Charming inns are already a refreshing break from chain hotels, but some B&Bs provide experiences you really can't find elsewhere. Here are four places to stay that offer travelers activities and experiences far beyond the norm.
Forty Putney Road Bed & Breakfast in Brattleboro, VT
Leave all of your B&B stereotypes at the door and join Forty Putney's hip young innkeepers, who are self-proclaimed "beer geeks," in their quest for finding the best brews. The inn's on-site pub serves more than 30 local craft beers and you can partake in a daily happy hour. Be sure to attend one of their craft beer tastings held each Saturday night, where New England brewmasters attend and guide tastings of their beer.
Kismet Inn in Bath, ME
Leave your cell phone and laptop at home the next time you stay at this rejuvenating inn that focuses on healing and wellness. To encourage tranquility, guest rooms have no TVs or radios. And if you need major R&R, there are a variety of on-site activities and services such as private yoga sessions (including partner yoga), breath practice sessions and Tibetan singing bowl therapy. Unique spa treatments are also available, including Kiseh Keshee, an Old World method of exfoliation. Your room even comes with a custom-made Japanese-style deep soaking tub.
Red Caboose Getaway B&B in Sequim, WA
Relive life on the rails at this unusual bed and breakfast. The six guest rooms are actually each in their own private train caboose on its own track. They aren't just metal containers, either; most of the private cabooses feature luxurious amenities such as gas fireplaces, queen featherbeds and two-person whirlpool baths. Each caboose is themed, with everything from a circus to the Orient Express to the Wild West. Gourmet breakfast is served each morning in an authentic 1937 stainless steel Zephyr dining car.
Schooner Liberty Clipper in Boston, MA
Experience a Boston bed and breakfast in a totally different way: from aboard a boat. Sleep in a comfy guest cabin on The Liberty Clipper, a working tall ship that docks overnight in the city's historic waterfront. During the day, the 125-foot replica of John Hancock's ship sails away to work, leaving you to explore the best of Boston. The ship docks just one block from the North End (known as the city's "Little Italy") and next to historic Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. For more adventure, sign up to go on a sailing trip around the Boston Harbor. The boat is available from June through September.
Hungry for more? Check out BedandBreakfast.com's list of 10 unusual inns
By Emily Gerson Crone from BedandBreakfast.com
Correction: This article previously listed a fifth property, The Inn at Willow Falls, but the inn closed after publication and has thus been removed from the article.
