Bed and Breakfasts:

Not everyone likes to spend $200+/night to stay in a chain hotel. Bed and Breakfasts are a growing trend, especially in less commercial areas like the Napa Valley or along the Oregon Coast. Bed and Breakfasts, or B n B's as they are often referred to, are usually quaint houses that have been turned into lodging. The accommodations are unique compared to staying at a hotel or motel where everything is the same in almost every room. At a B & B, you choose your room and many have 4 poster beds, en suite bathrooms, and sitting areas. The bed and breakfasts you find in the wine country of Napa often have balconies for viewing the vineyards and fireplaces (real ones) in the rooms. Many are meant to be a romantic getaway for couples looking to reconnect. Although some bed and breakfasts do allow children, I would say it's best to leave the kids at home if you are planning on staying at a B n B. The good thing about booking a room at a B n B is that you get breakfast as part of the package. Trust me, most of the owners of these establishments are great cooks and your breakfast is sure to be memorable.

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When I traveled throughout England and Ireland I was fortunate enough to stay at a few country inns, or bed and breakfasts. These inns were owner run and the houses were ancient with decent rooms and mediocre beds. I remember sitting in the breakfast room in the morning talking with fellow travelers about their adventures so far and it was a great atmosphere. We had a choice of food including bacon, eggs, waffles, biscuits, yogurt, cereal, toast, and more. The host was more than accommodating to all of us and we had a great time. Another spot I stayed at was a 500 acre sheep farm out in Wales on an old farmhouse. The views from the room were incredible as they looked out over the countryside of Wales. The bed and breakfasts in the United States are more modern than those found in other countries, but still rustic in nature. If you ever go to Mendocino, up the California coastline, there are quite a few B & B's to choose from and it's well worth the trip. There are bed and breakfast directories you can buy at the book store with reviews and write-ups, but we prefer to do our research online. Years ago you couldn't do this, but now the information is right at your fingertips and the reviews are worth a look. Keep in mind that there are other guests staying at the bed and breakfast while you are there. You will probably be joined for breakfast with the other guests and it can be social environment. Some bed and breakfasts offer breakfast in your room upon request, check with the innkeeper for this service. If you want to get reviews on inns and bed and breakfasts, try Bedandbreakfast.com and look in their message boards for inngoer reviews. Tripadvisor.com also has traveler ratings of bed and breakfasts all around world. There is nothing better than reading comments and opinions from other people who have stayed where you want to. You can't always take what they say to heart since everyone expects something different from their accommodations.

Bed and Breakfast Websites:

One of our favorite Internet B&B sites is at BBonline.com. Search by state or location and find that magical place for your next weekend getaway. Pictures are provided so you can find that Victorian style home you've always wanted to stay at. Each listing has address, phone number, pictures, detailed location, any discounts they offer, special packages, email, website address, and the names of the innkeepers. They list over 5000 B&B's throughout the United States and some of the more popular destinations are Santa Barbara (CA), Bar Harbor (Maine), Sedona (AZ), Key West (FL), Charleston (SC), Asheville (NC), Carmel (CA), Newport (RI), and Portland (OR). Another popular site is Bedandbreakfast.com with 1000's of inns listed, including worldwide locations. You can find B&B homestays, country inns, urban bed and breakfasts, guest houses, lodges, cabins, historic hotels, small resorts, guest ranches, farmhouses, and working farms. The site offers up a monthly newsletter with highlighted BnB's (sent via email). Order a gift card that is good at over 4000 bed and breakfasts. There are no fees, no expiration dates, no blackouts, and you can upload a photo that gets placed on the card - makes a perfect gift. Their top destinations include Manhattan, Savannah, Rome, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Cape May. There are dozens of other B&B sites but we found that they mostly overlap these big 2. The good thing is that the vast majority of bed and breakfasts actually have their own website. Do a search for specific B&B on Google and you'll come across it.

B&B Recipes:

As we noted above, many people enjoy the breakfast served at the B&B they stay at and want recipes used by authentic innkeepers. Several sites have setup online recipe databases submitted by real Bed and Breakfast owners. You can find recipes for breakfast, lunch, desserts, breads, and dinners. Get details on how to make omelets, french toast, quiches, sauces, spreads, dips, pastries, cakes, cookies, pies, muffins, and biscuits. A complete listing can be found HERE. They also carry a complete list of Innkeeper Cookbooks that you can order through sites like Amazon.com. Another excellent B&B recipe find is online HERE.

Buying/Selling a Bed and Breakfast:

My wife has always had a dream of running a B & B, I think many of us have at some point. My mother keeps telling my father that when he retires they will move out to the coast and run a bed and breakfast. It does take a certain type of person to run a lodging experience like a B&B. Firstly, you need to be fairly social since you'll have to interact with your guests. Secondly, you will probably have to be a decent cook since breakfast is part of the package and some places even offer dinner. To find a list of available Bed and Breakfasts throughout the United States, go HERE. The list of pretty extensive and you just may find that perfect place in Maine or Oregon that you have been looking to buy. You can also post your bed and breakfast if it's for sale. The majority of these places are not cheap as they are in desirable locations and real estate has gone up quite a bit over the last decade or so, especially in coastal regions. Many of the ones we saw online are above $750,000 and dozens are $1 million properties.

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