Ghostly Love - Halloween doesn’t have to be typical fright fest.  Make the scariest time of the year, a night you’ll always remember with a spooky, candlelit wedding at Canyon Ferry Mansion in Townsend, Montana.  The haunted inn provides a perfect setting for gothic lovebirds who want a mix of Victorian romance and the dark side.  The “Halloween Ghost Town Gothic Elopement” includes a two night stay, a wedding ceremony at the Midnight Haunted Chapel complete with gothic décor and candlelight, 25 orb glow wedding photos, mini red velvet wedding cake, dried black rose bouquet for the bride and free incense and potion gift casket basket.  Innkeeper can even provide vintage wedding gowns for bride or find a last minute tux for the groom.  The newlyweds can then return to the inn and hear true tales of the inn’s haunted past, including chilling details about a past owner who was murdered and now resides at the inn as a ghost.  The couple may even witness paranormal activities back in their honeymoon suite, ranging from unusual sounds, flickering lights and missing objects. 

If saying “I Do” sounds way too scary, how about a spending a night with a few ghosts instead?  At Inn at Jim Thorpe in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, ghosts are no laughing matter.  Sign up for the “Ghost Hunters Halloween Weekend” taking place Oct. 30 – Nov. 1 and attend three seminars led by the Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance where you can learn about real ghost hunting techniques.  You will then take a chilling ghost hunt through the famous Old Jail where the Molly Maguires (a secret Irish organization) were hanged.  The two night special also includes a ghost walking tour through the old district.  A guide will lead through the night using a lantern and reveal the history and whereabouts of some famous, local ghosts. 

If you dare, look for more paranormal activity at a Montana Bed and Breakfast or at a Pennsylvania Bed and Breakfast. 

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Giddyup -  It takes more than a pair of boots, a hat and some chaps to be a real cowgirl.  Saddle up and learn what it’s all about by signing up for “Cowgirl Camp” at BlissWood Bed and Breakfast in Cat Spring, Texas.  The weekend special lets girls live the life of a cowgirl with horseback rides, campfire cookouts, horse games, horse meditation and even lessons on how to effectively communicate with your horse with the help of a professional horse whisperer.  When you’re done horsing around, take it easy with a massage or facial, unwind with complimentary wine & cheese in the evening followed by a night of stargazing.  By the time you wake up, a chuck wagon breakfast will be ready for you.  Take the horses for a ride and sit down to a picnic lunch in the Gazebo by the Enchanted Lake. 

If you think the life of a cowboy or cowgirl is incomplete without real cowboy stories, gather around the fire and let cowboy Keith share his tales on the farm at Valle Crucis Bed & Breakfast in Valle Crucis, North Carolina.  Pick up some riding tips and take a one hour ride through wooded trails, farm fields along Dutch Creek.  Return to the mountain retreat and warm up your bones by a toasty fire or jump in a hot Jacuzzi tub.  A full country breakfast will get you going again in the morning. 

Find the inner cowboy or cowgirl in you at a Texas Bed and Breakfast or at a North Carolina Bed and Breakfast.   

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Cookie Monster - Why wait until Halloween to satisfy your sweet tooth when you can get a head start this month and snack on cookies all month long?  October is national cookie month and cookies reign supreme at The Beechmont Inn in Hanover, Pennsylvania where Kathryn, the innkeeper bakes a fresh batch of cookies daily ranging from lemon, ginger snaps, chocolate chips, white chip, mint chip to oatmeal raisins.  Guests can even make special requests for their favorite cookies in the morning and look forward to a sweet surprise by mid-afternoon.  Don’t be surprised if you find the cookie jar empty in the morning, just put in your request again the next morning while sitting down to a gourmet breakfast of spice pancakes with lemon sauce, bacon, fresh fruit and homemade bread and muffins. 

If traditional cookies seem like a bore, stop by The Artist’s Inn and Gallery in Terre Hill, Pennsylvania and let Jan, the innkeeper impress you with unique cookie recipes ranging from sour cream chocolate chip, coconut oatmeal to the inn’s signature raspberry chocolate chip.  Guests don’t have to look very hard to find the never-ending cookie jar as the aroma of fresh-baked cookies permeates throughout the inn.  Sit down on the porch and have your cookies with hot cider, hot chocolate, tea or wine.  Don’t forget to ask the innkeeper for your favorite cookie recipe and be sure to sample some local Amish fare while you’re in town.

Find the cookie monster in you at a Pennsylvania bed and breakfast or use the keyword search box to find an inn near you.  You can also find innkeeper approved cookie recipes to try at home on our recipes page.

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Float Inn - Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang never really believed in “The Great Pumpkin” like Linus, but they might have had more faith had they seen giant pumpkins like the ones at Windsor-West Hants Pumpkin Festival in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. Visitors from around the world make an annual trip to view pumpkins of mammoth proportions in this community known as “The Little Town of Big Firsts.” The town was also the first to start a national pumpkin craze with their annual pumpkin race. Cheer on all the racers this weekend on October 11 and watch paddlers use their floating pumpkins as their PVC (personal vegetable crafts). The all day festival will also feature music, games, parade and local vendors. When you’re ready to call it a day, check in at The Clockmaker’s Inn in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Ask the innkeeper how she did in the race and take it easy with a relaxing goat milk bath or play a game of horseshoes in the garden, board games in the sunroom or read a book in a quiet corner in the library.

photo courtesy of Windsor-West Hants Pumpkin Festival

If you’re looking for a pumpkin festival in the states, look no further than Maine. Check into Newcastle Inn in Newcastle, Maine and take in the beautiful view of the Damariscotta River, raid the bottomless cookie jar for homemade goodies and then ask the innkeeper to direct you to the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest. The third annual fest will feature a traditional pumpkin paddleboat race as well as the popular motorized giant pumpkin regatta on October 11. Various other gourd activities will be taking place through October 12 including underwater pumpkin carving, pumpkin catapault & “chunkin,” pumpkin pie eating contests and pumpkin drops.

If you want more giant orange action, look for alternate pumpkin options at a Nova Scotia Bed and Breakfast or at a Maine Bed and Breakfast. You can also use the keyword search box to find more local fall activities.

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Great Scot!  Do you ever wonder what your great-great-great grandfather was like?  Or what town and country your great-great-great-great grandmother grew up in?  Tracing your family roots may not be as hard as you think.  If you know of any relatives that settled in Southernmost Illinois, chances are you’ve got a wee bit of Irish in you, Scots-Irish that is.  At The Irish Inn in Ozark, Illinois, innkeeper Lynn Moore McCreery can help you rebuild your family tree and look up burial records, deeds and search through reference books from the inn’s own genealogical library.  The “Genealogy Holiday” special lets curious guests on a family quest discover who they are and where they come from.  According to Lynn, many of the early settlers in the area typically have Ulster Scottish roots along with a Cherokee Indian background.  Print out your individualized ancestor chart at the inn and look for more clues at nearby libraries and research centers.  Feel free to ask innkeeper any questions about the results over a full Irish breakfast that includes Irish sausages (bangers), fried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms and a strong cup of Irish tea. 

If you think you have ancestral ties in New York, make your way to Rufus Tanner House Bed & Breakfast in Pine City, New York.  The inn is located less than 10 minutes away from The Booth Library which houses an extensive selection of records inlcuding books, manuscripts, photographic images, maps and architectural records.  The library has been collecting and preserving documents since 1923.  When you’re ready to take a break, head back to the inn and ask for the “Settle In and Relax” special.  Sit by a hearty fire and grab a bowl of homemade soup cooked on an anitque cookstove.  The special also includes gourmet breakfast for two, complimentary snacks and beverages.

Try to find a family connection at an Illinois Bed and Breakfast or at a New York Bed and Breakfast to search for your family roots elsewhere. 

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