When you set out to plan a vacation, you have a multitude of options. Large cities offer an exciting, culturally rich environment to explore, and lying on a beach with a cold drink can be therapeutic.
If you’re looking to escape the hectic rush of everyday life and don’t particularly enjoy the sand and surf, however, a stay at well-appointed inn could be an ideal getaway. Most bed and breakfasts are located close to a city large enough to explore but not so large or densely populated as to be overwhelming, and they allow their guests to adopt a slower, more relaxed pace of life.
Book a stay at one of these places and, for a precious few days, you’ll be able to focus on life’s simple pleasures: enjoying delicious food, taking long walks, getting lost in a good book, and reconnecting with those who matter most.
The Fearrington House Inn: Pittsboro, NC
The effortlessly charming Fearrington (pronounced FAIR-rington) House Inn is part of Fearrington Village, a collection of eateries and shops located on a historic farm.
Once you’ve checked into your room (which will be filled with the sounds of the local classical music station), you can walk through the manicured grounds to visit the farm’s famous black and white belted cows and goats (lovingly nicknamed “Belties”).
Then, check out the lovely selection of restaurants and shops. The Belted Goat is a perfect one-stop shop, offering dine-in and to-go options including lunch and dinner fare, coffee and tea, and a robust wine selection. The Fearrington House Restaurant, part of the elite Relais & Chateaux restaurant group, offers a truly luxurious dinner experience as well as afternoon tea. McIntyre’s Books, Dovecote, Sprout, and Nest offer engrossing books, beautiful clothing and accessories, items for children, and housewares, respectively.
When you retire to your room for the night, you’ll find that it has been expertly prepared for a relaxing evening. Turndown service includes one pair of slippers per guest, a carafe of port (sweet dessert wine), and a selection of chocolate truffles as beautiful as they are delicious.
The Lancaster Bed and Breakfast: Lancaster, PA
You don’t have to “rough it” to stay overnight in Amish country! When you arrive at The Lancaster, you’ll feel as though you have been transported to another world. The bed and breakfast is just two blocks from downtown Lancaster, allowing you to move easily between the sanctuary of your room to several quiet yet vibrant blocks of coffee shops, restaurants, and retail stores.
The Lancaster’s proprietors, Brad and Keith, will be your guides over the course of your stay. Each morning and evening, they will prepare a different home-cooked meal for you, complete with an explanation of the origin of each recipe. Their pride in their work as well as their passion for hospitality is evident.
In addition to your personal room and the dining room, guests at the inn have access to a luxurious lounge area. If you’re lucky enough to stay at the inn during a non-peak time, you will have a great chance of getting this room to yourself. The lounge is equipped with cookies, drinks, and a roaring fireplace which is lit during the winter months, and it is a perfect place to relax at the end of the day.
Chambery Inn: Lee, MA
The Chambery Inn is located in a region of New England known as The Berkshires. The building once served as a schoolhouse, and the rooms still have the original blackboards that once served to instruct students. Visitors fill them with messages welcoming future guests and announcing their reasons for coming to the inn, such as celebrating a honeymoon or wedding anniversary.
The Chambery Inn experience is intensely private. While the Fearrington House Inn and The Lancaster serve breakfast in a communal dining room, guests at the Chambery Inn fill out a slip of paper with their food preferences, hang it outside their door, and wake up to a room-delivered breakfast basket complete with the day’s New York Times.
The amenities don’t stop there: most rooms are equipped with a whirlpool hot tub, sitting area, and canopied bed. No matter the season when you choose to visit, the hot tub is the perfect place to relax and unwind after a day out on the town.
The town of Lee, Massachusetts is small, but there are many attractions to explore within a short driving distance. If you visit during the summer months, you should take the opportunity to attend a concert at the Tanglewood Music Center, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Don’t forget your bug spray! Athletic or adventurous visitors in the spring and summer should plan a day at Ramblewild, a one-of-a-kind treetop adventure park in Lanesborough, Massachusetts that will test your fitness while delivering an incredibly fun experience.
Next time you’re deciding what to do with your vacation days, why not consider a trip to a bed and breakfast or small inn? By choosing a destination that is off the beaten path, you’ll increase the chances of having privacy and avoid any potential overcrowding.
Another major benefit is that, in your choice to support an independent business rather than a large hotel chain, you’ll experience great customer service. You may even forge personal bonds with your hosts: people who have chosen a career in the hospitality industry because it is their passion. Small inns and bed and breakfasts provide an intimate, personalized experience that chains simply can’t match.
Finding the attractions most suited to you may not be as easy as it would be in a large city, but your host and online sources such as Yelp can provide that service. The fact that you are visiting a city that does not necessarily welcome a huge number of tourists means that you’ll have some unique stories to tell upon your return home.
Julia Anderson 