There are so many reasons to go to a B&B, but in the Valentine month of February, that reason is often romance. Here are a few inns that clearly love a good romance package:

 

  Foodies book vacations around a destination’s authentic food offerings. Exercise enthusiasts map their road trips around triathlons and marathons. History devotees head to reenactments. Music lovers fill up their summer calendar with live concerts. Let’s make this the summer of music getaways in Wisconsin. You may be surprised at the line-ups! Hand it to Wisconsin to host every kind of music genre around – jazz to rock, indie to folk, up-and-comers to today’s biggest headliners. Seems we just love a good party with good tunes. If music is your thing, here’s a Billboard-esque rundown of top concerts in Wisconsin this summer and suggestions on where to stay after the final curtain call. [caption id="attachment_2500" align="aligncenter" width="304"] Waterfest, Oshkosh WI[/caption] June 15-16: Metro Jam, Manitowoc. This free music fest features performers across nearly every genre. Westport B&B and Red Forest B&B offer impeccable accommodations not far from the festival. Thursdays, June 21-August 23: Waterfest live concert series, Oshkosh. Soak up the atmosphere at the outdoor amphitheater, then stay at the Brayton B&B, where it captures the best aspects of a B&B: wonderfully inviting rooms, tantalizing food, and the personal touch of Innkeepers that happily serve as concierge during your stay. July 6-7: Eaux Claires Fest, Eau Claire. This indie music and arts festival is getting lots of national attention. The Otter Creek Inn offers one acre of wooded beauty located within city limits and is abound with flowers in the summer, while the nearby Inn on Lake Wissota is famous for being tucked away in the pine-filled shores of this picturesque lake. August 2-5: Mile of Music, Appleton. After all that walking at this free, 100% original music festival featuring emerging artists, you can walk to and rest up at Franklin Street Inn, where Victorian Charm with Modern Comfort give you the experience of comfort and elegance when you sleep. August 17-18: Big Bull Falls Blues Fest, Wausau. Stewart Inn is fit for music celebrities, where it offers unmatched charm and amenities in a beautiful arts & crafts mansion. [caption id="attachment_2502" align="alignleft" width="300"] Big Bull Falls Blues Fest, Wausau WI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2503" align="alignright" width="240"] Eaux Claires Fest, Eau Claire WI[/caption]               August 24-26: Great River Road Folk Festival, La Crosse. Four Gables B&B and Castle La Crosse offer very unique overnight experiences - Four Gables B&B is a lovely Victorian Queen Anne home listed on the National Register and tastefully furnished with antiques. Castle La Crosse, also designed in the Queen Anne form, is a grand bed and breakfast featuring numerous bedrooms, beautiful leaded and stained-glass windows, a library, and a music room. September 28: Kilbourn City Live, Wisconsin Dells. Hear up-and-comers before they hit it big, then head to peaceful Bowman’s Oak Hill B&B to enjoy 8 acres of park like setting and 23 acres of woods to wander. You will have the opportunity to rest, reflect, relax and be renewed both in body and spirit during your stay.  

Are you ready to Seek the Unique?

 

  [caption id="attachment_2072" align="aligncenter" width="434"] Brayton B&B[/caption]   With the bounty of the harvest in full swing, you may want to pace yourself with small bites. The Brayton B&B in Oshkosh shared this recipe for a crab puff appetizer they served to rave reviews during a recent wine and cheese tour. Crab Puffs - serves 12 6 English muffins ½ cup butter 1 jar of Old English Cheese, 5 oz. 6 oz. imitation crab meat 1 ½ tsp. mayonnaise ½ tsp. garlic salt Dash of horseradish Mix all the ingredients together. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread mixture on muffin halves and put on a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes until slightly brown on top. Cut into quarters or pick up and eat. Serve as an appetizer or quick snack.   [caption id="attachment_2073" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Brayton B&B Cheesy Crabby Appetizers[/caption]

Are you ready to Seek the Unique?

 

  [caption id="attachment_1941" align="aligncenter" width="413"] Lake Orchard Farm Retreat in Sheboygan, WI ~ greenhouse[/caption] Farmers’ markets in Wisconsin are legendary, so much so that even visitors make a point to include them on their fall itineraries. To further the farm connection, stay at a working farm B&B. [caption id="attachment_1338" align="alignright" width="164"] Astor House B&B in Green Bay, WI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1903" align="alignleft" width="156"] Otter Creek Inn in Eau Claire, WI[/caption] [caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="147"] Hotel Ruby Marie in Madison, WI[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_1945" align="alignleft" width="198"] Farmers' Market in Dane County[/caption] Perhaps the most famous farmers’ market not just in Wisconsin but in the country is the Dane County Farmers’ Market, the nation’s largest producer-only market. Walk to this market on the capital square when you stay at Hotel Ruby Marie. In Oshkosh, vendors line the main street, with shoppers loading up on fruits and veggies, flowers and egg rolls, even a loaded Bloody Mary morning cocktail before doing a little shopping at the downtown boutiques. The Brayton B&B is conveniently located right downtown as well. In Appleton, stroll among 150 vendors and treat yourself to some baked goods too. Stay at the Franklin Street Inn, where an elegant breakfast can be delivered right to your suite. A bit farther north is Green Bay, where the Saturday farmers’ market dates back 100 years this year. Enjoy music while you shop before heading to your room at the Astor House B&B. If you’re staying at the 1810 Emerson House B&B in Beloit, then be sure to visit their farmers’ market in the heart of their historic downtown district. Make the connection to country life at the Eau Claire farmers’ market, then spend the night at the spacious Otter Creek Inn. [caption id="attachment_1137" align="alignleft" width="229"] Rainbow Ridge Farms in Onalaska, WI is very kid-friendly![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1735" align="alignright" width="229"] Valley Springs Farm B&B in Reedsburg, WI[/caption]                 We’re proud to have a number of farmstead inns among our membership too. There’s Lake Orchard Farm Retreat, a 6^th generation farm with on-site golf course in Sheboygan; Rainbow Ridge Farms in Onalaska, with turn-of-the-century farmhouse and 35-acre working hobby farm; and Valley Springs Farm B&B in Reedsburg, a 4^th generation dairy farm and one of the stops on this year’s “Hill and Valley Exploration Tour” in Sauk County being held the first two full weekends in October. The tour includes more than 60 activities along the way, from learning how to shear sheep to grooming a show calf to harvesting honey. Fill your cooler with fresh veggies, jellies and preserves purchased directly from the 14 participating farms.  

Are you ready to Seek the Unique?

We promised to pass along more innkeeper recommendations on nearby hiking trails and here they are! First we invite you to explore the trails close to the Eagle Harbor Inn, in Ephraim. Right in Ephraim there is a path that wanders through the town and up the bluff down small quiet back roads past all kinds of summer cottages and year around homes. The Bay of Green is never far from view. In fact at many places along the way it’s possible to dip your toes into that bay. There is a route that is mapped it takes a couple of hours. But, it is possible to walk small parts of the route at a time.   Also located close by is one of the best state parks in the state, Peninsula State Park. There are trails for all skill levels and they vary in length as well. The park is loaded with so much to see.  If those are trails too traveled for your taste there is Newport State Park a mere a 20 minute drive north. There you’ll find more secluded and rugged trails on the shores of Lake Michigan.  Also Whitefish Dunes State Park is located south of Jacksonport. Along with miles of trails over sand dunes and into the thickly wooded areas of the park, there are dunes along the shore for picnicking and sunning while you try to brave the icy cold waters of Lake Michigan.   A little further south in Appleton Judy Halma of the Franklin Street Inn shared with us that guests often enjoy hiking the Heckrodt Hiking Trail-76 acres of forested wetland, 3+ mile trail system allows access without getting your wet feet, located less than 5 miles from the inn.   Nearby in Oshkosh, Brayton B&B recommends The Wiouwash State Trail is a rail trail just a few short blocks from the inn. Its name is derived from the first two letters of the four counties it traverses: Winnebago, Outagamie, Waupaca, and Shawano. The trail is used by walkers, hikers, bikers, horseback riders, and snowmobilers during the winter months. The trail is split into two sections. The northern section runs from Aniwa to Split Rock. The southern section runs for 21 miles from Oshkosh northward to Hortonville and offers opportunities for biking, walking, jogging and bird-watching.  As it traverses the countryside, the southern section of the Wiouwash passes through a number of interesting natural habitats. Segments of the trail run through prairie and wetlands, attracting hundreds of species of birds, including sandhill cranes. The trail also crosses Dagget’s Creek, the Rat River and Black Otter Creek. It’s a scenic and relaxing journey, whether you’re on foot or two wheels.  That's all for now! Stay tuned for Part 3 for more hiking recommendations!   [caption id="attachment_1246" align="aligncenter" width="506"] Heckrodt Hiking Trail in Menasha offers great views of the diverse life in the wetlands.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1247" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Peninsula State Park[/caption]

Here’s a trend that’s coming on strong – amateur athletes choosing Wisconsin B&Bs when traveling for 5Ks, half-marathons, marathons, sprint triathlons, adventure races, well, you get the gist.  Makes sense when you consider B&Bs are in a rather unique position to customize just about anything a “weekend warrior” would need to be in peak condition for the competition.  In Door County, the Door County Lighthouse Inn offers to-go nourishment for the athlete and coffee cake for the athlete’s support team.  At the Hamilton House B&B in Whitewater, innkeeper Kathleen Fleming says the runners who participate in the Ice Age 50 and Kettle 100 may schedule a massage with the inn’s massage therapist, but most take ice baths in the inn’s huge tubs after the race!  If you’re heading to Oshkosh for the August 5 Olympic and Sprint Triathlon, the Brayton B&B has upscale bath amenities and beds to provide great comfort after the race.   [caption id="attachment_683" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Could there possibly be a better way to unwind after a race? (we'll include the rat race too!) Innkeeper Kathleen at the Hamilton House B&B in Whitewater says it's your choice of whirlpool therapy - steaming soothing bubbles or tingling ice for sore muscles."][/caption]