Saying good-bye to the old and ringing in the new is a popular New Year’s tradition, so instead of sitting at home curled up on your couch or cramming into a crowded bar why not make a resolution to start the new year celebrating in style? Fireworks displays, intimate dinners, musical entertainment and late-morning meals can all be found at a New Year’s Eve getaway where along with the celebrations you’ll get a chance to rest and relax before kicking off your 2012.

The Lodge at Moosehead Lake, Greenville, ME

Enjoy sweet musical stylings during the New Year’s Eve celebrations at The Lodge at Moosehead Lake, in Greenville, ME, when you book 3 nights (one over New Year’s Eve).  Savor a 4-course gourmet dinner in the Lakeview Dining Room as you are serenaded with a private concert by singer/songwriter David Mallet and talk about plans for the upcoming New Year. The celebrating continues as you ring in the rest of your New Year’s stay with a 2-course breakfast each morning and dinner each evening.

Kingsley House Bed & Breakfast Inn, Fennville, MI

Romance is in the air in Fennville, MI, at the Kingsley House Bed & Breakfast Inn. For starters, a complimentary bottle of champagne will be awaiting your arrival while a chocolate buffet will greet you after dinner! Afterward, head over to Saugatuck Harbor where a large-scale fireworks display will announce the New Year when the clock strikes midnight. After a romantic evening in one of the inn’s luxurious suites with Jacuzzis and fireplaces, a tasty, homemade brunch will help you welcome in 2012.

Out with the old and in with the new – it’s what celebrating the New Year is all about. If you’ve never escaped for New Year’s Eve it’s time for a change and in 2012 you could be waking up someplace special!

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With the holidays upon us, there is nothing better than taking in the sights and sounds of the season.  Decorations and displays in shops, twinkling lights, pine cone scented wreaths and bright red bows spread the festive mood; everywhere you turn there’s holiday cheer in the air and who doesn’t want to be part of the celebration? Bed & Breakfasts around the world are joining in the fun and are dressed in their festive best!

The Fairbanks House, Amelia Island, FL

Just because some of us don’t have to worry about snow doesn’t make the mood any less festive. The innkeepers at The Fairbanks House, located in Amelia Island, FL, dazzle guests with a grand holiday lights display and a Christmas tree in every room. The Fairbanks will make you feel like you’re right at home for the holidays with a gourmet breakfast and Christmas stockings with special treats for every room!

Maine Stay Inn, Kennebunkport, ME

During the first two weeks of December, Kennebunkport, ME, comes alive with holiday spirit, and so does the Maine Stay Inn. As the town festively adorns itself for the annual Christmas Prelude, the innkeepers display a traditional sense of holiday attire bearing festive wreaths and bows and guests warm themselves by a cozy fire or relax in the whirlpool tubs. Everyone gathers to take part in the many holiday activities planned including the historic village walking tour, caroling and even the unique lighting of the Cape Porpoise Lobster Trap Tree!

Inn at Ellis River, Jackson, NH

Holidays are a special time at the Inn at Ellis River in Jackson, NH, where decorations and holiday spirit bring out the best in everyone as they enjoy this winter wonderland. Spend a day skiing or take a wintery stroll with a snowshoe nature tour and if you’re feeling extra cheery you can hop into an Austrian group sleigh and glide through the snowy streets as you take in the festive sights.

While you may choose to deck your own halls with boughs of holly, you can still witness the magic created at bed & breakfast inns (and maybe find a few decorating ideas) on our Facebook page where you’ll see inns dressed in their festive best. ‘Tis the season of giving and sharing so please share your decorating tips and photos of festive B&B stays on your Facebook wall.

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As fall turns to winter, the crisp air begins to turn slowly but surely into a deep chill; and, for some, the first flakes of snow begin to appear. Only a heavy parka, a wooly hat, a pair of gloves and rugged boots can protect you from the season’s elements. You might be thinking it’s a good time to kick off your snow shoes and find a nice, cozy cabin to hibernate in for the rest of the season. Although no one would blame you for doing that, here’s a better idea: Pack up your shorts and sandals and head south!

Bocage Plantation, Darrow, LA

There’s nothing like thawing out under the warm, soothing rays of the sun to beat the winter blues. And while you’re at it, you might want to think about combining your escape with a stay at a historical inn. Victorian, Georgian and Greek Revival architecture can make for postcard-perfect memories of your getaway. For instance, take the Bocage Plantation located in Darrow, LA. It’s one of the most celebrated examples of Greek Revival architecture in the U.S. and is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally, the stately mansion was given as a gift from Marius Pons Bringier to his eldest daughter, Francoise “Franny” Bringier, who married Christophe Colomb in 1801. It’s now a bed and breakfast and features four elaborately designed rooms to match the facade: Ashland Gold, Bringier Red, Colomb Blue and The Venetian.

Located in Mobile, AL, on the outer grounds of Fort Conde, a French fort built to shield the city from attacks by the Spanish and British, the Fort Conde Inn is the city’s second oldest house. It was built in 1836 by Edward Hall who moved to Mobile from Philadelphia, PA, to make his fortune in the cotton trade. A restoration project completed in 1998 helped bring back many of its original specifications including heart pine flooring, moldings, 12-foot ceilings and crystal chandeliers. In Key West, FL, you’ll not only find endless beaches but also historical inns scattered amongst the shops and restaurants of the Old Town District including Island City House Hotel. It’s comprised of 3 buildings: the Cigar House (a former cigar factory), the Arch House (a former carriage house) and the Island City House (a former private home).

Winter can be fun but sometimes you need to escape the big chill. And, what better way for you to warm up than to head south for a relaxing getaway? Combine it with a stay at a historical inn and you’ll not only get to bask under the soothing rays of the sun but also under the shadow of exquisite architecture.

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The holidays are here again and to those who have already made out their lists and started (or finished) your shopping, hats off to you! But, every year there are those of you who are too busy to get an early start; or perhaps you are used to living under the pressure of always trying to catch up. And you know who you are: The procrastinators! With the countdown to the holidays moving quickly, you still want your gift to be something special, unique and personal and it’s not too late (in fact, you can procrastinate up until the last minute)!

BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificate

Don’t end up standing in long lines and cramming into packed stores as the holidays draw near. If you know you’re a holiday procrastinator, the answer might be right at your fingertips – literally. BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificates, available through BnBFinder.com, are the perfect gift for those of you who love to wait till the last minute.

BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificates allow your recipient to create a getaway all their own by choosing from more than 1500 bed and breakfasts. The possibilities are endless: Recipients can take advantage of the inns’ special packages and choose to unwind with a spa treatment, enjoy a winery tour, visit a historic location, ski down the slopes or just sit on the beach and relax, from the East to the West coast there is something for everyone.

Gift cards start at $20, but the sky is the limit; they never expire and there are no blackout dates. If you’re a true procrastinator and end up waiting until the last minute, you’ll still be okay. You can choose to have an instant e-Card sent to the recipient letting them know that a gift card will be following later on in the mail. You can make the gift certificate more unique by personalizing it with a message and adding a festive holiday envelope and seal that will make this gift stand out.

Even if you decide to wait until the 11th hour to start checking off your shopping list, you’re still in luck. With the BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificate you can say good-bye to those endless check-out lines and crowded stores and hello to a present that gives twice – when you gift it and when your loved one redeems it for an exciting getaway. This holiday season your procrastination could turn out to be someone’s best holiday gift ever!

For more details on BnBFinder Travel Gift Cards or to place an order visit: BnBFinder Travel Gift Certificate page

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If you’ve got a sweet tooth then you know there’s nothing better than the smell of baking brownies wafting through the kitchen. Actually, taking a bite out of a warm, moist brownie that has just come out of the oven is definitely better. It’s heaven in a baking pan.

Today would be the perfect time to pre-heat the oven or, at the very least, stop by your local bakery because it’s National Brownie Day! From fudgy and cake-like to chewy and blondie it’s a day to celebrate this baked goodness. Take the call to action and bite into one today!

Here’s a recipe for Brownies On Steroids courtesy of Andon-Reid Inn located in Waynesville, NC.

Brownies On Steroids

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
3/4 cup cold butter
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup coconut
1/3 cup English toffee bits

Directions:

In a food processor combine the flour, sugar and cocoa. Add the butter and process just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly into a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, combine condensed milk, vanilla and 1 cup of chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Remove crust from oven and pour chocolate mixture over crust. Sprinkle with coconut, nuts and toffee bits and remaining chocolate chips. Press down firmly. Return to oven and bake for another 18-20 minutes.  Serves 20.

Need more inspiration? Check out more of our innkeepers’ favorite dessert recipes here!

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If you’re looking for year-round entertainment, take a trip and head for the West Coast. Oregon’s West Coast, that is. Oregon’s Adventure Coast, with its bay beaches, hiking trails and bird watching, makes a visit to the Southern Coast Region a seasonal destination for anyone looking for a unique adventure. Even during the holidays you’ll find plenty to do. The December calendar is chock full of new and old events that draw in new visitors every year and will be sure to grab your festive holiday spirit, too!

WildSpring Guest Habitat, Port Orford, OR

Want to celebrate the holidays like the locals do? Be sure to take part in their annual Christmas events. You’ll find Santa in the North Bend at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Celebration as he takes gift requests and helps the mayor light the Christmas tree for the season. You can also check out the North Bend’s 11th Annual Christmas Handbell and Annual Christmas Concert.

If you want to add a little twist to how you celebrate the season, then head on over to the Little Theater on the Bay to see the Little Ole Opry’s Country Christmas. Enjoy an evening of leg slappin’ and hand clappin’ song and dance, with a mix of off-beat humor from their comedy team that will have you laughing all night. How does a holiday Murder Mystery dinner sound? Watch the Poision Pen Players as they try to find out how a friendly community concert competition turns to murder as locals battle for the Holiday Cheer prize in their production of Dead in the Sled: Ho, Ho, Ho, Oh No!

With all there is to do in Oregon’s Adventure Coast, you might think of making a weekend out of it. If you need a place to rest while visions of sugar plum fairy and candy canes dance in your head, check out the WildSpring Guest Habitat in Port Orford, OR. A short drive from the festive events on the coast, you’ll enjoy your own private cabin nestled away in a quiet residential forest and stay warm and cozy with their radiant-heated floors!

With a variety of new and old events, Oregon’s Adventure Coast could turn into your new holiday tradition. So, spice up your holidays and indulge with these festive events!

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