B&B with lake or ocean view?

There are probably thousands. Can you narrow down the area? Northeast, east coast, southeast, midwest, West, southwest?

Do you want just random names thrown out, without regard to budget, climate, location?

Actually, I'm open to all suggestions. I find that, for me, a large part of the pleasure I've received from my European trips has been the views I enjoy when I wake up or in the evening at sunset and dusk, apart from whatever "must sees" or "must dos" might attach themselves to the location. I much prefer small places. My favorite hotel has 15 rooms, and I love the quiet of most B&B accommodations. I usually travel in early June.

I do appreciate your replies, and I shall be very interested to read any suggestions you might make. J.

Stephanie Inn Cannon Beach, Oregon

The Shore House Lake Tahoe CA

Bayside Inn, Alton New Hampshire

High Tide Inn, Camden Maine

Inn on Summer Hill, Summerland CA

Harbor House Inn, south of Mendocino, California.

Thank you very much for the places you've recommended thusfar. Particularly beautiful are the Stephanie Inn (however, 50 rooms make it one of the larger ones), High Tide Inn, and Harbor House. J.

Hello, again. GoTravel wrote that there are "probably thousands". But you see, I think maybe that isn't true. I did do some looking at U.S. guidebooks before posting my question and found that large hotels and condominiums had snagged most of the prime spots not already claimed as sites for private residences. Alas. Thanks again 1J, clarkg, and nc.

I know of several in Alaska.

What do you mean any leads will be copied and pasted?

The Arbor House in Black Mountain, North Carolina and A White Texas Pelican in Kemah, TX.

volcanogirl, those are the kind of places that I'm looking for. Thank you very much!

Gail, I'm sort of old, so perhaps my techno lingo is out of date. I visit each website, and while I'm there, I copy the url and paste it in my word travel file on my laptop. That way, I've got all the links in one spot along with relevant comments. I used to bookmark all interesting urls, but I never learned how to make bookmark folders, and that list got way out of control. Oh well.

J.

I'm glad, jmw - we've stayed at both of those and loved them, and the service was excellent too.

It would be fun if you gave your top ten at the end of this thread....with links if technically feasible.

Castle Hill-Newport, RI
The Boulders-New Preston, CT
Alyce's Dunscroft-Harwichport, MA
Madison Beach Hotel-Madison, CT
The Breakers-Spring Lake, NJ (not small but not huge0

The Seven Gables Inn

http://www.pginns.com/

in Pacific Grove CA [near Monterey and Carmel]. It was divine! The view from our room overlooking the water was perfect as was the sound of the waves.

See for yourself:
http://picasaweb.google.com/DebitNM/PacificGroveCA2008

Deb

I've just spent an hour and a half visiting the websites of places recommended by the last couple of posters. I should have been working on powerpoints and lesson plans for next week's back to school.

Debbie, your 7 Gables Inn is lovely, and thank you so much for linking your own pictures. Sobster, Castle Hill is a stunner. I think two nights there would total the same dollar amount as my entire five-night stay on Lago Maggiore including airfare. But that's OK; I'll file it under 'splurge'.

The suggestions thusfar have included a range of budgets; and while most of them are more expensive than my favorite Gerra-Gambarogno two-star (with balcony lake-view), their "amenities" do dazzle.

Ncounty, I will be happy to post with the list of website links at the end of this week. Thank you all for helping me to prove to myself that it just might be possible to find my dream "room with a view" without dusting off my passport. J.

Dear jmw444-Just to be facetious, I was going to recommend Hotel La Palma in Stresa.

www.elizabethpointelodge.com or www.innonoakcreek.com.

This one has more of a harbor view, but still quite nice, I think.

topsideinn.com

One more. If there's such a thing as affordable luxury, this is it.

innonlakegranbury.com

http://www.bayside-inn.com/images/sundeck2.jpg

http://www.blairhill.com/room1.php

Some friends have rented the entire Inn on Lake Granbury for the last weekend in October. They are all excited and looking forward to staying there. It looks wonderful on the website. Too bad we won't be with them - we'll be in France - oh well!

The Inn on the Sound in Falmouth, MA is gorgeous with wonderful views of Nantucket Sound just across the street. Cape May, NJ has some lovely inns on the ocean,too.

I thought of another one I liked - the Inn by the Sea in Maine.

Oh, how I wish I had started this thread earlier in the summer. Why do I get inspired by diversions just when I should be buckling back down to business?

Here are two of my own from previous solo research, not from on-site experience, unfortunately.

http://www.bigbeachhouse.com/

http://www.greengablesinnpg.com/

I'll have to spread my virtual trips throughout the day today. I'll use them as carrots. Lesson prep one hour earns 15 minutes of following the most recent leads from last night.

sobster, you are being counterproductive, but you've given me a laugh followed by a wistful sigh. J.

FWIW - I had booked at Green Gables before switching to Seven Gables. We walked past Grren Gables while in Pacific Grove. I was glad we had made the switch. Seven Gables had better location and was really much prettier.

Deb

I'll echo DebitNM's post about the Seven Gables being lovely - both inside & out; we stayed at the Tickle Pink Inn in Carmel Highlands (the Crow's Nest room which we loved!), but I would definitely consider Seven Gables (over all the options in Pacific Grove) for a subsequent trip! We used to live in NJ, so am familiar with the Breakers. There are other lovely accomodations in Spring Lake; I guess you could check out the website if you're interested. Cape May, NJ is also very lovely. I think someone mentioned Newport, RI which I loved, as is Cape Cod (loved Falmouth, Chatham, & Martha's Vineyard). We've also stayed at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge in Amelia Island, Fl & absolutely loved it & the surrounding area/Fernandina Beach. Another area you might like is Seaside, Florida.

I surely do hope others are reaping the benefits of this thread, as I am. There are some great places here.

Topside Inn caught my eye especially, because I've always wanted to visit Boothbay Harbor. Blair Inn is also very appealing and those lake views are spectacular. Of particular interest to me are the B&B's that seem to offer easy neighborhood walks into villages or along the shore. What a delight to park the car and not return to it until the end of the week (or however long the budget will stretch). J.

So here's a summary list. Thank you all for your contributions. I can't imagine that I'm the only person who has "room with a view" as a top priority, so maybe you've assisted more folks than you know. Happy travels, all. J.

http://www.stephanie-inn.com/
http://www.bayside-inn.com/
http://www.hightideinn.com/inn.html
http://www.innonsummerhill.com/about.htm
http://www.theharborhouseinn.com/
http://www.awhitetexaspelican.com/
http://www.arborhousenc.com/house.htm
http://www.pginns.com/7gables/abt7g.html
http://www.castlehillinn.com/Lodging/The_Inn/
http://www.bouldersinn.com/
http://www.dunscroftbythesea.com/
http://www.madisonbeachhotel.com/
http://www.breakershotel.com/
http://www.elizabethpointelodge.com/
http://www.innonoakcreek.com/
http://topsideinn.com/
http://innonlakegranbury.com/index.html
http://www.blairhill.com/index.php
http://www.blairhill.com/index.php
http://www.innbythesea.com/
http://www.bigbeachhouse.com/
http://www.greengablesinnpg.com/

Thanks for compiling this list! It was fun to look at some of the places.

I have physically been to two of these places and they are quite different with commensurate prices. The Inn at Summerhill did not have stunning views IMO. The rooms are small and a bit motel like but beautifully decorated. They had a wonderful breakfast when I was there many years ago. It is on the east side of the highway and not right on the ocean. It is a very pleasant place to stay.

The Harbor House is perched right on the ocean and is a fantastic location. I didn't stay there myself but I checked it out in person and wanted to come back. Rates were in the low 200s back then and I even made reservations but that trip ended up being canceled. I wish I had gone now that prices are almost doubled! I believe the price then may have included dinner which made what seemed expensive back then more palatable. Their views are amazing and probably worth the splurge.

Great list, jmw; thanks for assembling it!

Sunnyside in Lake Tahoe is a very small hotel sitting on the water. Their outdoor dining is right on the water. Personally, I think it is a beautiful location.

The Sagamore-Bolton Landing, NY (Lake George0

www.hooliohouse.com

Highland Inn - San Juan Islands -- fabulous! http://www.highlandinn.com/

Also, Clam Beach Cottage - Salt Spring Island (British Columbia) -- not a traditional B&B -- but, a wonderful waterfront cottage - and they stock the refrigerator with breakfast foods. Check out the photos on tripadvisor --

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g154941-d527174-Reviews-Clam_Beach_Cottage_Bed_and_Breakfast-Saltspring_Island_British_Columbia.html

We've stayed at both of these properties and highly recommend them.

We just returned from a Northwest trip that included Friday Harbor House on San Juan Island, Washington. The view was delightful from morning til late at night. www.fridayharborhouse.com

Have stayed at Highlands Inn in Carmel Highlands - great ocean view, but we much preferred our stay at Martine Inn in Pacific Grove, CA.

Great Lake Tahoe view available with the right cabin rental at Franciscan Lakeside Lodge, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. We had our own private strip of beach and shared a boat dock with a few others. ON the water. Fantastic.

Also Agate Cove Inn in Mendocino, CA
and Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA.
Inn on Oak Creek, Sedona, AZ

turtlebeachinn.com

North Hero House, North Hero Island VT

Wow, I thought we were finished. This is such fun. I can only check in on weekends now that I'm back to teaching, but it's a treat.

I especially love the look of Sunnyside and Asilomar.

A question about Turtle Beach. It has such a nice relaxed look. I'm wondering about air conditioning. No? My travel time is limited to June, and my past experience with Florida destinations is that ceiling fans would not be enough for comfortable sleeping. Comments?

Thank you all, and happy trip-dreaming. J.

Turtle Beach Inn is air conditioned - I'd never stay there if it weren't, believe me!

The place is run by a lady named Trish who makes sure every little thing is perfect!

Reference: Starrville's Florida's Forgotten Coast TR:
http://tinyurl.com/b7za5

The beach is more firm than the sugar sand beaches of Destin or Panama City. They allow driving on the beach - but there were very few people on the beach at all. Several hundred yards between groups of 3 to 7, the weekend we were there.

At 9PM, all exterior lights out, so as not to confuse the turtle hatchlings. There is a special coating on the windows of the rooms ( undetectable by me ), which blocks the interior light from going out toward the beach.

I suggest you email Trish if you have any concerns at all. But, I don't mind helping if you have more questions for me.
If quiet is what you want, this would certainly fit the bill.

I guess it's time for me to do a mini TR of our weekend. For consolidation, I'll try to attach it to starr's TR today.

Sorry, the link is not working, but if you do a search, it does come up.

Thanks, belle.

Picture this... your own quintessential Cape Cod Cottage, except it is part of a small luxury B+B in the Cape Cod National Seashore. The Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast sits amid 100 acres of protected National Seashore pasture/forest. There is an 800 sq ft honeymoon cottage, with its own gardens and absolute privacy that gets all the services of the other accommodations at the B+B. The views out the sliding window of the living room are if rolling meadows, tidal marsh and barrier beach with the Atlantic beyond. It is not a view you will find in most places because instead of the fields you would probably find houses. But because of the National Park, the fields remain mowed and the view is glorious. This place is our very favorite on Cape Cod. You can take a look at the Nantucket Cottage with ocean views on the Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast web site:
www.forthillbedandbreakfast.com

There are some nice B&Bs in Orange Beach/Gulf Shores, Alabama (on the Alabama Gulf Coast). You can check out some options here: www.thebeachiscalling.org.

Little River inn in mendocino and sunnyside in lake tahoe.