End-of-season road trip!
9 great B&B detours off I-95 for northbound drivers
By MARY THURWACHTER
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Heading north and dreading the tiresome drive on Interstate 95?
Down by the river-side: The Riverdale Inn has its own restaurant and pub, and is within walking distance of Jacksonville's Cummer Museum of Art.
Birdwatchers paradise: The other side of this B&B in Darien, Ga. (The Blue Heron Inn), faces the marshland and provides a perfect perch for watching birds.
Greenspring Valley jewel: The Gramercy Mansion, an English Tudor bed-and- breakfast in Baltimore County, has lovely gardens set on 45 acres of woodlands.
Prepare to be pampered: At Abingdon Manor, guests are treated to turn-down service with chocolates and champagne. Bedrooms are fit for royalty.
5-star halfway house: Want upscale accommodations on the long road north? Stay at Abingdon Manor in Latta, S.C.
Cheers! Complimentary wine and cheese awaits guests at Richmond's Grace Manor.
Paws awhile: These adorable Yorkies are part of the meet-and-greet staff at the Grace Manor in Richmond.
Meadow Garden B&B in Annapolis, Md.
Garden view at Meadow Garden B&B in Annapolis, Md.
Dogwood tree branch at Meadow Garden B&B in Annapolis, Md.
Gramercy mansion in Maryland.
Can't blame you, really. Packing the car and paying at the pump are painful enough, not to mention long hours behind the wheel and putting up with road construction projects that try your patience and slow your progress.
This year, make the trip an adventure with some welcoming, unwinding pit stops along the way at bed-and-breakfast inns. Motel 6-type rest stops may save you a few bucks, but these gems will go far beyond leaving the light on for you; they'll toss in a great breakfast - fuel for the driver - to boot.
JACKSONVILLE'S RIVERDALE INN
Distance from West Palm Beach: 288 miles, 4 hours, 15 minutes
From I-95: Less than a mile.
Room rates: $100-$185
First stop: Book a room at the Riverdale Inn with its own Row Restaurant on site. Have a nightcap at the B&B's Gum Bunch Pub and sweet dreams are sure to follow.
Built in 1901, the mansion has solid heart-of-pine floors, wainscoting, crown moldings and spacious, beautifully decorated rooms, each with its own bath. Outdoors, the Riverdale has a shingled, painted façade, and the original curved columns that frame a wide veranda. A brick path leads guests through landscaping that duplicates the original garden.
Breakfast specials include sausage frittata, omelets and quiche.
For more information: Call (866) 808-3400 or see www.riverdaleinn.com.
If you have time to spare: Tour the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, which is known for its collections of European and American paintings and world-renowned collection of early Meissen porcelain. Within walking distance of the B&B on the banks of the St. Johns River, the museum has 2 acres of formal gardens.
BLUE HERON INN, DARIEN, GA.
Distance from West Palm Beach: 370 miles, 5 hours, 20 minutes
From I-95: 8 miles
Room rates: $95-$160.
Second stop: Like marshland and bird-watching? You're sure to like this inn. The three-story Spanish-style house, built in 1970, has four guest rooms with fabulous tidal creek and marsh views. We recommend the Blue Heron room with the king bed, double shower and Jacuzzi tub.
There's a deck outside perfect for watching the sunset. Innkeepers can arrange a kayaking trip or an offshore fishing excursion. For dinner, treat yourself to crispy flounder or crab cakes at Skippers Fish Camp or fresh shrimp at Sapelo Station Crossing.
Breakfast specialties at the Blue Heron include fresh shrimp omelets or praline French toast using Paula Deen's recipe.
Distance and travel time from Stop No. 1 in Jacksonville: 84 miles, 1 hour, 14 minutes
For more information: Call (912) 437-4304 or see www.blueheroninngacoast.com.
If you have time to spare: Take a ferry ($2-$10) over to Sapelo Island, where you can walk or bike ride and see oodles of shorebirds and an occasional gator, but not a lot of humans.
CHARLESTON'S RUTLEDGE VICTORIAN GUEST HOUSE
Distance from West Palm Beach: 525 miles, 7 hours, 48 minutes.
From I-95: 60 miles
Room rates: $149-$239
Third stop: Charleston, S.C. It's a bit of a drive from I-95 but worth it. Stay at the Rutledge Victorian Guest House in the historic district. Unwind in the tranquil atmosphere of bygone days with a glass of sherry on the B&B's 120-foot wrap-around veranda. Awaken in your comfy bed to the aroma of freshly brewed Charleston-blend coffee. Expect a plentiful, buffet- style breakfast with English scones, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, fresh juice and fruit served in the dining room.
For dinner, walk to Hominy Grill, a Charleston institution known for serving classic Southern specialties for pan-fried chicken or shrimp and grits.
Distance and travel time from Stop No. 2 in Darien, Ga.: 161 miles, 2 hours, 35 minutes
For more information: Call (888)722-7553 or see www.charles tonvictorian.com/
If you have time to spare: Shop on King Street. You can find anything from the latest Hermes scarf to Chinese export porcelain painted in the Green Fitzhugh pattern, circa 1800-30. Or, take a walking or carriage tour in this city with a rich history dating back to 1670, when settlers established Charles Town Landing.
HALFWAY BETWEEN WEST PALM BEACH AND NYC!
LATTA, S.C., ABINGDON MANOR
Distance from West Palm Beach: 620 miles, 8 hours, 54 minutes
From I-95: 5 miles
Room rates: $170-$185
Fourth stop: This opulent Greek Revival home east of I-95 is halfway between New York City and Palm Beach. Abingdon Manor is one of the few Florence-area lodgings to offer on-site evening dining and liquor service.
All seven guest rooms have fresh flowers, featherbeds (under the bottom sheet on top of firm mattress); Italian Frette linens, separate closet and dresser, iron and ironing board, full-length mirror and expanded cable television.
Those who stay here are treated to evening turndown with Champagne and chocolates, early-morning coffee and tea service, and a gourmet breakfast.
The inn's dining room has received AAA's Four Diamond Award for the past six years.
Dinner is served on imported crystal, Villeroy & Boch china, sterling silver, and you can listen to the melodies of Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Entrees change daily, depending on what is fresh and available.
Richly textured with herbs and vegetables from the B&B's gardens, meals include amuses-gueules, soup, salad, bread, sorbet, entree with accompaniments and dessert.
Dinner is $49.50 per person plus tax and 18 percent gratuity - and worth every penny!
Distance from Stop No. 3 in Darien, Ga.: 254 miles, 3 hours, 40 minutes
For more information: Call (888) 752-5090 or see www.abingdonmanor.com
If you have time to spare: You can find antiques shops and golf within 30 miles. South of the Border, a tacky but fun rest stop and roadside attraction near Dillon, S.C., is nearby and has restaurants, gas stations, a motel, small amusement park, shopping and fireworks. On I-95, you'll see its mascot Pedro, wearing a sombrero and poncho, counting down the number of miles to South of the Border (between South and North Carolina).
TARBORO, N.C., THE MAIN STREET INN
Distance from West Palm Beach: 788 miles, 11 hours, 34 minutes
From I-95: 13 miles
Room rates: $109
Fifth stop: Incorporated in 1760, Tarboro is one of the oldest towns in the country.
It still has its original Town Common, a 15-acre park canopied by tall oaks that marks the threshold to a 45-block historic district and renovated downtown, all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Main Street Inn, built in 1895, is a three-story Italianate house with a grand neo-classical porch lined with inviting rockers. Guest rooms have king-size beds, leather seating, original heart pine floors, cable TV and wireless internet service.
The breakfast specialty, complete with candlelight, linens, fine china and silver and served in the Red Cedar Wine Room, is strawberry-stuffed French toast. But that's only one of the yummy entrees you can expect here.
For dinner, order grilled striped bass (or any fish dish) at On The Square, a popular eatery just off Main Street.
Distance from Stop No. 4 in Latta, S.C.: 176 miles, 250 miles
For more information: Call (252) 823-3221 or see www.mainstreetinn.biz.
If you have time to spare: Stroll through the historic Town Common founded in 1760. Originally established for the common grazing of livestock, community outings and military drills, the area now stands as an extraordinary centerpiece to Tarboro with its statuesque trees.
Several historic monuments can be found here, too, including the 1860 cotton press, the pretty herb gardens area and the nature walk along McBryde Trail. Surrounding the commons are beautiful, stately homes built between 1890 and 1910.
RICHMOND'S GRACE MANOR INN
Distance from West Palm Beach: 885 miles, 13 hours
From I-95: Less than 2 miles.
Room rates: $175-$215
Sixth stop: Spend the night in the heart of the Fan District. All four guest suites come with a complimentary bottle of wine and cheese. Each suite has a large bedroom that connects to an impressive private sitting room.
Breakfast is a three-course affair under the Tiffany chandelier in the dining room. Bellinis (the nectar of white peaches and Italian sparkling wine) and mimosas (Champagne and orange juice) are complimentary.
A typical breakfast begins with a seasonal fruit dish and is followed by one of the signature entrees, like Rustic Italian Breakfast (grilled Italian bread topped with a smear of goat cheese, basil pesto, proscuit-to ham, broiled tomatoes, poached eggs and a fresh chiffonade of basil).
Breakfast always ends with something sweet, like a small serving of panna cotta with fresh berries.
Crave puppy love? The inn's official mascots, Cocoa, Bear and Teddy Schick, will be happy to dish it out! If you're worried about allergies, know that Yorkshire terriers are considered an allergy-free breed because of their lack of shedding and dander.
For dinner, try the nearby Carytown Sushi or Edo's Squid, a neighborhood Italian restaurant with great seafood.
Distance from Stop No. 5 in Tarboro, N.C.: 132 miles, 2 hours, nine minutes.
For more information: Call (804) 353-4334 or see www.thegracemanorinn.com.
If you have time to spare: Visit Richmond's Historic Monument Avenue, a block from the B&B. Walk to restaurants and museums, as well as Virginia Commonwealth University. The state capitol, The Diamond (home to the Richmond Braves' AAA minor-league baseball team), the University of Richmond, and the Greater Richmond Convention Center are all within 5 miles of the inn.
