While you may still be recovering from Thanksgiving, it’s never too early to think about the holiday season. Gifts, giving and sweet treats are all part of what makes the season so magical. And, you can find all of that and then some on an inn to inn holiday tour! Inns along the sugar-coated trail are decked out in their most festive wares as visitors stop by to savor cookies mixed with candy and, on some tours, wines paired with gourmet meals. It’s a holiday celebration like no other.

Riverbend Inn, Chocorua, NH

How does toasting the season in a quaint Victorian town nestle in the Ozark Mountains sound? In Eureka Springs, AR, you can make your merry way from inn to inn on the 5th Annual Sweet Treats Tour on December 10th. This self-guided tour boasts delicious cookies and other treats (recipes included). You can even enter a contest to win a $100 gift certificate towards a future stay at one of the inns on the tour which include 1884 Bridgeford House B&B, Heartstone Inn and Cottages, Main Street Inn, 5 Ojo Inn Bed and Breakfast, Rock Cottage Gardens B&B, 1908 Ridgeway House Bed and Breakfast, 1881 Crescent Cottage and Red Bud Manor.

Culinary delight and full-bodied holiday cheer and are on the menu at this year’s Napa B&B Holiday Tour & Taste Event on December 3rd in Napa, CA. You can enjoy world-class varietals from local wineries paired with gourmet dishes provided by some of the top chefs in town along with a bevy of sweet treats. Participating inns include Arbor Guest House, Beazley House, Candlelight Inn, Cedar Gables Inn, Churchill Manor, Hennessey House and Napa Old World Inn.

The spectacular White Mountains of New Hampshire are the back drop for the 15th Annual Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie and Candy Tour from December 10th – 11th. You’ll tour inns while tickling the palette with a variety of sweet treats. The Best of 15 Years Cookie Tour Cookbook and recipe cards of all the goodies are available to take with you. Inns on the tour include Darby Field Inn, Riverbend Inn, Brass Heart Inn, Covered Bridge House, Inn at Ellis River, Eastman Inn, Old Red Inn & Cottages and Wildflowers Inn.

Tis’ the season of giving, and on the 2nd Annual Better Baltimore Bed and Breakfast Holiday House Tour taking place in in Baltimore, MD, you’ll get to help those in need. On December 4th tour the beautifully dressed inns while enjoying wine and food pairings. Proceeds will benefit Moveable Feast, an organization that provides meals, weekly groceries and nutritional counseling to homebound people living with HIV/AIDS. Inns on this tour include Celie’s Waterfront Inn, 1840’s Carrollton Inn and Blue Door on Baltimore.

There’s something for everyone on an inn to inn holiday tour. Whether they’re offering something for the sweet tooth or a savory meal paired with your favorite Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, these inns will bring out your holiday spirit in a big way. You can’t help but get caught up in the excitement of the season…and eat a few cookies along the way!

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With so many scrumptious foods such as turkey, stuffing, gravy, baked bean casserole, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes waiting for you on the Thanksgiving table, it’s hard to save room for dessert. But the post-dinner sweet treat is a must. Warm pies and creamy cheesecakes are some of the tastiest ways to top off Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s a recipe for Harvest Pumpkin Cheesecake courtesy of Pine River Ranch in Leavenworth, WA, that’s worth loosening up the belt for!

Harvest Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust
1 1/2 cups ginger snaps cookie crumbs
6 tbsp butter melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling
2  (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup sugar – mix until smooth
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions
Mix ginger snap cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar in food processor or blender. Press crust into greased 9″ cake pan. Chill crust for 10 minutes in freezer until set or bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool before filling (or you can use a ready made graham cracker crust).

Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth then add eggs, canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice and mix until smooth.

Fold in 2/3 cup sour cream then pour over ginger snap or graham cracker crust.

Bake at 250 for 1 1/2 hours until set.

Cool, cut & serve.

Store in refrigerator for up to one week or you can freeze and serve in smaller portions.

Looking for more tasty ways to top of Thanksgiving dinner? Check out more innkeeper dessert favorites on our recipe page!

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Bed and breakfasts are the ultimate small business. Behind most inns you’ll find one or two proprietors wearing different hats including greeter, check-in attendant, tour guide, maintenance and a host of other important roles. When you stay at a B&B you know you’re getting the personal touch. It’s no small feat how they make it seem so effortless and run so smoothly.

BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificate

November 26th marks Small Business Saturday. It’s a way to support these B&Bs not only with recognition but also with your business. This year BnBFinder is offering 10% off the purchase of a BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificate on Small Business Saturday. Enter the code SMBIZ at checkout and you’ll receive the discount (it will appear on your receipt). You can use these Travel Gift Certificates at over 1,500 bed and breakfasts; there are no black out dates and it doesn’t expire.

Visit the BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificate page for more details.

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In this day and age, with so much information coming at us 24 hours a day, it’s easy to get stuck in the present while forgetting about the past. So much time is spent checking emails, texts, tweets and other updates from family, friends and co-workers that it’s hard to imagine a time when we weren’t so connected. But history has a way of reminding us how far we’ve come, which is why preserving and honoring the past is so vital.

This year marks the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War and a time to reflect on one of the pivotal moments in U.S. history. The battlefields on which the war was fought are an important part of this history. Most of these them are still around today but are sitting unprotected and in danger of development. According to the Civil War Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the battlefields and educating the public on their historical value, only 20% of this land is currently being preserved.

The Inn at Antietam, Sharpsburg, MD

If you’d like to brush up on your Civil War knowledge, try visiting one of many cities that were involved in the Civil War and staying at an inn located on or near a battlefield. Inns across the country, including some that aren’t located on or near a battlefield, are offering Civil War reenactments and themed specials to commemorate the Sesquicentennial and joining the efforts to preserve these treasured lands for generations to come. You could tour the battlefields, watch historical reenactments, taste 1860s-inspired meals and support efforts to save the battlefields all at the same time!

Sharpsburg, MD, was the site of The Battle of Antietam, a major confrontation.  The Inn at Antietam is located right on the battlefield, which is now a national park. You could visit the Antietam National Cemetery as well as Pry House Field Hospital Museum. This museum is located in the historic Pry House which served as Union Commander General George B. McClellan’s headquarters during the battle and a place to stay for many important visitors during the war, including President Lincoln himself.

Another pivotal location in the Civil War was Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC. Known as the place where the war began, Charleston has much to offer the Civil War history fanatic. Fort Sumter, now regarded as a national park, features a stunning monument that is open to the public year round. Visitors also have the option of taking a boat tour around the Island Fort, complete with narration by Fort Sumter historians. After you’ve had your fill of history, soak in some of the Charleston culture and stroll the same streets the Civil War soldiers walked on so many years ago.

No matter what your age, the Civil War Sesquicentennial is a perfect time to reflect on an important piece of U.S. history. You could grab a getaway to a Civil War city to learn about the historic war and pay homage to those who came before while also helping protect the battlefields. This way we can ensure these important pieces of history will be around for many years to come.

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Thanksgiving is about so many things – family, tradition, giving thanks and most importantly… FOOD! It’s a perfect time to put the troubles of work and stress away and remember what truly matters to us.

There’s so much to give thanks for during this holiday, why not add one more item to the list? If you are looking to lengthen your list of thanks, combine your Thanksgiving holiday festivities with some much needed R&R at a bed and breakfast.  Leave the hours of prep time and clean up behind as you spend a few days letting someone else do all the work for you. With activities such as biking, hiking and wine-ing, what other reasons could you need to drop everything and getaway?

The Addison on Amelia Island, FL

Spending  a couple relaxing nights away may very well be just what you need to kick the holiday season into gear. If you find yourself on the West Coast for the grand feast check out The Inn at Locke House in Lockeford, CA. The innkeepers at Locke House will give you their culinary best as you are treated to two delicious award-winning breakfasts, a private wine tasting experience, a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner featuring local products and several award winning Lodi wines. Nothing says relaxing like a bottle of California wine after stuffing yourself on turkey!

Looking for a more historic approach to the holiday of our ancestors? Thanksgiving is the holiday of the pilgrims after all, and a great time to pay homage to those who came before us. Thanksgiving is about remembering a period of history and the Gillum House in Shinnston, W.V. is adding a historical touch to their Thanksgiving special. To truly feel as if you were transported back in time, the staff will be outfitted in their best 18th century garb while serving an exquisite dinner including homemade noodles and Gillum house rolls. You’ll even get the chance to visit a log house built circa 1778. A helpful hint to remember: While soaking up all the history, make sure to find some time to relax. It’s a holiday after all.

Despite Thanksgiving typically being viewed as a time to break out the turtlenecks and parkas, some folks just can’t bear to part with the summer gear. If your idea of a perfect Thanksgiving Day involves shorts, sandals and a walk on the beach before diving into dinner, consider visiting The Addison on Amelia Island in sunny Amelia Island, FL. Those who find themselves in this region of the Sunshine state will begin the big day with a delicious breakfast followed by a 2-hour narrated tour of Cumberland sound where you’ll observe wildlife and learn the history of Amelia and Cumberland Islands. The weather will be perfect for outdoor ventures, so grab a bike and take a tour of the Victorian neighborhoods around Amelia Island. If that isn’t your cup of tea, then why not relax and just read a good book.  Without any work on your part, your day will end with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner prepared by the innkeepers. Once you can’t stomach another bite, you can head back to your room without having picked up a plate or a sponge.

A little relaxation will have you forgetting about doing the dishes and remembering all that you have to be thankful for. So put down the pots and pans and start packing. With a Thanksgiving getaway at a B&B, you can have your turkey and eat it, too.

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