Don’t let the price of gas tank your summer getaway plans. Find great savings for your summer vacation at a B&B. 

It’s only May and already the average cost of gas is more than $3 per gallon. This doesn’t mean that a great summer vacation is out of reach. BnBFinder is helping travelers once again with its Gas Giveaway Promotion and One Tank Trips suggestions. Inns across the US are offering special discounts and packages that won’t leave you with an empty wallet or an empty gas tank.

Visit www.BnBFinder.com/FreeGas for all participating inns.

BnBFinder Picks:

One Tank Trip from Boston and New York
1897 Hampton Terrace, Lenox, Massachusetts
Get here and back home on One Tank of Gas! Lenox is located approximately 130 miles from Boston and 160 miles from New York City. Stay 2 nights and receive $30 towards the cost of gas to get there. You must mention BnBFinder and One Tank Trips when making your reservation to receive this special offer.
(Through 08/22/2007)

Gas Relief
Columbian Bed & Breakfast, Columbia, Pennsylvania
Let us pay your gas here. Receive a $25 coupon towards any one night’s stay when you visit Columbian Bed & Breakfast.
(Through 12/03/2007)

$25 Gas Credit
Pearls, Newport, Rhode Island
Receive a $25 gas credit per night when you stay Sunday through Thursday. You must mention BnBFinder and when making your reservation to receive this special offer.
(Through 08/24/2007)

$30 Gas Credit
Gingerbread Cottages Bed & Breakfast, Nice, California
Take a short trip to beautiful Clear Lake from the San Francisco Bay area on a single tank of gas! Approximately 120 miles north to Lake County is this lakefront estate with panoramic lake and mountain views. Hear a variety of singing birds while watching breath taking sunsets from private cottages. You will enjoy the sounds of the lake as it splashes on a private beach front. Stay two nights and receive $30 towards your fuel expense. You must mention BnBFinder and One Tank Trips upon reservation. (Excludes major holiday weekends. This may not be combined with other specials.)
(Through 05/19/2007)

Gas Relief
Songbird Prairie Bed and Breakfast, Valparaiso, Indiana
Songbird Prairie wants to say “tanks a lot” for staying by gifting you a $20 gas card when you stay Sunday through Thursday. This is a wheely good deal whether traveling from near or far. Let us provide this spring/summer’s gas relief for your getaway. The inn will help you “fill ‘er up” to ease the pain at the pump. Rates start from just $155 per night. This special cannot be combined with any other discount, special or holiday.
(Through 06/10/2007)

High Gas Prices Bring Heat Wave to Southern Michigan
Munro House Bed & Breakfast and Spa, Jonesville, Michigan
Have no fear of high gas prices during the hottest part of the Summer. Couples that book any 2 night package valued at $300 (and up) for arrival between July 15 and August 15 with 30 days notice will receive a $25 gas card upon check out at no charge. Just tell us the secret word is “Heat Wave” and we’ll send you a voucher that will get you a gas card worth about 10 gallons of gas (at current prices). Limit 1 card per couple. 30 days notice required.
(07/15/2007 through 08/15/2007)

One Tank Special
Gingerbread House, Cape May, New Jersey
Get here and back home on One Tank of Gas! We are located approximately 160 miles from New York City and 90 miles from Philadelphia. Stay Monday thru Thursday and receive up to 50% off our in-season rates (2 night minimum may apply and subject to availability). You must mention BnBFinder and One Tank Trips when making your reservation to receive this special offer.
(Through 12/28/2007)

Tanks a lot
Country Life B&B, Greenwich, New York
Book with us from over 100 miles away and receive a $20 refund on your room rate.
(Through 12/31/2007)

One Tank Trip from Houston
The Garden Inn, Galveston, Texas
Get here and back home on One Tank of Gas! Galveston is located approximately 50 miles from Houston. Stay at The Garden Inn for 2 nights and receive $20 off for the cost of gas to get there. You must mention BnBFinder and One Tank Trips when making your reservation to receive this special offer.
(Through 09/01/2007)

One Tank Trip from Chicago
Roses Bed & Breakfast, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Get there and back home on One Tank of Gas! Roses Bed & Breakfast is located approximately 83 miles from Chicago. Stay any mid-week night (Monday - Thursday) and receive 10% off your entire stay. You must mention BnBFinder and One Tank Trips when making your reservation to receive this special offer.
(Through 08/22/2007)

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Getaway one last time before your duo becomes a trio.  Babymoon specials and packages from are just the thing for parents-to-be. 

It’s called the Babymoon — a way for couples to get away for romance and relaxation before their little bundle of joy arrives. The latest travel trend among expectant parents is becoming just as popular as the honeymoon and BnBFinder.com, the leading online bed and breakfast directory has Babymoon packages to spoil and pamper…before “pamper” is just a diaper.

Find the perfect Babymoon Getaway at www.BnBFinder.com/Babymoon or choose from the fantastic packages featured below:

Expecting? Getaway While You Can!
Arsenic & Old Lace B&B - Eureka Springs, AR
Enjoy 2 nights in the Monet or Chantilly Rose room with a bottle of sparkling cider and 2 Arsenic & Old Lace flutes. Relax and take in the scenery with a romantic Horse Drawn Carriage Ride through Historic Eureka Springs. $399.
(Through 12/31/2007)

R and R Before Labor and Delivery!
Deer Crossing Inn - Castro Valley, CA
Enjoy peace and quiet one last time in one of our fabulous Waterbed Suites! It’s the ideal sleep surface for pregnancy! We will upgrade you at no charge when you make a reservation to stay with us for any time during your final 3 months of pregnancy! Just request your BABYMOON upgrade when you make your reservation!
(Through 12/30/2007)

Babymoon Celebrations
All Aboard Inn - Georgetown, CO
Celebrate this wonderful event with us in a luxurious room and get pampered by a certified pregnancy masseuse for a 30 minute mom-to-be massage. Enjoy a fruit, cheese and cracker platter with sparkling cider and a lovely baby journal to mark down all those wonderful “firsts”.
(Through 12/31/2007)

Just Inn Time Babymoon Package
Inn at Harbor Hill Marina - Niantic, CT
Are you expecting a very special delivery or call from the adoption agency? Take a break from all the planning, organizing and deep-breathing exercises and spend some time together enjoying one another’s company. You’ll receive 2 nights accommodations, a $50 dining gift certificate, “Romancing the Sax” CD of music to gently soothe you and your baby, a bottle of sparkling cider and a special treat of chocolates, our classic breakfast buffet and complimentary refreshments, and discount coupons to Premium Shopping Outlets. Lodging tax included. Rates are $395 - $645 depending on room selection.
(Through 01/31/2009)

Babymoon Spa Package
Captain Lord Mansion - Kennebunkport, ME
The Captain Lord Mansion specializes in pampering and spoiling our guests so it should be no surprise that we are a natural choice for your Babymoon! Your visit will include the 60 minute “Balancing Act”, an on-premises spa treatment. It is the ultimate in balancing body, mind and spirit and includes a facial massage, clarifying facial mask and foot massage. We also include these complimentary extras: fresh flowers, non-alcoholic bubbly, chocolates, and a small “Bibliot” (a small ceramic baby’s keepsake box). Package rates start at $284 per night in the “Serenity Season”.
(Through 12/31/2007)

Babymoon Romantic Getaway
Inn on Crescent Lake - Excelsior Springs, MO
Are you “expectant” parents-to-be? Enjoy a romantic getaway for just the two of you now. This package includes a one-night stay in a romantic suite, a bouquet of flowers and chilled sparkling cider with 2 keepsake flutes by the whirlpool tub, chocolate covered strawberries, and a special surprise gift for baby. Package Price: $265.
(Through 10/25/2007)

Babymoon ~ PreBaby Getaway
Inn at Ellis River - Jackson, NH
You deserve romance, relaxation, and a special time just for the two of you before the new family member arrives. Our getaway includes sparkling non-alcoholic cider and chocolates (pickles and ice cream substituted upon request), one candlelight dinner for two OR a gourmet picnic packed in an insulated cooler bag that is yours to keep, a special one hour prenatal massage for Mom-to-be, and a baby rubber duckie gift for the new arrival. May be added to any reservation for $149 including tax.
(Through 12/31/2009)

Decadence Before Your Delivery!
10 Fitch - Auburn, NY
Let us spoil you in this special time in your life of starting a family. Our package includes: 2 nights accommodations, an in-suite massage for the Mother-to-be, fresh flowers in your suite upon arrival from dad and new baby, breakfast in bed each morning of your stay, a relaxing bath drawn for you and a woodburning fire in your suite after you return from dinner at night. Valid on new reservations only and expecting parents only. $599. Taxes and gratuities additional.
(Through 10/24/2007)

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This Mother’s Day, surprise Mom with breakfast in bed. Cook up something special with delicious bed and breakfast recipes from the breakfast experts - B&B innkeepers. Or, leave the cooking to the professionals and treat her to a Mother’s Day B&B getaway.

She’s always been there…to cook breakfast (and lunch, and dinner), clean up and care for you. Now, give her a much needed break and let her relax with breakfast in bed or a bed and breakfast getaway. We’ve put together a list of breakfast recipes that will make Mom’s day. Or, choose from Mother’s Day getaway packages and specials at www.BnBFinder.com/MothersDay and let her wake up someplace special.

Find these and hundreds of other Bed & Breakfast Recipes at www.BnBFinder.com/Recipes.

Vanilla French Toast
Inn at Stockbridge, Stockbridge, MA
Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. triple sec
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
8 thick slices good-quality brioche bread
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
Confectioner’s sugar
Pure maple syrup
Fresh fruit for garnish

Directions:
In a large shallow bowl beat eggs until lightly frothy. Stir in the cream, vanilla, orange zest and triple sec.
Place the bread pieces in the bowl. Turn gently until evenly soaked.
In a large frying pan or griddle, over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add half of the bread pieces and fry until the undersides are golden, about 2 minutes.
Cut 1 Tbs. of the butter into several pieces and add to the pan. Flip the bread with a spatula and fry until the second sides are brown about 2 minutes longer. Repeat with remaining bread and butter.
Place on warmed individual plates. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Serve hot with maple syrup.
Garnish with fresh fruit and mint.

Bulgarian Potatoes
Greenock House, Orange, VA
Ingredients:
1 medium potato per person (red skin Yukon potatoes work well)
Dash olive oil
1/2 Tbs. butter
Seasoning to taste. (A favorite of the inn is Szegeo Brand Chicken Rub or Steak Rub. When in season, fresh chopped herbs are wonderful.)

Directions:
Wash potatoes.
Cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes.
Heat a high sided skillet with a dash of olive oil.
Add the potatoes and toss to coat with oil.
When coated, add water to fill about halfway up the potatoes and put on the lid to steam. Check the pan often to make sure the water has not cooked away completely and add more if needed.
Potatoes are done steaming when you can slide a fork in easily. (There should be very little, if any, water left at this point.) Remove the lid and add the butter, tossing to coat the potatoes.
Add the seasoning of your choice now and toss a little more to distribute it.
Cook without stirring for a few minutes until the bottom of the potatoes start to get golden and crisp.
Toss every few minutes until the potatoes reach the crispness you prefer.

Holladay Family Buttermilk Biscuits
Holladay House Bed and Breakfast, Orange, VA
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter, chilled
1/2 stick butter, melted
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
Cut in the 1 stick of chilled butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center of flour mixture; add buttermilk all at once and stir just until dough clings together.
Gently knead together dough about 10-12 times on a floured surface.
Pat dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough with a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.
Dredge biscuits in 1/2 stick melted butter.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Triple Chocolate Muffins
Glynn House Inn, Ashland, NH
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa in a large bowl and make a well in the center.
In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and egg together well. Mix in milk and vanilla.
Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture well and stir to moisten.
Fold in the two types of chocolate chips. Do not over mix.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes.
Use a wooden skewer to test the center of the muffin to ensure they are done.

Makes 6-8 muffins.

Mexican Egg Cups
White Lace Inn, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Ingredients:
6″ corn tortilla
1 egg
1/2 cup half and half
1 tsp. salsa
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Directions:
Spray a 4″ ramekin or large muffin pan with non-stick spray.
Microwave tortilla until soft and form in ramekin or muffin pan.
Beat egg with half and half.
Pour into tortilla and spoon in salsa.
Sprinkle with cheese on top.
Bake (place ramekin on a cookie sheet) at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Serve with salsa.

Makes 1 egg cup.
For those who’d rather leave the cooking to the innkeeper, treat Mom to a bed and breakfast getaway. BnBFinder.com has Mother’s Day specials and packages designed just for Mom at www.BnBFinder.com/MothersDay. From fresh flowers in her room to spa treatments and of course breakfast in bed, she’ll be queen for the day.

Or, let her choose when and where to go away with a BnBFinder.com Travel Gift Certificate. It’s the perfect Mother’s Day gift idea. With over 1,000 US bed and breakfast inns to choose from, Mom can design her dream getaway. To order gift certificates for Mom and all the mothers in your life, visit www.bnbfinder.com or call toll free (888) 469-6663. Denominations start at $20.00, plus a $4.99 handling fee. FedEx options and instant E-Cards are available for the last minute shopper.

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While other brides and grooms are looking at hotel ballrooms and country clubs – with their credit cards and checkbooks shaking in fear over the huge pricetags – as the settings for their wedding celebrations, you can get amazing advantages by skipping the cavernous blank slates of these wedding ‘usuals’ in favor of the bed and breakfast setting. Perhaps as the site for your entire wedding celebration, perhaps as the site for pre- and post-wedding parties, and certainly as the perfect place for you and your guests to stay in charming style. Here, we’ve collected the top ten benefits of bringing a jewel of a bed and breakfast into your dream wedding plans:

1.  The cost. Some wedding sites, like hotels and arboretums, country clubs and museums, charge hefty fees. Some charge for use of their site (one national arboretum charges $10,000!), and their wedding packages can cost upwards of $200 per person. At a bed and breakfast, you’ll likely find no site fees, and their wedding packages – including catering and décor – can be far less expensive, depending on the choices you make. Since a B&B is not primarily a wedding ‘factory,’ you’re very likely to find lower per-person prices for any celebration. With guests staying in the rooms, they absorb the fees for use of the establishment.
 
2.  A charming setting. Most B&Bs are so well-appointed, with dramatic fireplaces and Victorian furniture, vast wraparound porches, elegant window treatments, blooming gardens with cast iron benches and tables, and beautiful staircases, that their existing beauty only needs a few floral touches. The place itself is so gorgeous, there’s not much you’ll have to bring in. Compare that to a blank-slate hotel ballroom that needs extensive décor to make a visual impact, and the benefit is clear: the B&B is fabulous on it own!
 
3.  Everyone stays together. Your out-of-town guests can share this home away from home, leaving their doors open, mixing and mingling, socializing by the fireplace or out on the porch with a glass of wine or a warm brandy. Especially if guests haven’t yet stayed at a B&B, this will be a wonderful new experience for them to share with relatives and friends they haven’t seen in a while. We’re a global society, and sometimes our friends live far away. If everyone stays in this ‘house,’ it gives them far more space and a more intimate environment to catch up with one another.
 
4.  Themed rooms. Some B&Bs have a ‘blue room’ or a ‘terrace room,’ even rooms named for flowers or artists, historical figures, colors…something unique in every room. Four-post beds, fireplaces, even Jacuzzi tubs grace some rooms, giving guests more of a vacation feel than if they stayed in a plain, standard hotel room.
 
5.  Breakfast is included. Fresh-baked muffins, eggs benedict, chocolate chip pancakes, fresh juice, fresh fruit, a home filled with the scents of fresh-baked bread. Not a bad way for your guests to start each day of your wedding weekend, served by friendly hosts and shared with their loved ones.
 
6.  The owners know people. Many B&B proprietors offer special deals with nearby restaurants, florists, spas, even limousine companies and horse and carriage outfits. The owners of the B&B can hook you up with phenomenal perks for your guests…and for you, if you’re staying as well.
 
7.  Limited space. While this doesn’t sound like a benefit for those who plan big, formal weddings for 300 guests, it is for brides and grooms who wish to have a smaller, more intimate wedding. As a matter of budget (and sanity), some couples choose a smaller location that only fits 50-60 people, which automatically limits their guest lists to immediate family and friends. Parents who fall in love with a great B&B location are almost always more obliging about keeping their guest lists shorter.
 
8.  A great location. The perfect B&B for your wedding is located in a great town, such as a quaint little tourist town with museums and street festivals, antiquing, horseback riding, orchards, beaches and wineries nearby. Some provide bicycles, and some provide maps of walking tours with great restaurants and fudge shops marked. Since wedding weekend events are all the rage, the perfect location can give your guests lots to do on their own, in groups, or as part of a tour or outing planned by you.
 
9.  Spa treatments. Some B&Bs offer in-room massages and spa treatments, or gift cards to nearby spas and day spas. So your guests will get all the pampering they could ever want.
 
10.  The perfect setting for wedding photos. Imagine the shots you could get by the fireplace, in a rose garden, by rose trellises, or on that beautiful porch. The perfect B&B provides unique and gorgeous scenery for wedding photos, both indoors and outside.
 
One important thing to keep in mind is that your different groups of guests might enjoy staying in their own bed and breakfast. Older guests might love the peace and quiet of one B&B with charming, Victorian-style rooms, and all of your single, partying guests might love being at another B&B where they don’t have to be quiet after 9pm and can enjoy drinks by the fireplace, or hot tubbing out in the yard, until 3am. So don’t limit yourselves to just one site.

And lastly, a great, unique location like a bed and breakfast makes your wedding seem like you spent more money. Guests love the something-different appeal of a B&B wedding or stay, and it makes their travels for your wedding an adventure, or a romantic getaway for them as well.

By Sharon Naylor for BnBFinder.com.

To view or download a list of inns that host weddings visit www.BnBFinder.com/Weddings.

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If you decide to take your pet with you when you travel, it’s important to choose a bed and breakfast that is Pet Friendly.  More than 500 inns on BnBFinder.com are happy to welcome you and your pet.  Follow these helpful tips and tricks for a tail-waggin good time.

Pet Travel Tips & Tricks

• When booking, tell the innkeeper that you want to bring your pet. Some inns have policies regarding the size, weight, and type of pet that they can accommodate.
• Make sure you find out if the innkeeper requires any special deposits or extra fees to cover your pet’s stay.
• Find out if there are animals living at the inn to avoid any potential problems for your pet.
• Ask about designated rooms for people staying with their furry friends. These rooms are often located on the ground floor for easier access.
• Ask if there are any restricted and/or designated places for pets both indoors and outdoors. Check with the innkeeper about walking your pet through the gardens, along the shore, or on trails. This way, you and your furry friend can take in the lovely atmospheres that help make bed and breakfasts so special.
• Upon arrival remind the innkeeper that you are traveling with a special guest. Some inns provide a goody bag for pets that include treats, pick up bags, and information on local veterinarians and pet friendly establishments.

As you will see when you get to your room, innkeepers put a great deal of effort in maintaining a beautiful, immaculate house, and it is your responsibility to keep it that way.

• Wipe your pet’s paws every time he comes in from outside.
• Discourage him from sleeping on the furniture and cover all furniture and the beds he might go on. Many inns provide special sheets, towels, and beds for your pet so that he too can relax in comfort.
• Put fresh water and food on a mat if you are feeding in the room and try to keep your pet on the same feeding schedule you would at home. Some inns will even provide him with fancy crystal dishes and homemade food or treats.
• When you leave your room, refrain from leaving your pet behind. Most bed and breakfasts have policies against leaving your pet unattended. Crate your pet to avoid any unwanted situations if you are permitted to leave him in the room, and be sure that all employees of the inn know that your pet will be in there. Some inns offer in-room pet sitting services, as well as doggie daycare areas that allow your pet to socialize and play while you are off premises.
• When outdoors, keep your pet on a leash and always clean up after him. Respect all the guests at the inn and their feelings about animals.
• At the end of your stay, inspect your room for any damage your pet may have caused. Notify the innkeeper and volunteer to pay for any repairs. Pet friendly inns know that sometimes an accident may happen and would prefer you to let them know right after it happens so they may deal with it accordingly.

Doesn’t it sound nice to be able to go on a relaxing, intimate vacation and be able to bring your pet along? Many bed and breakfast innkeepers have said that some of their most memorable guests are pets and their owners. Hopefully your B&B visit will be just as memorable!

Find Pet Friendly inns at www.BnBFinder.com/PetsWelcome.

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