Aren't you tired of winter already? Now is the time to plan a special trip to a wonderful bed and breakfast and enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms and other flowers of the spring. I Love Inns (www.ILoveInns.com) has found a number of bed and breakfasts in the U.S. and Canada where you can enjoy the first signs of spring after a long, chilly winter. In addition to the budding trees and companion festivities, you'll find bountiful breakfasts and gracious hospitality – take some time to embark upon your own reblooming!
The National Cherry Blossom Festival in DC
The most-celebrated cherry blossoms are found in Washington, DC; they typically bud out in late March. This renowned festival celebrates the gift of thousands of cherry trees from the people of Japan. In 2008, the National Cherry Blossom Festival features a parade on April 12. While you're in the nation's capital, stay at Dupont at the Circle bed and breakfast inn for an easy walk to the Metro and all the Festival activities, leaving your car behind. The guest rooms and suites feature antique Victorian furniture and stained glass windows, with some offering whirlpools. Concierge services are available as are indulgent add-on packages ranging from flowers, chocolate truffles and massages to tickets for a Washington Nationals home baseball game. There's a treat for every taste at The Dupont at the Circle.
Japanese Culture and Heritage in Denver
It's not just the cherry blossoms that are celebrated at Denver's annual Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) – the entire range of Japanese-American culture including food, dance, music; arts and crafts are on display. The hand-hewn stone fantasy that is Castle Marne – a Historic Urban Inn, located in the Wyman Historic District, can be your opulent Victorian home away from home while you indulge in the festivities on June 28 – 29. The Castle has a full afternoon tea for your enjoyment and several of the rooms and suites have whirlpools or hot tubs.
Door County's Festival of Blossoms
The entire month of May is devoted to Wisconsin's Festival of Blossoms in Door County, and the place to stay is the romantic White Lace Inn in Sturgeon Bay. Celebrate spring with self-guided tours through apple and cherry orchards in bloom and a county-wide lighthouse walk. You'll be welcomed with lemonade or hot chocolate and cookies upon arrival; the welcoming Victorian rooms and suites are furnished with fine antiques and ornate beds. The Inn's suites have both whirlpools and fireplaces and the four homes that comprise the Inn share grounds with a gazebo, fish pond and flower gardens. If your stay includes a Thursday evening, you'll enjoy contemporary local folk music at the Inn – guests are always welcome to join in!
New Haven's Wooster Square Abloom with Cherry Blossoms
The seventy-eight cherry trees planted in 1974 in Wooster Square are the focus of an annual festival in New Haven, Connecticut, in mid-April. The stately Greek-revival Historic Mansion Inn, in the Historic District just across from the Square, is the perfect bed and breakfast location to embark from for strolling during the festival and taking advantage of its proximity to Yale University, theaters and wonderful gourmet restaurants. Each room at the Inn has its original marble fireplace, four-poster beds and cherry armoires. In-room desks and wireless Internet access make this bed and breakfast great for leisure or business travel.
Rites of Spring in Brooklyn
With over 200 trees in bloom, New York celebrates their Sakura Matsuri, at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden on the weekend of May 4 with over 60 events and performances celebrating Japanese culture. Take the bike path from the Escape Guest House in Brooklyn to the park for the demonstrations of ikebana flower arranging and presentations on Japanese Manga art or hop on the F train to Manhattan for the exciting restaurants and museums of New York City. The Guest House offers innovative fitness programs and a bath and shower bar for your enjoyment.
City Full of Blossoms in Vancouver, BC, Canada
In the north, the plum and cherry blossoms are on view for the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival from March 25 to April 20, with hundreds of trees lining the city streets and an annual haiku contest. The Barclay House Bed and Breakfast is centrally located and offers modern luxury in an urban setting. Guest rooms and suites at the B&B boast luxury linens, plush bathrobes, and upscale toiletries; concierge packages are available to help you plan your day's activities. Outstanding service and personal attention to detail make the Barclay House the top-rated B&B in Vancouver – you are sure to enjoy your stay here!
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.
