Romantic Getaways

Lots of B&B options in the Tristate, including one where you can horse around

A romantic getaway is just a B&B away.
We're speaking of bed-and-breakfasts, always an amorous option, but don't automatically think you have to travel to a faraway city to enjoy a weekend away. There are dozens of intimate local B&Bs that cater to couples seeking a getaway adventure.

"I know people who spend a night at a bed-and-breakfast, even if it's located just around the corner from them," says Jamie Webb, executive director of the Ohio Bed & Breakfast Association. "People enjoy the experience, the amenities, the other guests you meet and the attention. B&Bs offer the personal touch."

As it happens, Greater Cincinnati is replete with dozens of bed-and-breakfast adventures, many within a half hour to an hour's driving time of your home, observes Webb. "That's where most B&Bs are, in Southern Ohio. Attractions such as Paramount's Kings Island account for it."

Imagine, for instance, waking up at a bed-and-breakfast that's a working horse farm. You peer out your upstairs window and glimpse at foals grazing on a dew-covered meadow. Downstairs, country bacon sizzles on the kitchen grill, beckoning you into the sunny dining room.

We're not talking Bluegrass racehorse country in faraway Lexington here: The Inn at Paxton Farm is located just a few minutes off the I-275 Milford-Blanchester exit (No. 57), neatly nestled between Milford and Batavia.

Janet Paxton, who opened the B&B more than two years ago, promises an overnight stay with "an equestrian flair." Indeed, it's more than a lodging house; the farm is a training and breeding facility for sport horses in the Olympic disciplines of dressage, show jumping and combined training.

"We got most of our antiques over in England and Scotland," observes one of the proprietors, Sandy Kovich, who prepares breakfast as well as sorting out the morning's guest itinerary. "The pub room is my favorite, with the antique English bar."

The estate stretches as far as your eye can see - a golf cart is parked outside the mansion for patrons who want to toodle around the half-dozen barns and stables on the 162-acre property. The pride of the stables is Picaro, an elite Hanoverian Stallion who won the Hanoverian German Riding Horse Championships, and was named Grand Champion Stallion of the Year at the Mid-Ohio Dressage Association.

At a room rate hovering around $110 to $125 an evening, the pastoral Inn at Paxton Farm offers amenities, including pond fishing, hiking and riding trails and croquet. Inside the stately home, sitting rooms with plush leather sofas, sunroom, music room and library are all outfitted with equestrian antiques. The four bedrooms, with cushy poster beds and overstuffed mattresses, accommodate up to eight lodgers.

Another adventurous option is the Historic Loveland Resort Village Inn in Loveland, where owner Patty Burton runs a cluster of six restored houses. Located on the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail, her bed-and-breakfast operation just opened last summer.

"We're the only bed-and-breakfast, the only accommodation on the bike trail," Burton observes. "And we're tremendously busy. Lots of people have come for the weekend or for a whole week's vacation. That surprised us, to have such an abundance of business when we had just opened."

Some of the B&B houses include whirlpools, and most have private baths. One of the most requested homes is the 1813 stone house, with four guest rooms. Rates vary with the season. Rentals include bicycles built for two, free use of a safety helmet and discounts on bike rentals for all B&B guests.

Business is equally busy at the Kings Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Kings Mills, where the Molinaro family runs a century-old home with four guest rooms, all with private baths. The sit-down breakfast includes French toast, sausage, bacon, waffles and egg casserole. "Bob makes it really good," says Adele Molinaro of her son.

In operation since 1992, Kings Manor is a family project: "It wasn't really my idea," Molinaro says. "It was really my daughter Sue's. She heard about B&Bs and thought it would be fun."

The turn-of-the-century manor house features a parlor, veranda, sun room decorated in wicker, period antiques and leaded glass. Several pieces from the original King estate grace the rooms (Col. George King built the home while he ran King Powder Co.). Rates at Kings Manor start at $80.

"It's interesting staying at a bed-and-breakfast because, more than likely, you get to meet people from all over," notes Molinaro. "We get some guests from Germany, for instance. We have a lot of people who return here again and again."

The region's notable B&Bs

Amos Shinkle Townhouse Bed and Breakfast, 215 Garrard St., Covington, 859-431-2118

This inn - overseen by proprietors Bernard Morrman and Don Nash - is listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Among the seven guest rooms are four rooms in the carriage house, where horse stalls have been redesigned into imaginative sleeping quarters.

Artist's Cottage, 458 E. Warren St., Lebanon, 513-932-5938

This restored 1864 carriage house is operated by Jeff and Denise Bitzer. In addition to a pool and hot tub, the B&B features a private bath, two beds, a stereo and a fireplace.

Burl Manor, 230 S. Mechanic St., Lebanon, 513-934-0400

Jay and Liz Jorling manage this mid-1800s manor. All rooms have private baths. Outdoors, there's lawn croquet, horseshoes, volleyball and a swimming pool.

Carneal House Inn, 405 E. Second St., Covington, 859-431-6130

Built in 1815 by the founders of Covington, this Palladian Georgian-style mansion is managed by Karen and Peter Rafuse. The home features six guest rooms with private baths and outdoor porches.

Hexagon House, 419 Cincinnati Ave., Lebanon, 513-932-9655

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1850s house features a striking six-sided exterior. Proprietors Eve and Jim Lennon have renovated and air-conditioned the building.

The Inn at Loveland Hill, 123 Railroad Ave., Loveland, 513-683-9888

Located on the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail, this just-opened bed-and-breakfast is managed by Patty Burton, who also operates an ice-cream parlor, bike rental and conference center in nearby buildings.

Inn at Paxton Farm, 5697 State Route 132, Batavia, 513-625-2022

The pastoral Inn at Paxton Farm offers amenities for all ages, including fishing, hiking and riding trails, and croquet. Four bedrooms accommodate up to eight lodgers.

Kings Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast, 1826 Church St., Kings Mills, 513-459-9959

The three-story inn was built in 1903. Owners Adele, Bob and Sue Molinaro offer a spacious living room, cozy library, sunroom and giant wraparound porch. Three guest rooms and a two-room suite are available, all with private baths.

Licking Riverside Historic B&B, 516 Garrard St., Covington, 859-291-0191

Innkeeper Lynda Freeman hosts romantic travelers, vacationing honeymooners, couples celebrating anniversaries and even small weddings inside this 1868 Greek Revival structure. There are two suites and two rooms, all outfitted with double Jacuzzi baths.

Murphin Ridge Inn, 750 Murphin Ridge Road, West Union, 937-544-2263

Innkeepers Sherry and Darryl McKenney run this 1800s Virginia-style brick farmhouse in the heart of Amish country in Adams County. The inn serves candlelight dinners as well as breakfast.

Symphony Hotel, 210 W. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-3353

Occupying the former Clyde Hotel, the Symphony Hotel is a Victorian stone mansion. Manager Karen Blatt oversees the accommodations and dining room inside this mid-1800s structure, featuring furniture from the period in each room.

Victoria Inn of Hyde Park, 3567 Shaw Ave., Hyde Park, 513-321-3567

This 1909 inn has four guest rooms, each room with its own bath. No children allowed. The inn is a short stroll from Hyde Park Square.

If you want to turn a stay at a B&B into a gift for another couple, call the Ohio Bed & Breakfast Association at 614-868-5567. They sell OBBA gift certificates that can be redeemed at any member inn; certificates can be purchased in $50, $100 and $200 increments.