It's that Christmas time of year again!!

It's hard to believe that it's time to put up those decorations and start making Christmas cookies and such! With all of this in mind, remember that a bed and breakfast gift certificate make a perfect gift for that family or friend that may be hard to buy for, or just need a unique gift!! Every B&B in the Cumberland Valley B&B Association would be glad to help out!!!
Also keep in mind that B&B's make the perfect setting for a holiday office party with a beautifully decorated inn and having an ambience of a "Home" setting!!
Have a wonderful holiday and remember we'll have the "hot chocolate" on for your arrival!! Aunt Tracie!

Thanksgiving Travel

The Thanksgiving Holiday is almost upon us! That means LOTS of travel to family and friends for this special day. Several main highways pass though the Cumberland Valley and our B&Bs provide a Better Way to Stay on the way to Grandma's house!

It you are traveling north from Washington DC, you will perhaps use US Rt 15. Blair Mountain B&B is just the place to stop for a relaxing stay after work and on your way!

If you will be traveling on I-81, we have several Bed & Breakfasts that will provide comfortable, luxurious accommodations to help you prepare for more travels. Just north of the MD border, Craig Victorian or the Inn at Ragged Edge, both located near Chambersburg, will be a convenient stop not far off the highway but a world apart from the roadside motel!
If you need to stop a little farther north along I-81, Shippensburg or Carlisle would be your spot to be. Field & Pine B&B and The Carlisle House B&B will pamper you on your way.
If you are bringing Fido or Flicka along, stay at either Pheasant Field B&B or Fallen Tree Farm B&B - both pet and horse friendly Bed & Breakfasts.

Check the map for locations of all of our member inns. The Cumberland Valley Bed & Breakfast Association welcomes you and wishes you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

CV BED & BREAKFAST ASSOC. TO HONOR VETS WITH FREE ROOMS ON VETERANS DAY

CUMBERLAND VALLEY BED AND BREAKFAST ASSOCIATION TO HONOR VETS WITH FREE ROOMS ON VETERANS DAY

 

(Carlisle, PA) – Members of the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association will join hundreds of inns and B&Bs throughout the U.S. 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 join inns and B&Bs in opening their doors with complimentary stays for vets on November 10, 2011 so they can wake up on Veteran’s Day to a wonderful breakfast after a great night’s sleep in a B&B. 

 

This is the second year that the Cumberland Valley B&B Association has participated in this campaign.  In addition, this year, some B&Bs have offered additional discounts throughout the week of November 7-12. 

 

“We are proud to join innkeepers across the USA and Canada in honoring active and retired military and veterans by offering a complimentary room(s),” said Joanne Kenney-Hawver, innkeeper at the Red Cardinal Bed & Breakfast and secretary of the Cumberland Valley Bed and Breakfast Association.  “We are thrilled that thousands of vets and their families will wake up on 11-11-11 in a B&B, like ours.  It’s one small way we can thank those serving in the military and their families for the important work they do” finished Joanne Kenney-Hawver.

 

" We salute and thank the members of our organization who are veterans, Mary Duxbury (The Carlisle House), Lee Gelinas (Gelinas Manor), Bill Hawver (Red Cardinal Bed and Breakfast) and daughter of a veteran, Kim Hanlin (Fallen Tree Farm).  Although they will not get the opportunity to enjoy a complimentary room for the service they have performed, they will be participating in the program by proudly sharing this day with the dedicated men and women who have given so much to us and to our country", says Joanne Kenney-Hawver

 

The B&Bs for Vets program started in 2008 when Kathleen Penek, co-owner of the Gillum House and a handful of other innkeepers in West Virginia opened their doors to veterans in honor of Veteran’s Day. The program grew in popularity among innkeepers, and last year  more than 900 inns in the US and Canada participated by offering free rooms to vets.  This year, the Professional Association of Innkeepers International will coordinate the B&Bs for Vets program as a way to help veterans learn about today’s B&B experience.

 

 The Cumberland Valley Bed & Breakfast Association is a collection of authentic Pennsylvania lodging treasures, giving you a choice of unique and delightful Bed and Breakfast Inns. From Victorian homes and historic taverns to country manors and rural farmhouses, these B&Bs mirror the diverse times of life in Pennsylvania's beautiful rolling hills and quaint towns.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

If you are looking for something fun to do for halloween, why not book a room at one of our great B&Bs; then add on a halloween treat.

First of all, stop in at Georgie Lou's in downtown Carlisle. This retro store has a wonderful selection of retro and halloween candy. See www.georgielous.com

How about seeing a murder mystery? A new restaurant in town, the Pretzel Spot Cafe, is having a murder mystery/dinner on Saturday, 10/29 starting at 5:30 pm. If you are interested call 814-644-9242.

If you want to dress up for Halloween, there is a Halloween party/dance at the Green Door. This is located in downtown Carlisle. There usually is a swing dance lesson from 7:00-8:00 pm and dancing until midnight. Billy and I have danced here many times and it is a lot of fun.

Whatever you do, HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

INTERESTING FOLLOW-UP

When I wrote my last blog, I was talking about books. This weekend, one of our delightful guests was Thomas Yezerski. Tom is an author/illustrator of children's books. He was born in Lancaster, PA and now lives in New Jersey. He has been illustrating children's books since the late 1990's. He also has written and illustrated 2 books and is now working on a 3rd. It was coincidental that Tom was here over the weekend when the "Celebrate the Book" festival was happening in downtown Carlisle. We enjoyed his visit and perhaps next year, he might be part of the festival.

Check out his website: www.thomasfyezerski.com,

This is another aspect of being innkeepers that Billy and I love. We never know who will be a guest at the Red Cardinal Bed and Breakfast.

BOOKS

Our guests love to read. I would say about 95% of the guests who come to the Red Cardinal B&B bring a book. Nowadays, some come with their ebooks, but for the most part, it is still a paperback or hardback book that is stuffed into their backpack. It is like packing a toothpaste and make-up for the trip. The genre varies from the Bible, mysteries (most popular), history, and biographies. I enjoy talking with the guests about their choice of reading material, as it is always a good way to get a recommendation.

Some of our repeat guests have their favorite places to browse for books when they are in the area. One such place is Canaday's Book Barn which specializes in old and rare books: www.candaysbookbarn.com. Another popular book store is the Whistlestop book store in downtown Carlisle: www.whistlestopbooks.com. The Cumberland County Historical Society is great for research and they have books about local history at their shop "History on High" which is also in downtown Carlisle: www.cchistsoc.org.

When I am looking for a book, I head over to Bosler Memorial Library in downtown Carlisle, or at a yard sale. I can't believe how many voracious readers there are in my area.

This weekend the second annual Friends of Bosler Library "Celebrate the Book! festival will be held on Saturday, 10/22 at 9:00 am. The best-selling author David Baldacci is the guest speaker. The event is filled with other authors, book-signings, activities for children and a round table discussion for potential authors. See www.celebratethebook.org for more information.

So why not bring a book, stay at one of our great B&Bs and attend "Celebrate the Book". I assure you, it would be a great weekend.

CONCIERGE

An innkeeper wears many hats. One such hat is that of "concierge". Many guests who stay with us at the Red Cardinal Bed & Breakfast come for a particular reason: the Carlisle car show, Dickinson College graduation, a wedding or visiting family. Yet their is time in the schedule when the guests want to go off exploring.





Billy and I like to recommend places that we have visited. So today we went off to find Hunters Valley Winery. The winery is located about 25 miles plus or minus from our B&B. It is up Route 34, which is a direct, scenic ride from our location. When we arrived at the winery, we were pleasantly surprised. It sits out on a hill overlooking the Susquehanna River and Valley below.





Although it was rainy and overcast today, the view was lovely. On a clear day, it must be gorgeous.





We spoke with Shirley Hartz and was surprised to learn that the winery has been in operation for 25 years! Shirley has been working there for 24! We sampled a few wines as we chatted and left with 2 red wines - "Mountain Red" and "Concord".





Pheasant Field B&B has a wine and roses package that includes a trip to Hunters Valley Winery.





If you are in town this weekend 10/22 & 10/23, there is an open house and craft fair.





I would recommend the winery as a destination spot. http://www.huntersvalleywines.com/





As a bonus, you can also take a ferry across the river to Millersburg.