Dive into Water Adventures from the Doorsteps of B&Bs

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How I Became an Innkeeper: Clear Lake Bed & Breakfast

CABBI Cookbook Recipe: Amaretto French Toast

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Family-Friendly Travel Deals

The MacCallum House Inn warmly welcomes children and pets. The inn was recently awarded “ The Golden Bone Award” by  The Dog Lover's Companion to California. The inn offers care packages for canine guests, babysitting services, croquet on the lawn, kid-friendly meal selections, and suggested itineraries for family activities in the area. Picnic backpacks and day hike packs are available for family picnics. Now through September 2010, book a two-night stay in any of the inn’s pet-friendly deluxe or premier rooms and get 20% off the regular rate. The inn will also waive the pet fee. Just mention CABBI. (Not valid for holiday periods.) 

Located just footsteps from Cambria's beautiful Moonstone Beach, the FogCatcher Inn welcomes families and pets. The inn’s resident rock-hound experts will carefully inspect treasures collected by kids after beach walks. For fans of origami, the inn offers poolside classes in how to fold fun towel creations. The inn also offers families board games, coloring books and crayons, puzzles, playing cards and cookies.  Family pets receive special treats and VIP (Very-Important-Pet) status. Families can now save 15% on bookings made at least 21 days in advance for three or four-night stays.

Located in upper Napa Valley, the Brannan Cottage Inn in Calistoga is a family- and pet-friendly inn with hearty breakfasts served each day. The inn’s two mini suites (the Lavender and Celadon Rooms) are especially welcoming for families with private bedrooms and additional sleeping options in the sitting rooms. The mini suite rates are based on double occupancy, but for a limited time, with the mention of CABBI, the inn will waive the extra person fees (for children up to 15 years old) and provide discount tickets to the Old Faithful Geyser of Calistoga and the Petrified Forest of California and free access to the outdoor swimming pool and mineral springs at the Golden Haven Hot Springs Spa.

The Best of Family-Friendly Sonoma County at the Camellia Inn includes one night in a Family Suite or All Seasons Suite, discount coupons to use at family-friendly area restaurants, and complimentary concierge services to arrange kayaking, canoeing, bicycling, horseback riding, box lunches, boating, ranger activities at Lake Sonoma, summer day camp, waterslide, visits to the Charles M. Schulz Museum or Safari West Wildlife Preserve, and other activities. Pet sitting can also be arranged.

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Clear Lake Bed
& Breakfast
Gregg and Diane Gill

When innkeepers Gregg and Diane Gill were first married 26 years ago, their shared love for entertaining got them pondering the idea of starting a reception center. Dreaming even bigger, they considered having rooms where wedding guests could stay.

While other ambitions got in the way over the years, the Gills occasionally talked about the idea for a reception center/inn, especially with so many friends and family visiting at any given time. It was almost as if they had a bed and breakfast, they joked... except they knew their guests.

When the Gills visited Lakeport with their daughter’s dance troupe 10 years ago, they felt a strong desire to stay. The desire was so strong that they went looking for property and purchased a home on a large piece of lakefront property.

Once permanently in Lakeport, the Gills continued to regularly entertain friends and family. Gregg, a general contractor specializing in building single-family homes, quickly got the itch to build another home on the property.

The Gills split the property into two plots, and Gregg, inspired by a home on George Washington’s plantation, began designing and then building the home. During the process, they realized they didn’t want to sell either home, but they needed a way to bring in some income.

That’s when they realized that the timing was perfect for a bed and breakfast, as was the house, which had been built with three private suites for guests, verandas for each room overlooking the lake, a large great room, theater room, and a beautiful wrap-around porch. The Gills gathered all of the necessary permits to turn the home into the bed and breakfast they had joked about for so long.

February 2009 marked the grand opening of the Clear Lake Bed & Breakfast. Since then, they’ve had hundreds of guests from around the country (California, New York New Jersey, Texas) and even the world (Netherlands, Germany, Japan). Ironically, they have also hosted several weddings and receptions, often hosting members of the wedding party.

The family “joke” has become a reality – and the Gills are loving it.

Dive into Water Adventures from the Doorsteps of B&B Inns

With deep blue lakes, beautiful rivers, and 840 miles of breathtaking Pacific coastline, California beckons travelers to dive in. You can snorkel among the kelp forests, catch a wave with a surfboard, paddle adrenaline-pumping whitewater, or skim across a glassy lake at sunset. No matter what type of adventure you seek, you’re likely to find a bed and breakfast inn just steps from the water.

Perched above the rocky shoreline in Pacific Grove, the Martine Inn offers an ideal base for exploring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Paddle a kayak among the sea otters playing in the kelp beds while pelicans soar and dive overhead. Peer down to catch sight of the abundant sea life below the water’s surface. Kayak rentals are available at Cannery Row and Lover’s Point, just a short walk from the Martine Inn. From the inn’s doorstep, you can also set off on a 17-mile path that meanders along the shoreline providing opportunities for tide pooling and beach combing.

The sunny beaches of Santa Barbara boast a multitude of water pursuits including stand-up paddling, surfing, sailing, diving, sea kayaking, and sport fishing. The Old Yacht Club Inn B&B is located just a block from Santa Barbara’s famous East Beach and offers complimentary beach cruisers, beach chairs, beach towels, and evening wine socials. The Simpson House Inn, adjacent to Santa Barbara’s historic El Paseo district, is also just a short walk or trolley ride to the beach and the pier. Nestled among English gardens, the inn is North America’s only AAA Five Diamond Award bed and breakfast.

The vibrant Inn at Venice Beach is just a block from the pier and carnival-like atmosphere at Venice Beach. Rent a surfboard or a boogie board from one of the beach shacks and catch some waves or cruise the boardwalk on rollerblades or bikes to watch the street performers. You can also get wet with the programmable water jets at the Children’s Fountain in Centennial Park, rent a jet ski, or go fishing off the pier.

On Catalina Island, you can kayak along the island’s dramatic coastline, snorkel among the kelp forests, or ply the waves in search of game fish. Named one of North America’s best scuba diving destinations by Rodale’s Scuba Diving Magazine, the island caters to both novice and experienced scuba divers looking to get up close and personal with the Pacific’s flora and fauna. Water adventurers can also try their hand at parasailing, jet skiing, and ocean rafting. For those looking to stay dry while experiencing underwater wonders, semi-submersibles offer daily tours through Lover’s Cove, a marine preserve teeming with bright-orange Garibaldi, calico bass, and opal eye perch. Whatever experience you chose, the Aurora Hotel and Spa and The Avalon Hotel provide the perfect spot to dry off and plan your next adventure.

The historic 1906 Lodge at Coronado Beach near San Diego is just a block and a half from one of the top-rated beaches in the U.S. and one of the best for an array of water sports. Choose from surfing, boogie boarding, or kite boarding.  Or venture out onto the bay with a kayak, jet ski, power boat, or sailboat.  The inn provides complimentary beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, and evening wine and cheese on the front veranda.

In Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, the Pacific Victorian Bed & Breakfast is a block and a half from the ocean and a world away from the crowds. Ride the waves on a surfboard, catch the wind on a kite board, or paddle the coastline in a kayak. Take to the seas on a whale watching or sport fishing expedition or stick close to shore to explore the tide pools.

Further inland, whitewater enthusiasts can paddle the majestic Kings River. Originating in Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness, the river drops and splashes through the Sierra Foothills of Fresno County. The Sequoia View Bed & Breakfast at Cedar View Winery is the ideal place to unwind after a day rafting or kayaking the river. The inn is nestled amid 20 acres of an estate vineyard. Owners Jim and Debbie Van Haun share handcrafted wines and whitewater tales with their guests. Jim has logged over 10,000 miles of whitewater river experiences on more than 60 rivers in the western U.S. Rafting outfitters for Kings River are listed on the inn’s website.

Case Ranch Inn is an 1894 Victorian farmhouse nestled on two acres in the renowned Russian River Valley wine country between Healdsburg and Guerneville. Two miles from the inn, you can rent a canoe or kayak and paddle through the redwoods along the Russian River. There are numerous places to stop and picnic, swim, or sunbathe along the way. Burke’s Canoe Trips rents boats and runs return shuttles from Guerneville to Forestville throughout the day. Case Ranch Inn provides complimentary beach towels for the trip.

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Bridge Creek Inn Bed & Breakfast
Brie with Strawberries in Puff Pastry
Makes 8 servings

For more delicious recipes from CABBI-member inns, order our CABBI Cookbook online at www.cabbi.com/cookbook or peruse recipe collections at our new, Online Recipe Box at www.cabbi.com/recipes.