The February 2009 issue of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel has a feature article entitled 25 Reasons We Love Austin; The quirky Texas capital sways to the strum of its own guitar. Click here to read it online. Austinites will disagree on some of the specific choices, but you'll have to come check it out for yourself to decide, including the upcoming South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival, a week-long celebration of film, music, and interactive art running from March 13-22.

When it comes to finding a place to stay, start with BedandBreakfast.com member inns in Austin and surrounding area. The variety of styles and locations is amazing, from the recently opened Kimber Modern in hip SoCo (South Congress); to a selection of inns in the University of Texas area (Carrington's Bluff, Mansion at Judges Hill, Star of Texas, and more); to the recently opened Austin Hyde Park Inn, one of several B&Bs in the charming, historic Hyde Park neighborhood just north of downtown; to such wonderful country inns as the Inn above Onion Creek in Kyle, and many more in Wimberley.

P.S.  Bet you don't know the 26th reason why we love Austin?  Because that's where BedandBreakfast.com is based, right in the heart of town!

Barb & Fred Vogel, owners of the award-winning inn, Sea Crest by the Sea, have just published With Love from Sea Crest by the Sea, perfect for holiday entertaining ideas AND  perfect for holiday gift-giving. Filled with 135 of guests’  favorite recipes (including Jersey Shore Potatoes, Croissant French Toast, Mike's Tomato Pie, and Rainy Day Sangria), this cookbook is great for holiday entertaining and holiday gift-giving. Recipes range from delicious breakfast dishes, to sinful desserts, to tasty hors d’oeuvres; some are surprisingly quick and easy, others a bit more advanced.  It’s compiled as a loose-leaf notebook, making it easy to use because the pages lie flat, but can also be removed for easy reference while cooking/baking. To order a copy, click here. 

Note:  Sea Crest was located in charming Spring Lake, NJ, but was sold as a private home in 2007.  For information on other delightful area inns, click here.

Fuel-conscious holiday shoppers will let their fingers do the driving this holiday season, making gift cards more popular than ever this year. According to Deloitte's 23rd Annual Holiday Survey of retail spending and trends recently announced, for the fifth straight year, gift cards are expected to be the top gift purchase.  66% of consumers surveyed in 2008 plan to buy them, just slightly below last year’s 69% of consumers. Businesses will be giving employees gift cards more than any other category of gift this year, according a recent American Express Business Gifting survey. From the employee perspective, gift cards rival a day off as a desirable gift, and are bested only by cash and vacation time.

This holiday season, join savvy gift card shoppers who are turning to The Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com, welcome at nearly 4,000 B&Bs across the United States and Canada.Everyone loves that that there are no fees, no taxes, no expiration or blackout dates, and unlike other online gift purchases, free shipping is always available. Online buying in minutes means that shoppers can give a no-strings gift that offers complete flexibility. It’s the perfect holiday gift for adult kids to give their parents and grandparents, and equally appropriate for parents to give their grown children, along with a promise to babysit the grandkids! Add a customized photo of the whole family, and you have a gift that’s perfect for those who have everything but time to relax.

I receive a number of email newsletters from innkeepers throughout the country.  I thought it might be fun to start sharing some tidbits of news from innkeepers.  Here's one from Terry Hammer at Herman Hill Inn in Hermann, MO, who has spent a great deal of effort to create an eco-friendly haven for his guests.

Breakfast Makeover at Hermann Hill Inn

For the past two months, guests at the Hermann Hill Inn have been sampling new breakfast entrees. Their responses have been overwhelmingly positive.

In addition to more entree choices, Hermann Hill has expanded their breakfast menu to accommodate individual diets and special requests.

Breakfast menu enhancements include:

• The addition of soy and skim milk to your dairy choices
• Vegan and vegetarian options
• More Belgian waffle choices, including plain, blueberry, pecan, and chocolate chip. Waffles are topped with seasonal fruit and served with your choice of mango, raspberry, maple or sugar-free syrup.
• Five new egg entrees, including omelets made to order. Omelet choices include whole eggs or egg beaters; swiss, cheddar and pimento cheeses; ham, bacon, onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and mushrooms, served with salsa or sour cream.
  

Breakfast is a special occasion at Hermann Hill. Visit the recipe page on Hermann Hill's website for more guest-inspired ideas for breakfast.  Bon appetit!

Each year the BedandBreakfast.com editors and associate editors (a.k.a. your blogger friends) put our heads together to choose some of our top picks for fall foliage viewing.  There are so many gorgous B&Bs from which to take in autumn scenery that we say "there's more than one place to peep a leaf"!  For avid inngoers or armchair leaf peepers, we thought we might share some of our thoughts for the best places for foliage getaways.  The 2008 picks include such favorites as:

Franconia, NH, Sugar Hill Inn: Just like this inn's name, the views from throughout this inn are sweet, especially during fall foliage. Surrounded by the scenic White Mountains, the panorama is alive with color so bold it glows in the sun. Add fine dining, culinary events and beautifully restored guest rooms and cottages, and you'll know why Bette Davis loved to vacation here. For another scenic Franconia fall foliage choice, consider the nearby Sunset Hill House.

Townsend, TN, Gracehill Inn and Richmont Inn: They call this the peaceful side of the Smoky Mountains, where natural beauty, wildlife watching and spectacular mountain views reign. Gracehill offers a 360-degree view of the Great Smoky Mountain Park, while Richmont offers leaf peepers private decks and trails.

Leavenworth, WA, Abendblume Pension: Set on 20 acres overlooking dramatic vistas of the Cascade Mountains, this decidedly European inn fits in well with the Bavarian-themed town, just a mile away. While the mountains and views attract outdoor adventurers from throughout the Northwest, some prefer to enjoy the views from the outdoor hot tub or private balconies overlooking the grounds.

Visit the BedandBreakfast.com press room for fall foliage picks from 2007, 2006 .