Archive for August, 2010

Virginia Bed and Breakfast Weddings

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
love

Host your special day at a Virginia bed and breakfast.

Do you dream of being married in the ornate gardens of a historic home? Do you dream of walking down a long, elegant staircase to join your beloved? Are you looking forward to hosting you wedding in the same place you and closest friends and family are staying, so you don’t have to worry about traveling anywhere after the reception?

Consider the benefits of being married at a bed and breakfast Virginia:

They are found throughout the state, in small towns and large cities, in the mountains and by the sea, in historic buildings and modern structures.

Virginia bed and breakfast specialize in romance.

They can accommodate large, lavish ceremonies and receptions, and small, intimate events; not every inn can do both, of course, but there is an inn for every event.

Virginia bed and breakfast innkeepers have experience hosting weddings. Many have close working relationships with local caterers, florists, photographers and officiants.

Hosting your rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception where you stay minimizes travel time. It is also safer, since there is no need to get behind the wheel after numerous toasts.

Breakfast will be delicious.

Many of our member inns offer Virginia wedding specials. These may include two nights’ lodging for the wedding party, a rehearsal dinner, and champagne. See specific inns for details.
Take advantage of the fact that bed and breakfasts Virginia are popular locations for weddings, and tap-into the innkeepers’ experience. That way, you and your beloved, and your friends and families, can focus on each other.

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The Mountains of Virginia

Monday, August 16th, 2010
Appalachia Fall Foliage

Fall color in Appalachia.

Virginia’s western border is mountainous, for the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Pennsylvania to Tennessee. The Appalachians include the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Allegheny Mountains along the West Virginia border, the Shenandoah Mountains stretching north, and even the Great Smoky Mountains, along the border with Tennessee. No matter what you call them, they are beautiful, and share the wonderful, rich culture and history of Appalachia.

If time permits, take your time while traveling through this part of the state. Plan to stay in more than one Virginia Mountains bed and breakfast between Winchester and Norton. You’ve heard of “island time”? Well, it’s time to experience “mountain time” – though there is no need to adjust your clocks.

Keep an eye open and an ear tuned to local festivals as you travel the region throughout the year. The Chilhowie Community Apple Festival, in southwest Virginia, has been a tradition for over 50 years. Stop by for the parade, live music, and apple butter (watch it made). Nearby, the Whitetop Mountain festival features fiddling and a Ramp Eating Contest – not the ramp you drive on, but the local wild leek. And the Virginia Mountain Music Festival will keep your toes tapping. Up north in Shenandoah County, the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival is one of the most established music festivals in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

If you enjoy outdoor recreation, you’ll be thrilled by the breadth of opportunities available in the Virginia Mountains. Scenic drives through the Appalachian Mountains – along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive – reveal one trailhead after another. Hike to Hogback Overlook, Humpback Rocks, or along the Apple Orchard Falls Trail to Petites Gap. You can thoroughly plan your itinerary, or be more whimsical, asking the innkeepers at various Virginia Mountains bed and breakfasts for suggestions as you go.

The mountains of Virginia are lovely any time of year, in the heat of summer, dressed in fall colors, blanketed in snow or when coming back to life in the spring. Travel here as soon as you can, and return again and again.

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Vibrant Virginia Beach

Thursday, August 5th, 2010
Virginia Beach: The Boardwalk

The Boardwalk at Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach in the summertime… now that’s paradise. Miles of wide, sandy beaches, a boardwalk bustling with activity, abundant outdoor recreation, and a rich history – Virginia Beach offers this and more.

It has been said that the only way to fully experience all Virginia Beach has to offer is to live here. While that may be true, the next best thing is to make yourself at home in a Virginia Beach Bed and Breakfast. Knowledgeable innkeepers can provide useful tips on what to do, when to do it, and where to eat. Whether you are interested in a holiday full of paddling, biking, and jumping waves or one that explores the interesting culture and history of the area, your innkeepers can help orient you to Virginia Beach.

It is difficult to imagine visiting Virginia Beach without at least one trip to its historic Boardwalk. Originally built out of wood to span five blocks in 1888, it has experienced more than one renovation. Today it is three miles long, 28-feet wide, and has a separate bike path, making it a safe place for folks to bike, rollerblade, and walk. The boardwalk is dotted with shops, outdoor restaurants, and food vendors – you may want to look at them all before you decide where to dine.

There are four wooden walkways extending from the main Boardwalk down to the beach, so it is easy to stretch out on the sand or jump in the water. During the summer, outdoor stages near each beach access are a nightly source of great entertainment. It’s fun to walk the length of the boardwalk, hand-in-hand, listening to the music fade from one stage as it grows from the next.

Visit the Boardwalk once or stop by every evening after a day full of outdoor recreation. The Sandbridge Beach area offers five miles of secluded beach and sand-dunes. It is close to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park, which are both ideal spots for hiking, fishing, and paddling. Gentler waves are found on the beaches of nearby Chesapeake Bay. There is golf in Bayside and cycling at numerous Sate Parks throughout the Virginia Beach area. Ask the innkeepers of your Bed and Breakfast Virginia Beach for the best cycling routes near the inn.

In can be as much fun to visit the many interesting historical sites around Virginia Beach as it is to get out in the surf. The Adam Thoroughgood House, in Bayside, is one of the oldest extant homes from the Colonial period, dating from 1680. The Lynnhaven House in Little Neck is a beautiful brick building built in 1725.

No matter how you most like to spend your time, you’ll be pleased by the breadth and variety of activities in the Virginia Beach region. If you can’t make it there this summer, we will welcome you in the fall.

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