This delicious recipe comes from Albemarle Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. This BedandBreakfast.com Diamond Collection property is located in a majestic century-old Greek Revival mansion, framed by lush gardens.

Prep time: 30 minutes

For French toast:

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 french bread loaves
•  8 large eggs
•  1/2 cup milk
•  1 1/3 8 oz package cream cheese
•  2/3 cup ricotta cheese
•  Fresh-grated orange rind of 1 1/2 oranges
•  1 1/2 tablespoons orange marmalade
•  Freshly-grated nutmeg

1. Soften cream cheese; add ricotta, orange rind and marmalade. Spread cheese mixture onto a slice of bread and top with another slice.

2. Dip in egg mixture: beat 8 eggs with a wire whisk; add 1/2 cup of milk and a dash of nutmeg.

3. Place dipped slices on griddle and fry until brown on both sides.

4. Serve with orange sauce, slice of peeled orange, mint leaf, and fresh strawberry.

For orange sauce:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest or dried lemon bits
• Splash of Triple Sec

Instructions: Combine juice concentrate, lemon, Triple Sec and sugar in small sauce pan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Slowly add butter a few chunks at a time, whisking until melted in. Do not boil. Cool slightly. Makes 1 1/4 cups

By Emily Starbuck Crone

Many Diamond Collection inns offer large bathtubs and Jacuzzis to help you relax and unwind on your stay. Below is a photo of the incredible bathroom in the Fitzgerald room at 1900 Inn on Montford, a B&B in Asheville, North Carolina. This modern bathroom below has a two-person air bathtub that fills from the ceiling, and four Kohler rain-head showers with fiber optic lighting in the ceiling and floor.

Gas prices have been slowly drifting downward, but they are still extremely high. This has made travel much costlier for all of us. Fortunately, many B&Bs are running specials to help you cover some of these high gas costs. Here are several great "Tanks for Traveling" specials from Diamond Collection inns:

1906 Pine Crest Inn in Tryon, NC (pictured right)
The historic 1906 Pine Crest Inn & Restaurant is convenient to Hendersonville, Asheville, and the Biltmore Estate. Their "Cash for Gas" special package includes two nights' luxurious accommodations, afternoon refreshments including port & sherry, a made-to-order hot gourmet breakfast, and a crisp $20 bill to use towards gasoline. Offer good through 3/31/2012. Call 800-633-3001 to book.

The Victorian Ladies in Newport, RI
This B&B features period pieces and lovely reproductions, and its award-winning gardens include a shaded grotto and several sun gardens with ponds and waterfalls. Reserve your room for a weekday, Sunday thru Thursday, between May and September. Then get some gas money. Receive a $40 or $60 discount as follows:

• Two nights at regular rate, save $40
• Three nights at regular rate, save $60

Offer good through 9/30. Call 888-849-9960 to book.

Inn at Ellis River in Jackson, NH
Nestled by a sparkling stream in picturesque Jackson village, this inn is a wonderful place for a relaxing escape in the mountains. ‘Sparks Can Fly’ if you stay and play two nights in a fireplace room (non-balcony/patio). In this special, the inn will give you two eco-friendly Inn at Ellis River water bottles to cool off while you hike, bike, kayak, or just relax, plus a $25 credit for gas to explore their White Mountain playground. Stay three nights and your gas credit is $50. Must request ‘Sparks Can Fly’ when booking. Offer good through 7/14/2011. Call 800-233-8309 to book.

Arsenic & Old Lace in Eureka Springs, AR  (pictured right)
Seated on a private, wooded hillside in Eureka Spring's Historic District, this luxury Queen-Anne style Victorian mansion offers relaxing and peaceful views from its large wrap-around verandah. Stay three or more nights (Sunday through Thursday) and the inn will discount your stay $40 to help offset the cost of the fuel for your trip. To qualify, at least two nights of your stay must be Sunday through Thursday nights. Offer good through 9/30/11. Call 800-243-5223 to book.

1889 Whitegate Inn & Cottage in Asheville, NC
This romantic B&B overlooks beautiful downtown Asheville and the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. To help make it a little easier to fill up your tank, this inn has partnered with several local restaurants. Receive $15 off a two-night stay Sunday through Thursday, PLUS get 15% off at any one of their participating restaurants! Offer good through 8/31/2011. Call 800-485-3045 to book.

Couples looking for a romantic escape this winter will love staying at the 1889 WhiteGate Inn & Cottage in Asheville, North Carolina. Below is an image of the two-person Jacuzzi bath in the Walt Whitman suite (all of the rooms are named after famous authors), which sits next to a roaring fireplace. The suite also features a two-person steam shower, in addition to a sitting room where you can cuddle and watch a movie together. At the end of the night, retreat to the cozy king-sized bed.

This is a photo of the elegant Camellia Room at The Black Walnut Bed & Breakfast. This BedandBreakfast.com Diamond Collection member in Asheville, North Carolina features six rooms in the main house and two new, pet-friendly suites in the carriage house. The Camellia Room is one of these new suites, and it features a fireplace facing the bed, a kitchenette, an antique velvet sofa, and a vintage clawfoot tub. Because it is separate from the main house, it offers the utmost privacy.