Sunshine!!!

It's hard to believe that we're halfway thru March, well almost, and it's finally sunny and in the 50's!! So nice to walk outside and not feel "freezing".  I bought my first "Easter" contribution to my grandson's basket.  The Cumberland Valley B&B Association is thriving and having a inviting social get together for the area on Sunday, March 23rd!!!  To be held at the Patriot House in Annville from 3 to 5:30 PM!  So any innkeeper in the surrounding areas, if you'd like to hear about our wonderful association, please stop in for a chat and some refreshments!
Remember to visit  your local winery during the month of March as the Mason Dixon Winery Trail is in full swing!
For those brides looking for an enchanting wedding venue, be sure to check out Blair Mtn., Fallen Tree Farm or Pheasant Field Bed & Breakfasts for that special venue!

So....everyone have a wonderful "spring" & enjoy this Sunshine!!!  Blessings!  Tracie, Blair Mtn.

Brrr! It's Cold out there!!

Now that we are in 2014, the weather has certainly delivered for  the winter!!  Roundtop Mtn. Resorts are in full swing with skiing, tubing & snowboarding abounding!!  It has been a great season with it starting at early as this past Thanksgiving!!  The oil furnace keeps running so it's toasty here at Blair Mtn.!
Don't forget that there are several B&B's from the Cumberland Valley that are only minutes away!!  So remember to stay at a wonderful & warm B&B for your overnight lodging and not at one of those "cold" hotels!!
Next it will be Valentine's Day!!!  So plan your romantic weekend, since Feb. 14th is on a Friday!!, and have specially made chocolate covered strawberries, roses and an array of other goodies waiting for you and your loved one at many of our B&B's!!
Take care all and stay warm!!  See you soon!!

A Wonderful Summer's End!!

Well, it's Sept. 1st tomorrow and the summer sure went fast!!  We've had wonderful guests and events!  Some of our members have had major changes with selling and starting new inns!  Roundtop has been exploding with their summer fun and Hersheypark has been in full swing!   We had our wonderful 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg's Battle during July!  Boy was it hot for those reenactors!!  Wonderful meeting all the guests visiting for PA's event.  Today Blair Mtn. is hosting Jerry & Eileen O'Sullivan's 50th Wedding Anniversary Dinner!!  Catered by Flavor's Etc.
For September & October some of us are having beautiful weddings!
Well, enjoy these last days of summer with your families and don't forget to visit and lodge at your wonderful Cumberland Valley B&B's & Inns!!!

Well it seems as if summer is finally here!!!  Hot Hazy Humid!!  Quite well know for Pennsylvania!! With it being June 1st on Saturday, The Dillsburg's Farmer's Market is opening for the season!!  Fresh local fruits, vegetables, flowers, free range eggs, organic meats & more is available from 8 AM to 12 Noon!!
Also, in historic Boiling Springs on Saturday, June 1st, is Foundry Day!!  All kinds of things to see & do!  So while in the Cumberland Valley take the time to see our "neck of the woods"!!

Tracie, Blair Mtn., Innkeeper!!

Memorial Day 2013

The members of the Cumberland Valley Bed & Breakfast Association honor the memory of those who have served and given their all for our freedoms and our protection.
Watch the 2013 National Memorial Day Concert - "A Night to Remember" - on Sunday, May 26, at 8 PM on your local PBS station. 

Spring time in the Cumberland Valley!

It's spring time.  That means it's time for a getaway to do some hiking or fishing or searching for that special item you need for that classic car!
The first car show of Carlisle's season will be held Wednesday 4/24 through Sunday 4/28.  Some member B&Bs in the Cumberland Valley B&B Association have a room open for the weekend.  Here's your chance to find a Better Way to Stay and find that special part for your car OR catch the BIG one!
Make your plans to visit the Cumberland Valley, PA!

Get your Garden On!

For me, Spring means the property will transforms itself through the gardens. Everywhere you look, daffodils are poking up, tulip shoots are starting and tiny mum leaves are showing themselves in places you were certain a plant could never survive. Often throughout the winter I find myself paging through  photos on my ipad to remind myself that green will return and that "mud season" as we call it, can't last forever.

If gardens get you going, there are some wonderful attractions in the area that will keep you occupied when visiting the Cumberland Valley.

The Hershey Gardens is a fabulous example of how a garden starts small at 3.5 acres and transforms into 23 acres of unique and rare plants, a childrens garden and perhaps most wonderful, the butterfly garden. Its a treat for the entire family. Even Dad will be inspired to try new things with his pruning shears after a visit.

Ashcombes Farm and Greenhouses has their spring open house March 8 and 9 & March 16 and 17th. Each weekend features new ideas to try in your gardens and a children's activity. Plan to have lunch there. The Bakery is A-Mazing. The home and garden store is also wonderful, with treasures for the entire family. A great place to pick up a gift for that hard to find family member or to fill someone's Easter Basket.

A well kept secret in the Cumberland Valley is Lurgan Greenhouses in Lurgan PA. You're going to need an Innkeeper's help to find this place.. Your GPS may not even know about it, but when you get there it will be worth the hunt.  Nine greenhouses packed to the gills with bedding plants and shrubbery, water garden supplies, pottery, and maybe the best part, Amish- made pies and cakes. If you are lucky, you'll be there on a Saturday when they are frying donuts.. Completely Amish run and staffed they do not subscribe to a website, word of mouth has kept this place a secret, that your innkeeper will share with you.. Bring a minivan!

You may just want to relax in the gardens at the Inn you are staying . All the inns in the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association sport amazing gardens with unique personalities. You may find all the ideas you are searching for right outside your becdroom window!

A funny thing happened on the way to the Horse World Expo....

Many years ago when I was  still showing my quarterhorse, Strange Magic, pre- kids, pre- B&B, , preeverything, I was invited to do a demonstration at the Horse World Expo, held at the Farm Show Complex, every year in February. The demo was designed to  show horses that started out with one job and then over the course of their lives excelled at something different. Magic, was bred to be a cutting horse and he looked the part, all brawny and big, but as it turns out, he was afraid of cows. He wanted nothing to do with them. It was that fear of cows that brought him into my life. I purchased him as a prospective hunter possibility when he demonstrated how athletic he was by jumping over things in an effort to get away from cows. And while he definitely didn't look like he  could lug his big body over a 3'6 fence at a gallop, he could and did and loved every minute of it.

As I consulted my calendar this year to see when I could attend( sadly as a spectator), in amongst greeting guests, serving breakfast and making beds, I thought about how a change in jobs worked out so well for Magic and how it similar it was to my own life experience and to many of my innkeeper friends.

The Innkeepers in the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association all had "previous lives" as
educators, information analysts, military personnel as well as working with computers and office associates. Somewhere along the way, they decided to jump out of the way of the cow, so to speak , and open an Inn. What's remarkable is how each of them has taken what they knew in a previous career and turned it into unique, warm, welcoming and award winning inns.

So if you are coming to Central PA in February to visit the Horse World Expo, February 21-24
you should stay at one of our Inns and discover a Better Way To Stay at a Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast. If you are bringing along your own equine partner and need a place that will provide them with a bed and breakfast check out Pheasant Field B&B, which has lodging for both you and your horse.

Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show

The Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show comes to the PA Farm Show Building once again February 2-10, 2013. This show attracts outdoor and sporting enthusiasts from all over the East Coast and is the largest show of its kind in North America. The Cumberland Valley is a great place to host this event, as its home to some of the best fly fishing in the country and over 5000 acres of public hunting ground. The Show runs 10am -7 pm each day and features a variety of special guests and exhibits.. and my favorite... ultra high end motor homes you can tour.  You can't see it all in one day.... so make it a getaway and stay at one of our member Bed and Breakfasts.  You'll be treated to a fabulous home cooked breakfast and a great night's sleep before heading to the show to find all that happens outdoors, indoors!
Many of our B&B's are family and pet friendly, so if you 've brought Fido look no further than Pheasant Field Bed and Breakfast or Fallen Tree Farm.  If you are looking for a true luxury lodging experience minutes from the Show, look no further than the Orris House Inn, where Innkeeper Kevin Jackson will cook you up breakfast made to order and you can relax in the true luxury of an empire mansion on the quaint streets of downtown Mechanicsburg. Trying to combine romance with the show? Check out Laura's Dream Suite at Blair Mountain Bed and Breakfast in Dillsburg, PA. Colonial Crossroads in Mechanicburg will delight guests with its comfortable, quaint lodgings in a beautifully restored 1790 tavern. This is a great place to stay if you also want to take in the sites at Hershey or take a trip down the slopes at Roundtop Mountain Resort.
Wherever you stay we hope you'll make it a Better Way to Stay by choosing a Local Bed and Breakfast where Hospitality with History is at your fingertips!http://www.easternsportshow.com

Made in PA. It makes a Difference

This year throughout the Annual Farm Show, held January 5-12 2013 you'll see the Slogan- "Made in PA. It Makes a Difference." This year the country's largest agricultural expo pays tribute the Pennsylvania's largest industry, agriculture and the products made and grown here. As the food industry turns toward local, organic and green products, meaning items purchased less than 100 miles from its serving point, supporting the agricultural industry becomes more essential to that industries survival.

Agritourism is a realitively new buzz word and many of our B&B's are a fine example of how agritourism works best. Trying booking a stay at a Farm based B&B in Pennsyvlania. Many of these Inns have programs to allow families to either take part or watch the farming industry in action. From helping to collect eggs from the henhouse for breakfast, to milking goats to feeding pigs, PA's B&B have opened their homes and farms so you might experience a slice of farm life while getting a great nights sleep.

While our own Pheasant Field B&B and Fallen Tree Farm B&B are great examples of agritourism, more hands on activities can be found by checking out the B&B's involved with the PA Farm Stay Association www.pafarmstay.com

If you are coming to town to experience the PA Farm Show make it a Better Way To Stay by staying in a local Bed and Breakfast!http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/

Christmas in Boiling Springs, PA

It's time to light the Christmas tree in Boiling Springs, PA. That means that Santa will travel by boat to the tree floating on Children's lake, make his magic, and start the official Christmas season in this delightful small town.  Carolers will entertain you while you enjoy some hot chocolate. 
Visit Boiling Springs, PA on Sunday, December 2 for this special holiday event. 
While you're in the area, stay the night and enjoy the hospitality at one of the local B&Bs.

Cumberland Valley B&B Association Honors Vets with Free Rooms on Veterans Day!

Members of the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association will join hundreds of inns and B&Bs throughout the US and Canada in honoring active and retired veterans with free rooms in recognition of Veteran’s Day. 

 

In a campaign called B&Bs for Vets, members of the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association will offer over 20 rooms for a complimentary stay for vets on Sunday, November 11, 2012,

 

This is the THIRD year that the Cumberland Valley B&B Association has participated in the campaign.  Also, some of the member B&Bs have offered additional discounts.

 

“We are proud to join innkeepers across the USA and Canada in honoring active and retired military veterans by offering a complimentary room(s)”, said Joanne Kenney-Hawver, innkeeper at the Red Cardinal Bed and Breakfast and secretary of the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association.  “We are delighted that thousands of vets and their families will be recognized for their commitment to our country.  It’s one small we way we can thank them for the work they have done or are doing”.

 

“In addition”, said Mrs. Hawver, “Vets who are lucky enough to participate in this program are treated like family and will enjoy a great night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast in the morning”.

 

The B&Bs for Vets program started in 2008.  The program has grown in popularity among innkeepers.

 

Veterans interested in reserving a room on November 11, 2012  are asked to visit our website:  www.cvbednbreakfasts.com and contact the participating B&B.  Proof of military service will be requested, and all policies of the inn will be enforced for free stays.

 

To see a complete list of participating inns and B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada, visit http://www.bnbsforvets.org or http://www.bbcanada.com/bbforvets. While some have already filled, new inns and B&Bs are being added daily.

What's Happening in the Cumberland Valley

Today is the official first day of autumn - a season of transitions and change.  The weather is changing and the leaves will soon be coloring our landscape.  It's a wonderful time to visit the Cumberland Valley!

If you are interested in some fun Agri-tourism, visit the corn maze in southern Franklin County.  As you drive north on I-81 up through the valley, you have an opportunity to purchase some art to benefit the Franklin County 4H Therapeutic Riding Center. While you're in that area, stay at Craig Victorian B&B, located in a beautiful section of Chambersburg.

Continue up the great valley and you can stop in Carlisle  for the Harvest of the Arts Festival in downtown Carlisle next weekend (9/29/12).
Also on 9/29, celebrate our National and State Parks on National Public Lands Day.  There are several wonderful state parks near Carlisle and the hiking will be great on the second weekend of autumn!
While in the Carlisle area, check out the B&Bs near the historic town.

Biking, hiking, bird watching, fishing, fun arts & crafts stores, book stores, and fantastic restaurants al await your visit to the Cumberland Valley in south central PA.  Check availability at one of our B&Bs and visit soon!

Corvettes are Coming to Carlisle!!!

Its that time of year again, Summer is winding down but Carlisle is heating up with the anticipation of thousands of corvettes rolling into town on Thursday August 23, 2012.  Many of those vette owners will be parking their babies on the lush grounds of the Bed and Breakfasts in the Cumberland Valley.  Patrons will be able to participate in a huge swamp meet, watch autocross and the best part, on Saturday night, the Corvette Parade which progresses through downtown historic Carlisle.
The Carlisle Fairgrounds is host to this annual event, the largest Corvette Show in North America but we, the Cumberland Valley B&B Association want to host you!

RED, BED & BREAKFAST

Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association celebrates National Red Cross Month.

Members of the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association will celebrate National Red Cross Month, by making a donation to the Red Cross. Any time during the month of March that a guest makes a reservation and stays at one of our lodgings, the innkeeper will make a donation of $10. In addition, if the guest makes a contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, their host will give them a gift to show their appreciation.

We understand that beyond blood drives, the American Red Cross offers disaster relief in local communities as well as communities across the country. In addition they offer educational opportunities, support for military families, as well as international relief.

The demand for services from the American Red Cross has definitely increased in the past 4 or 5 years, and the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association wants to donate to this worthy organization.

The Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association has partnered with other organizations in the past, such as Project Share, our local food pantry and PAII (Professional Association of Innkeepers International) to support worthwhile projects.

The Cumberland Valley Bed & Breakfast Association is made up of a variety of lodging opportunities. They range from Victorian homes to country manors and rural farmhouses. Each one is unique, but the common thread that runs throughout this group of innkeepers is hospitality and warmth.

We encourage you to make a reservation and stay at one of our B&Bs during March, and support the American Red Cross www.redcrosscv.org .

For more information about the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association visit our website at www.cvbednbreakfasts.com

Red, Bed + Breakfast Month

March is National Red Cross Month, The Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association is showing their support by running:
Red, Bed + Breakfast through the month of March

The Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association supports the American Red Cross!

Book a visit with any one of our Inns between March 1st-31st, 2012 and we will make a donation in your honor to the Red Cross.

Guests who would also like to make an additional tax deductible donation can go to The Cumberland Valley Red Cross website. To show our appreciation you will receive a thank you "gift" when you present your receipt upon arrival.

Wedding Preparations

Brides to be: You do not want to miss the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum at Hershey (AACA Museum)'s Wedding Show Sunday 2/19/2010 from 11-4! Check out the Blair Mountain B&B display and say hello to Tracie Yergo!

If you are looking for a different place to have your wedding, contact one of our innkeepers and visit their B&Bs. Fallen Tree Farm, Pheasant Field as well as Blair Mountain B&B are unique. You would definitely have a memorable wedding in a picturesque setting.

February Specials

If you are thinking of a way to celebrate Valentine's day, and time is running out, don't worry.

Fallen Tree Farm has a special going on all month - kids and pets stay free! If you love your kids and your pets, check out their website for more details.http://www.fallentreefarm.com/

The Red Cardinal B&B is offering dance lessons to any guests who books 2 or more nights during February. So how about a little dance and romance! Check out their website for more details. http://www.redcardinalbedandbreakfast.com/

Ice Fest is Here!

The 2012 Ice Fest starts tomorow.. The rainy weather today has some of the most exciting events postponed until tomorrow evening when you will be able to hit the 40 ft slide completely made out of ice, view the ice sculptures, and warm up with samples from the chili cook off.  If you are coming into town for the event there's a fabulous B&B in downtown Chambersburg that will gladly accomodate you in old world elegance, Craig Victorian Mansion., http://www.craigvictorian.com/http://icefestpa.com/ Minutes from the festival, a great place to stay for the event.

96th Annual PA Farm Show

January 7th begins the 96th Annual PA Farm Show, the largest agriculatural exposition in the country. The Show, located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes south of Carlisle, features everything from butter sculptures, 6 horse hitch pull teams to square dance parades. And food..... lots and lots of food. There a culinary demonstrations daily featuring the freshest dairy and meat products the PA Agricultural Community has to offer.

If you are coming into the area and want an authentic stay on a farm to complete this adventure, check out Pheasant Field( http://www.pheasantfield.com/)  or Fallen Tree Farm http://www.fallentreefarm.com/ .. Both are gentlemen's farms with historic homes, lovely acreage and horses and are pet friendly in case Fido is vacationing with you.  Close to the farm show is Colonial Crossroads  http://www.colonialcrossroadsbb.com/  on Market Street in Mechanicsburg or Orris House Inn on main street in Mechanicsburg http://www.orrishouseinn.com/ which is kid friendly( complete with cookies and milk yum!)

Looking for an authentic and unique weekend in Pennsylvania... FOUND IT..... come experience a better way to stay at a Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast for the 2012 PA Farm Show.