Dude Ranch Vacations!

And now for something quite different, we were in stunning Montana at the beginning of September for my first Dude Ranch Vacation experience. Located in remove Gallatin Gateway, the Covered Wagon Ranch was a very unique experience that involved everything Western.

Memories on horseback

The ranch has been open to guests since 1925, and many of the lodgings are traditional log cabins built in the 1920′s and have lovely fireplaces and rustic furniture. There is a hot tub and a large warm lodge where everyone gathers after the days’ worth of guest ranch activities, which is focused around horseback riding. That is not where it ends; there is great fly fishing and a lot of canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking and mountain biking going on. We were surrounded by some of the best fly fishing waters in the world, including over 120 miles of water in the Gallatin Canyon alone, plus all the legendary waters of Yellowstone National Park. Obviously, this was more than just a horseback riding vacation! They also offer overnight pack trips. We are tempted to go back and give one of those a shot.

I loved the horseback riding, and the horses were tame and well-behaved. The scenery out there was really stunning, and I was so happy to be able to move into the wild on horseback and take in all the wild space that Montana still has.

Idyllwild Dream Cabin

Often I find myself ” California Dreamin’ ” throughout the year. I love the Golden State, although I do not spend nearly as much time there as I would like.

Fortunately, we were summoned by family and friends to a wonderful spot in the San Bernadino forest in Southern California, near Palm Springs (kind of).

The Living Room of our Cabin Rental in Idyllwild

In the little town of Idyllwild, we stayed at a wonderful Idyllwild Vacation Rental. Woodland Park Manor was a very unique collection of rental houses and cottages in the San Jacinto mountains. Our house, called Camelot on Azaela Creek, was literally right on the creek, which kept the kids entertained for hours every day. We also rented the guest house that came with the main house, so that all of us were close by. The vacation rental had a large rock fireplace and large deck. It was an ideal environment for spending time with family and cooking together.

We took quick and easy day hikes almost every day to pretty little lakes. It was an affordable and quality Idyllwild Cabin Rental.

Tucson Bed and Breakfast Tour

A great place to visit in the winter is Tucson. As I sit in the heat, I think about how wonderful it is to escape into the dry desert during a cold winter.

Most of my favorite B&Bs can be found on List BB. They are a wonderful directory of small, local Tucson Bed and Breakfasts, and Southern Arizona Bed and Breakfasts.

Casa San Pedro serves a delicious breakfast, as well as some tasty homemade pies in the afternoon. They are a mid-size B&B with a beautiful Spanish-style center courtyard.

This Hereford Bed and Breakfast is right on the San Pedro river, which is a beautiful oasis in the dryness of Southern Arizona. This area of Arizona also attracts a lot of birdwatchers. Although this is not my favorite past time, it was clear to me that Casa San Pedro’s close proximity to the river was a benefit for them and their birding clientele. The Inn was ringing with bird song.

List BB provides a quality selection of Arizona Inns

Head a little outside of Tucson and you will find yourself in charming Sahuarita. Truly one of the most beautiful areas in Southern Arizona, it is home to a favorite B&B of mine for renewing heath and livity.

Mi Gatita serves a delicious array of vegetarian and vegan breakfasts ( although they have the normal bacon and eggs as well ) and also have a great swimming pool. Their location is quiet and rural enough that wandering into the surrounding area means that you probably won’t have to see anyone. This Sahuarita bed and breakfast is perfect for a little alone time or meditation.

My last and favorite inn from the group has to be La Hacienda del Sonoita. Surrounded by mountains and in the middle of a growing community of vintners, this place is perfect for a couple on a weekend getaway, or a few friends/a pair of couples that wants to travel together.

This Sonoita bed and breakfast is unique also in that they have facilities for horses and equestrians. You can keep your horse at thier barn, and the innkeepers also know of some nice outfitters if you want to take a trail ride.

The last place is a little more fun and social than the others. The first two mentioned give me the feeling of an escape and almost an exercise in peacefulness.

The desert has a unique charm, and I think these inns do the best job at conveying the appeal that the Arizona desert holds.

Arkansas Bed and Breakfast & Wedding Venue

The Hamilton House is probably one of the most well-situated Inns I have ever visited. On a private peninsula sticking out into Lake Hamilton, the inn is also a premier Hot Springs Wedding Venue.

I attended a wedding there with a friend of mine and we had a really wonderful time! Wedding parties have the option of renting the entire home (which is a five-story mansion) for your bridal party, or just a room for the bride & groom on the big night!

Hamilton House is a wedding venue and B&B on Lake Hamilton

I stayed in the Van Lyell Room in this Hot Springs Bed and Breakfast Arkansas, which was very nice. There was a wonderful balcony to look out on the lake, and a huge bed and tub. Even though I was just staying with a friend, we both stayed in the king bed and there was plenty of space for two friends in the suite.

The food provided by Hamilton House was quite nice, and the presentation was great. The bride and groom said they has chosen this Bed and Breakfast in Hot Springs because it had such lovely views and was large enough to hold all of there 150 guests. I would definitely go back for a nice weekend on the lake during the summer.

Another Montana Bed and Breakfast

The Voss Inn is in Bozeman MT. We were traveling to see a friend and were looking for a good Bozeman Inn to stay at during our visit. We were so pleased we found the Voss Inn! A very historic and lovely home from the 1880′s. It was originally a personal family residence. However, after some time, another family bought the property and added the ballroom, servant’s quarters and billiard room, doubling it’s size. Apparently, the Montana Inn was also a fraternity house at one point! Thankfully you could not tell that anything debaucheries had been taking place there lately!

Actually, the innkeepers Frankee and Bruce have been there for quite a while, and they were wonderful! They had fascinating stories to share about their time in Africa. They also have a beautiful Bozeman art gallery at their bed and breakfast, with pieces from Zimbabwe and Botswana. They know most of the artists and can tell you all about the art you are buying and how it is part of someones life from half-way around the world, and that it can become a part of your life. Quite compelling.

We stayed in Robert’s room, originally the billiard room, and it was a very comfortable space. It had a large private deck, which is one of my favorite things in a bed and breakfast. The room was under $150, quite a deal and the breakfast included was really unforgettable! There were fresh pastries and fruit, and these delicious baked egg dishes in little ramekins. Really something to get the day going right, and some delicious coffee.

Bozeman Hot Springs

While there, Frankee and Bruce recommended we visit the Bozeman Hot Springs. This is not a small gurgling pool in the mountains, but a full service facility with massage and fitness centers. However, we just went for a soak. They had nine pools; only one is outdoors.

Bozeman Hot Spring’s range in size and temperature from 59-106 degrees. It was fun to move between different pools and get an icy cold dip after sitting in one of those very hot 105 degree pools! According to the staff, this process helps to flush your body of toxins. There were two pools with cascading waterfalls and lap pools as well.

Overall I had a wonderfully positive experience at The Voss Inn bed and breakfast Bozeman, and look forward to another visit soon!

Butte Inn: Whimsical Montana Lodging

It is rare when a bed and breakfast that can still make me feel like I’m somewhere I have never been and have left normality in the best way!

The Montana Bed and Breakfast Toad Hall Manor is an outstanding location in beautiful but remove Butte. We took a driving trip in the jeep along the top of the US to take in some of the lovely winter weather. We have always enjoyed Montana as one of the last wild places left, and although I don’t enjoy winter sports that much, of course they are abundant in this area.

The innkeepers at Toad Hall are very accommodating, and like to see guests having a good time! After the long drive it was great to have some sherry and chocolates when we got to the Butte Montana Lodging. Each of the rooms are named after

Our Room: Ratty's Retreat

one of the Wind in the Willows characters, obviously! We stayed in Captain Ratty’s Retreat, a hilarious name I know, but a beautiful room with a king bed and lovely bay window with view of the Continental divide. There was also a very nice stereo with a remote mounted right next to the bed!

In the morning, my hubby left for some downhill skiing at the Great Divide, and the innkeepers knew he was leaving early and left extra scones at the door for him! It was so nice because the innkeepers actually brought me breakfast in bed, essentially, and persuaded me to have a in-room massage while I was relaxing that day! So, I went to the gym that is accessible to guests of this Lodging in Butte, which was a huge amenity if you ask me, and only 5 minutes away. So I had a work out and then massage, how terrible!

The next day we went cross-country skiing right in front of the Bed and Breakfast Butte! It was so neat, we could go right on the golf course in front of our room. We didn’t have to drive at all, how convenient!

The Toad Hall Manor was wonderfully welcoming, as well as beautiful, fun and breakfast was delicious! Home-mode scones? Are you kidding me? I was in heaven. It was a great location for our little winter drive!

Oklahoma Inn, near the University

Well, I haven’t been to Oklahoma in a long time, but I had an opportunity to visit my nephew for a weekend where he is in school at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. I hadn’t been to Norman, but I knew I wanted to find a nice Oklahoma Inn for my visit – and boy did I!

The Montford Inn ended up being the perfect place for my quick visit. It had distinctly quiet and relaxing atmosphere. I wanted a bigger room so that when my nephew came, we would have somewhere to sit and talk and play cards. I decided on the Prairie House. It is the newest cottage at this Oklahoma Bed and Breakfast,built in 1999. The house had a kitchen, so when my Nephew came over, I was able to prepare dinner for him, as well as a nice dining room. And the inn is only 2 1/2 miles away, so it was easy for me to get him back and forth.

The inn also served a delicious breakfast, which was nice to enjoy with other guests. Some of them were visiting the

The Front of lovely Montford Inn

University as well on business, so there was a lot of great conversations around the table!

The Prairie House as well as the whole inn has wireless, so when my nephew came over, he was able to do some homework as well, which was great for him.

Overall, I was glad to have found this Oaklahoma Inn. It had a great atmosphere and all the amenities I needed for a wonderful visit with my nephew. Plus, at about $210 a night, it was good price, including breakfast and the money I saved cooking in the kitchen!

Small Eureka Springs Weddings

We had the privilege of traveling to Eureka Springs for a niece’s wedding. She is very close to us, and so although the ceremony was small (only 12 guests) we were happy to be there supporting our girl on her special day!

The ceremony was held at Arsenic and Old Lace, an Arkansas Bed and Breakfast in Eureka Springs. The package included two nights stay for the  bride and groom in one of the suites, so we wanted to stay at the inn too! We stayed in the Library Room, a very beautiful and well-lit room with a private veranda. There was a  large whirlpool tub in the room and fluffy robes. It was very nice.

A picture from Arsenic & Old Lace Web site - my niece looked just as good!

The ceremony was absolutely lovely. It was held on the wide veranda of the Eureka Springs Inn. Arsenic and Old Lace provides the minister, as well as flowers for the bride and groom. They had a reception afterwards in the dining room of the inn with sparkling cider, champagne and a lovely little wedding cake!

I know my niece was not up for planning the ceremony herself, so she was glad to have Doug and Beverly (the innkeepers) there to help her. She told me their package with Arsenic & Old Lace also included a couples massage and a gift certificate to the most romantic restaurant in the city!

I think my favorite part of the whole affair was the horse-drawn carriage waiting for them after the reception to take them to dinner. It was so wonderful and beautiful! I was very thankful to this Eureka Springs AR Bed Breakfast for the wonderful day they helped to create for my niece!

Off-Season Travel on Long Beach Peninsula

As I continue to look out the window at heavy snow draping my trees and shrubs, I am hankering for a trip. I am thinking about a couple of inns in the Pacific Northwest, a marvelous area of the nation I have enjoyed visiting during the darker months of the year.

Long Beach Washington is a lovely little community nestled next to the Pacific and perfectly situated between Portland and Seattle. It is here that the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean and where Lewis

The Beautiful Quiet of Long Beach

and Clark finally found the West side of North America. The area is full interesting places: museums, beaches, wildlife refuges and some really unique cuisine and lodging!

One of my favorite places in Long Beach is the Boreas Inn. Boreas is a green bed and breakfast, and Susie makes a breakfast from local ingredients that is to die for!! Often the weather in Long Beach is not horribly cold in the winter months, being along the coast. And you are sure to find the beach empty at this time of year. Visiting this area of the Washington coast during winter also affords the traveler the delicacy of Dungeness crab season! Yum, yum, there are many delicious eateries in Long Beach specializing in seafood. There  is nothing better than sitting in a cozy restaurant with the view  of the ocean and drinking nice wine with fresh, fresh seafood!

Another jewel in the area is the Shelburne Inn in Seaview. They have a restaurant across the street from their inn and also a pub for a more casual dining experience. Their  Beach Restaurant in Long Beach has recently been remodeled and provides a great atmosphere.

The Inn was originally built at the end of the 19th century, as an escape for folks from Seattle and Portland. It is still functioning as this, and is one of the oldest-running lodgings in Washington! The  breakfasts here are also amazing, and the innkeepers command a delicious knowledge of Northwest cuisine and create some real masterpieces in the morning, like a wild mushroom fritatta and upside-down apple french toast. Yum!

The Long Beach peninsula is also a stronghold for oysters and other mollusks. I am personally a huge fan of oysters served in any fashion, but especially barbecued or raw out of the shell or in a shooter with lots of cocktail sauce or horseradish!

If you own a big warm coat and are willing to brave a little chilly weather, you are gonna find a lot of privacy and some great deals as well on the Long Beach Peninsula.

Cape Cod Off-Season Travel

As I look out the window at heavy snow flurries, I am reminded that some of my favorite trips have been during the so-called “off season”.

One of my favorites was to Cape Cod. We went to Boston to see friends for the holidays, and while we were planning the trip, our friends mentioned, “It’s a shame you can’t come back in the summer and we could all go to Cape Cod.” Well, we decided we would still go and just give it our best shot. While we were researching our trip to Cape Cod we used the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce web site a lot. They had nice links to Wellfleet MA Maps and an extensive section on activities on the Cape and in the Wellfleet area.

We decided on Wellfleet because it was recommended to us by our friends. They told us the beaches are beautiful and that you can find your own little quiet spot and avoid crowds. That is what taking a trip during the off-season is all about!

We stayed at the Wellfleet Motel and Lodge, a Cape Cod Hotel that was quite affordable as well as being right next to the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Our little Cape Cod Inn was also next to several very nice bike trails that we used for some brisk, but also

A Beach near the Inn at Cape Cod

beautiful walks.  There is also an indoor pool and jacuzzi. Since we are pretty used to traveling to B&Bs with our own Jacuzzi tubs, it was really nice that there was somewhere to soak cold bones in the evening!

We stopped at Port Yarmouth on our way back off the peninsula. This is one of the oldest towns on Cape Cod, not to mention the Nation. It was really a great town, and because it was the off-season, the town was quiet and when we came for dinner, we had great service and no wait. So nice!

The Massachusetts Bed Breakfast we stayed at was the Inn at Cape Cod. The inn is an impressive building with towering pillars at the front. This home was once owned by the Sears Family! The Inn is about a mile from the waterfront and there were lots of nice shops, taverns and historical locations within walking distance of the inn (we didn’t walk at this time of year, but the driving wasn’t bad because the roads were pretty empty and it was all within about 10 minutes.)

Our Bed and Breakfast Cape Cod was an amazing property and home. It has been a standard in hospitality for over 100 years, and the innkeepers have certainly kept up the tradition in style! The room, called as I remember, Summersweet, was cozy and had two large windows that were wonderful for reading. The room was quite affordable, yet another reason to travel off-season! Plus, when there aren’t many other guests in the Inn, the innkeepers will dote on you even more, and Mike and Helen were very attentive and wonderful for conversation during some evening wine!

They prepared a wonderful breakfast as well; I remember really liking the muffins.

I was so glad that we went to Cape Cod, even though it was cold and often a little rainy or snowy. You know what they say, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. We bundled up and enjoyed the quiet solitude of Gray’s Beach and the nature trail that adjoins the Inn property.

So take advantage of great deals during the off-season and treat yourself to a cozy and peaceful escape!