hessian soldiers on the site of an Indian settlement, with an English pub built in 1812. The B&B’s seven rooms have been named for the country’s early Virginia-born presidents. The property has been a boys’ school, tobacco plantation, melon farm and dairy farm in its previous incarnations. Candlelit dining is offered in three intimate dining rooms, featuring contemporary cuisine, local specialties and housemade breads, muffins, cookies and desserts. Many wines on the wine list are from nearby vineyards, as the Piedmont area is quickly becoming known as the Napa Valley of the East.
Shenandoah River Views
The Inn at Narrow Passage, built in 1740, has been welcoming travelers for more than 250 years, providing safe haven against Indian attacks in colonial times and headquarters for General Stonewall Jackson during his Shenandoah Valley campaign in 1862. Re-enactors converge every fall at nearby Belle Grove plantation to recreate the Battle of Cedar Creek. The oldest guest rooms here highlight pine floors and stenciling. A short walk from the B&B’s back door brings you to the banks of the Shenandoah River for tubing, canoeing, or fishing. Take a balloon tour from nearby Woodstock to have an aerial tour of the Valley!
Travel the back roads of Northern Virginia
Built with local fieldstone by Hessian soldiers around 1753, L’Auberge Provencale offers a distinctly French country experience for visitors to the Virginia hunt country. The main house, originally known as Mt. Airy, is filled with Victorian and European. Fourteen rooms and suites are decorated in Provencale fabrics. The long front porch is ideally suited for lounging with cocktails before enjoying a lavish French five-course menu, with herbs, vegetables and fruit selected from L’Auberge’s own gardens and orchards. Wines to complement the gourmet meal are available from an extensive award-winning cellar.
Old Town Fredericksburg
In the heart of the historic district, the 18th-century The Richard Johnston Inn was built by John Tayloe, one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence. Home of the Fredericksburg mayor in the 1800s, the Inn retains the grace of earlier days updated for modern comfort. The nine rooms have all been elegantly furnished with antiques, luxurious linens and oriental rugs, and a charming courtyard is available for outdoor relaxation. Guests can walk to a variety of restaurants and shops in Old Town, enjoy carriage and trolley rides or a cruise on the Rappahannock River. Step back in time at this award-winning B&B!
Northern Shenandoah Valley
Not just one historic building, The Inn at Vaucluse Spring near Stephens City and Front Royal is comprised of a variety of vintage guest houses. The Vancluse manor house was built in 1785 by young Revolutionary War Captain Strother Jones and housed his direct descendants through the Civil War. Restored in 1997, a wide array of accommodations is available, from elegant manor rooms to rustic log houses to private cottages. All rooms have fireplaces and most have water or mountain views for an ideal romantic getaway. Porches, sitting rooms and outdoor seating in abundance allow any guest to find a quiet nook for conversation and daydreaming.
Jordan Hollow Inn
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/jordanhollowfarm.htm
Prospect Hill Plantation Inn
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/prospecthill-of-trevilians.htm
Silver Thatch Inn
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/silverthatch.htm
The Inn at Narrow Passage
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/narrowpassage.htm
L’Auberge Provencale
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/laubergeprovencale.htm
The Richard Johnston Inn
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/richardjohnston.htm
The Inn at Vancluse Spring
http://www.iloveinns.com/bed_and_breakfasts/virginia/vauclusespring.htm
Still undecided? Log onto www.iloveinns.com and browse through the 19,000 B&Bs 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 & breakfast guidebooks, with more than 2.5 million bed & breakfast guidebooks sold, and runs iLoveInns.com, a top bed & breakfast and country inns directory.
Note: For photos or interviews, please contact Deborah Sakach at 949-497-2232, ext. 308.
