Take A Few Days Off! Westchester Magazine, June 2008 By: Malerie Yolen-Cohen with Esther Davidowitz, Marisa LaScala, and Laurie Yarnell 26 Exhilarating Escapes Who says weekends away have to be spent lounging poolside in some dusty B&B? While that’s all well and good, here are some easy-to-drive-to jaunts that will have you hiking, shopping, dining, soaking in culture, living it up—or being completely daring. Travelers these days have a voracious appetite for value but not at the expense of luxury. We want high-thread-count linens, featherbeds, transcendent views, meals that transport, award-winning wine lists, and, at checkout, a bill that doesn’t insult our intelligence. In other words, we want highbrow without the “if-you-have-to-ask-then-you-can’t- afford-it” attitude. We searched for those B&Bs, inns, and hotels whose owners or managers wish to provide an exceptional body, mind, and soul-satisfying experience but, amazingly, take pleasure in service over outrageous profit. Who says weekends away have to be spent lounging poolside in some dusty B&B? While that’s all well and good, here are some easy-to-drive to januts that will have you hiking, shopping, dining, soaking in culture. Living it up – or being completely daring. Spring Lake Inn, Spring Lake, NJ, (732) 449-2010, One hour forty-five minutes from White Plains A mile or so off of Exit 98 on the Garden State Parkway, there’s a time tunnel. Go through it and you come out in the Atlantic oceanfront town of Spring Lake—circa 1890. There are no traffic lights. No parking meters. There are no fried dough or fudge hawkers on a two-mile, arrow-straight, wood-planked path—no hawkers of any kind at all. Spring Lake offers the longest non-commercial section of ocean boardwalk in New Jersey. The 16-room Spring Lake Inn commands a corner one block away from the waves of the Atlantic. Red-and-white striped awnings shade rocking chairs on an inviting, 80-foot front porch from which you’d expect to see a barbershop quartet stroll by. Built in 1888, the inn is a grand shore-town Victorian, owned and restored by Barbara and Andy Seaman, who are not afraid to use saturated colors in each unique room. Emerald greens, deep burgundies, electric pinks, blazing yellows—each accommodation is a mélange of styles; rag rugs with lace curtains, wingback chairs amid fringed floor lamps. Rooms are so distinctive, it’s tough to choose. “There’s one couple who comes often from Pennsylvania and is one room short of staying in all sixteen,” reports Andy. Look closely, and you’ll see solar panels on the roof. “We installed those in September 2007,” Andy says. “We’re not quite self-sufficient, but it’s a start.” Sometimes bringing the lodging industry into the 21st century takes some old-fashioned common sense. While Here: Beach it! Spring Lake Beach was ranked by About.com as the best classic beach in the United States. Access badges normally cost $9 but come with a room at the inn. Also, don’t miss a walk around (and over, via wooden foot-bridges) pond-size Spring Lake and shopping in a quaint, but chic, downtown. Not one franchise store—and fun boutiques like Splash, Camel’s Eye, Urban Details, Pink Pony, and the Spot will win you over with reasonable prices. Dine at the inventive Black Trumpet (theblacktrumpet.com)—where “Lobster Cappuccino” (lobster bisque) emerges from the kitchen in a glass coffee mug, grilled Cesar salad is half a head of Romaine touched by flame, and fish is expertly prepared—or beneath several small crystal chandeliers at romantic Whispers (whispersrestaurant.com). Both are highly rated by Zagat and are a block from the inn. Ask for: Everyone has a favorite. Though the Tower Room ($399) is popular, we are partial to the rectangular burgundy-hued Moonbeam Room ($329), which has windows on two walls and a telescope pointed at the sky. Just the Facts: Rooms are large enough to accommodate a couple port-a-cribs, and kids are welcome here. Room rates ($219-$399 in season) include a hot gourmet breakfast, e.g., crème brulée French toast—for two, beach access badges for all, use of beach chairs, blankets and towels, cookies and refreshments in the afternoon. [a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou] If you have any questions, or would like more information, please call us at 732.449.2010, email us, or use our online request form.