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.