Got a mate who might need a little more romance awareness?  Trying to play cupid or hoping that cupid will find you? August is Romance Awareness Month, the perfect time to plan your end-of-the-summer romantic escape.  Whether he or she needs a little amorous adventure or tender travel, a country inn is the ideal choice to add a little subtle romance awareness.  Why?  Because inns offer the personalized experience that hotels simply can’t pull off, adding that dose of intimacy that simply leaving the light on won’t accomplish at a hotel or motel.  Fine linens, in-room fireplaces and double whirlpool tubs, incredibly luxurious beds and plenty of places for private talks and walks all add up to the distinctive intimate escape that DINE members offer.

Looking for love in all the wrong places?  Of course, the first step is booking your romantic escape at one of the nine DINE inns.  Once there, here are five tips for hitting him or her over the head with romance this August.

1)       Look through the inn’s website and be sure to have his or her favorite flowers, chilled wine or champagne and/or chocolates waiting in the room.  Wow your mate right from the gate!

2)      Allow your innkeepers to make a reservation for the best table at the inn’s restaurant or their favorite romantic bistro in town.  You might even consider a private ensuite dinner, if the inn will allow it.

3)      Bring your mate’s favorite music on your iPod or a CD, and work with your innkeeper to have “your song” playing when you arrive or return from dinner.  Write a mushy card or poem to your mate and work with your innkeeper to leave it for him or her on the pillow at arrival or after dinner.

4)      Don’t plan a packed schedule! Be sure to keep the time you’re there open for plenty R, R and R – rest, romance and relaxation.  Once you get to any of the DINE inns, you’ll find the environment so relaxing, you’ll want to simply enjoy it together rather than rush out.

5)      Splurge and stay an extra day.  It takes busy, active couples a day to relax, and then it takes a day to gear-up to go back.  Take the extra day and night to focus on romance; it’s an investment in the heart that you won’t regret.

It’s summer and while it’s farther north, New England has not escaped the heat the rest of the country is experiencing.   That doesn’t mean that you can’t keep your cool in New England. DINE member inns each offer a distinctive list of activities, many of which allow guests to cool down in fun ways. While you’ll find ice tea and lemonade, accompanied by afternoon sweets at each of the Distinctive Inns of New England, here are a few more activities where cooling down is hot on the list of fun.

Want to cool off while staying at the Manor on Golden Pond? Don’t be insulted when your partner suggests you go jump in the lake! Nearby Squam Lake offers swimming and boating opportunities galore.  Return to the inn and enjoy lake breezes and fabulous views from your private balcony, available with many room choices.

Relaxing in the White Mountains? Take a guided van ride up the Mount Washington Auto Road or The Cog Railway to the top of Mount Washington when visiting the Inn at Thorn Hill.  Temps atop Mount Washington, the largest peak in the Northeast and the home to the world’s worst weather (highest winds on record until recently were recorded there) where temps hover around 20 to 30 degrees cooler at the top than at the bottom. That night, dine on the porch and take in a few of those White Mountain breezes cool breezes while enjoying a cool glass of wine from the extensive collection here.  

Cape Cod offers many opportunities to cool off in the ocean, but no need to even leave the property when staying at the Captain’s House Inn.  Simply jump in the inn’s in-ground pool and you’ll cool off quickly.  Another option is to run the water cold in your whirlpool tub.  Most rooms offer them!

Let the wind cool you down as you zip through the air on the Deerfield Valley Zip Line  Canopy Tours.  A three hour tour including rappels, sky bridges and ziplines will not only have you flying through the air and creating your own breeze, but you’ll be too enthralled with the adventure to worry about the heat.  Return to the Deerfield Inn and cool down in Champney’s Tavern with a choice of more than 100 specialty martinis and toast the fun.

Nothing cools you down in Vermont better than ice cream, and when you stay at the Rabbit Hill Inn, a tour of nearby Ben & Jerry’s comes complete with AC and samples of your favorite flavors.  Better yet, take the customized culinary tour created by Brian and Leslie Mulcahey, and you’ll also visit Cabot Cheese for a tour of the air conditioned plant.  Return to the inn and relax around a Stave Puzzle with a glass of ice cold lemonade.

Cool breezes and gorgeous mansions highlight the Cliff Walk in Newport, RI.  Stay at the newly renovated Cliffside Inn and the Cliff Walk is literally steps from the front porch, which also doubles as the perfect place to cool off with lemonade or ice tea in the afternoon.   Inside tip: the best way to cool off on the Cliffwalk is to take an early morning or dusk walk. 

How about Limon Cello, right from the freezer?  Just the sound of it is enough to cool you down.  It’s one of the six summer special drinks being offered at the Chesterfield Inn.  If lemony goodness isn’t enough try the Peach Marguerita or a Rum Punch enjoyed on the patio overlooking a wildflower-filled meadow. 

Even Maine hasn’t escaped the summer heat, but stay at the Camden Maine Stay and hop aboard a historic windjammer in Camden Harbor, and you’ll soon be out on the ocean with the breeze blowing and lighthouses in the distance.  Return to Camden and enjoy a cool lobster roll at any number of local restaurants then an easy stroll back to the inn and through the extensive gardens offering plenty of places to sit quietly and relax.

Once in a while, staying inside and enjoying beautiful artworks or a historic story in an air conditioned museum.  Stay at the Gateways Inn, and you have an enormous selection of fabulous museums within an easy air-conditioned ride.  From Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) to the Norman Rockwell Museum in nearby Stockbridge, Gateways Inn and Restaurant offer a huge selection of world-class museums.

Recently the Y-Partnership, experts in travel research, revealed the results of a survey showing that 13-percent of leisure travelers opted to stay at inns and B&Bs in the past year.  In a recent blog post entitled To B&B, or Not, travel expert and Y-Partnership partner Peter Yesawich shared findings from the just-released 2011 Portrait Of American Travelers™.  According to Yesawich, fully one out of every eight (13%) American leisure travelers stayed at a B&B or inn at least once during the previous year. The study reveals that travelers choosing B&Bs increased to one out of six (17%) among leisure travelers with an annual household income of $125,000 or more. 

Perhaps the most important aspect of this study comes with the revelation that a remarkable eight out of ten (79%) leisure travelers expressed interest in staying at an inn or  B&B during the year ahead.  That’s music to the ears of  Distinctive Inns of  New England.

Why is the notion of an inn or B&B so appealing? Not surprisingly, it’s the lure of their distinctive ambiance according to Yesawich.  When asked why they patronized B&Bs and inns, Yesawich revealed that leisure travelers who visited inns and B&Bs did so during the previous year citing reasons ranging from the personalized service delivered by innkeepers, to the social aspects and “home-cooked food” as revealed by the results of the research below:

According to Yesawich, among leisure travelers who express interest in staying at a B&B or inn on a future trip, the home-like ambiance and amenities they expect to find in these properties are the primary reasons why:

 The Y-Partnership research corresponds with studies from BedandBreakfast.com and Professional Association of Innkeepers International, indicating that personalized service, comfortable surroundings, and added value drive the decision to choose a B&B. 

Recently one of the Distinctive Inns of New England’s facebook fans shared this comment with us after referring more than 50 friends to “like” us on facebook.  She said: “I never appreciated what B&B’s had to offer.  My husband and I had stayed in a “not so great” B&B many years ago and had avoided them ever since.  Until last year.  Needing a last minute vacation, we booked a long weekend at Rabbit Hill Inn.  What a difference!   We take several vacations a year and we now look to inns and bed and breakfasts first.   We are converts. ”

Bottom line: The buzz word in travel today is value, and travelers are discovering that inns and B&Bs offer just the kind of personalized experience, ambiance and added value they seek.  We may be preaching to the choir here, as those who’ve experienced distinctive inns become converts quickly.  So please forwward this to someone who’s never had the chance to experience a fabulous inn and make converts of them too!

Now that summer is in full swing, it’s time for summer entertaining.  Looking for some perfect recipes to heat up your BBQ’s?  Try these out for size, compliments of innkeepers from Distinctive Inns of New England.

Start the day out right with Lemon Ricotta Pancakes from Captain House Inn’s recipe collection

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes from Captain House Inn

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• Butter, for griddle

Directions:

Preheat a nonstick griddle.

Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.

Serve with fresh raspberries and maple syrup or lemon glaze.

For lunch, move onto a delicious Pesto Pasta Salad from Camden Maine Stay Inn, using the freshest tomatoes and basil from your garden or the farmer’s market.

Pesto Pasta Salad from Camden Maine Stay

Ingredients:

• Dried corkscrew or spiral pasta (short pasta)
• Mozzarella balls
• 1 dry pint of ripe cherry tomatoes
• Arugula (cut in small pieces)
• 4 tablespoons of oil

You can do your own pesto or use a prepared one (this is one of our favorite convenience foods at the Camden Maine Stay) .

Preparation:

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and the arugula in small pieces. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the tomatoes. Cook for three minutes until they fall apart. In the meantime take a bowl and add the pesto, mozzarella balls, the arugula previously cut and the other two tablespoons of oil.

Boil the pasta and when it’s ready add the warm tomato sauce and the other ingredients.  Serve up to a happy, hungry crowd!

Next, for dinner, if you really want to WOW the crowd, try serving Crispy Duck with Orange Asapagus Bulgur from the Rabbit Hill Inn recipe collection

Crispy Duck Breast with Orange Asparagus Bulgur, Asparagus Puree, and Orange Reduction (serves 4)

Ingredients for Duck:

• 4- 6oz duck breasts

Method – Duck:

• Score duck breasts through the fatty side of the skin, but not all the way through the meat.
• Place large skillet on medium heat.  No oil needed. Pan-fry duck breasts, skin side down, until skin browns and fat renders out.
• Turn breasts over, cook till golden.
• Remove breasts and set aside to rest.

Ingredients for Orange Asparagus Bulgur:

• ½ cup bulgur
• 1 cup of fresh orange juice                                                         
• 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, stems removed.
• 1 bunch of asparagus, break stems. Set 5 stalks aside for puree.

Side note about bulgur:  Bulgur comes in a variety of sizes of grain, often referred to in a system from #1 to #4, varying from finest grind to the most coarse grind. The finer the grind, the less cooking time. The coarser the grind, you may need a bit more water in cooking process.

Method – Bulgur:

• In medium sauce pan, bring orange juice and tarragon to a simmer.
• Add bulgur, stir and cover. On low heat, cook for approx. 15 minutes or until bulgar has plumped up like a rice. Add more orange juice if needed.
• Slice asparagus thinly, on bias. Add sliced asparagus and stir.
• Set aside, off burner. Keep covered.

Ingredients for Asparagus Puree:   Need a blender/food processor

• 5 stalks of asparagus (break stems) chopped.
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method – Asparagus Puree:

• Place chopped asparagus in salted boiling water, boil till tender. Strain.
• Place asparagus in blender/processor. Puree.
• Add salt & pepper to taste
• Set aside for plating.

Ingredients for Orange Reduction Sauce:

• 1 cup of fresh orange juice

Method – Orange Reduction:

• In sauce pan, bring juice to boil. Reduce to syrup consistency. Set aside, off heat. Keep covered.

Putting it all together:    Set oven to 350 degrees

• Flash the Duck breasts:  Place duck breasts on baking pan with rack – skin side up.  Place in oven for a few minutes to heat through.
• Slice breasts. Place each serving on plate.
• Add bulgur, surround with asparagus puree. Drizzle with Orange Reduction Sauce.

Want another great idea for a yummy summer dessert? Check out this step-by-step guide to making Blackberry Cobbler from the Gateways Inn & Restaurant.

Last week we offered up some great ideas for affordable summer wines from food and wine experts – your innkeepers at Rabbit Hill Inn, Chesterfield Inn and Deerfield Inn.  In our efforts to share ideas about living the distinctive life, we thought it would be helpful to offer insight into some cool summer wines that won’t break the bank.  This week, two more DINE innkeepers are weighing in with great “wine finds”. 

Wine (and beer) finds from Nancy Kaymar Stafford at the Cliffside Inn:

“One of our favorite affordable wines is the entire line of Cupcake wines.  They are available in most mainstream liquor stores.  There are also three wineries on the island here – Greenvale, Newport and Sakonnet. There are some wonderful  blends there. The best way to discver your favorite is in their tasting rooms.  For beer lovers, Extreme Coastal Brewing Company  brews Newport Storm. along  with several varieties and they recently started distilling rum as well.  Be sure to do tastings of both at their facility here in Newport.”

From Jill Meyer at Captain’s House Inn:

“I would recommend  Truro Vineyards Triumph which retails for $19.99.  Their wines are very good and many are under the $20 price point.  The Triumph is described as: ” a classic Bordeaux-style blend that is both bold and elegant. This balanced blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc has good tannic structure plus plenty of dry, inviting oak. this dry red wine enhances beef, lamb and hardy cheeses. ” The winery offers daily  tastings in the summer with abbreviated hours in the slower season.  Two daily tours at 1:00 and 3:00 are offered daily from Memorial Day to Columbus Day.  There are also Wednesday evening wine, music and art nights from 6-8 pm in July and August.”