Earth Day April -- A Way to Say Thanks!

Earth Day falls on April 22nd this year, right smack dab in the middle of school vacation and Marathon week. Needless to say, tourism Boston will be abuzz, and giving back to the earth may be the last thing on your mind. Well, we here at Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony want to give pause in the middle of our busy season and consider that forty years after the first Earth Day, the world is in greater peril than ever. While climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, it also presents the greatest opportunity – an unprecedented opportunity to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy now and for the future. Check out http://www.earthday.net/earthday2010 to learn more about this important topic.

As one of many very important Earth Day projects, for EVERY reservation made during the week of April 19th at one of our GOING GREEN properties,a $5/reservation will be donated to Sierra Club Boston. That's big bucks, so to check out hotels Boston downtown, visit our property listings page, http://www.earthday.net/earthday2010, and be in touch. One of our agents will be happy to let you know which ones are going green and available for your dates!

Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
PO Box 57166
Boston MA 02457 USA
781-449-5302
fax: 781-455-6745
Toll Free: 888-486-6018

College hunting is upon us!

This is the time of year when the city is flooded with people coming in to check out Boston schools, from which there are many fabulous ones to choose! College Boston is an event unto itself, so for those of you with teens searching for Boston area colleges, or even perspective graduate students, we have a few tips for the approach you might want to take this Spring. Check out this great blog, http://www.gobostoncard.com/blog/2008/04/14/visiting-boston-colleges/, for a quick overview of what to see and how to go about it. There's also a website specifically designed to help with these visits, so visit http://www.campusvisit.com/# and click through to colleges and universities Boston. We are even offering a special promotion to help keep Boston lodging costs down because after all, a Boston education will be an investment unto itself...you may as well save money NOW when you're visiting one of our great schools. And on that note, many of our properties welcome the same Boston area college families back year after year. It is typical to see parents stay at Abigayle's Bed & Breakfast (M263), http://bnbboston.com/boston-bnbs/b&bs_4c.php in Kenmore square with their junior in high school visiting Boston University, then as a couple during subsequent visits for the next four years for Parent's Weekend, Graduation, etc. Our hosts are so thrilled to welcome back these returning guests! Wellesley Lodging (IW50), http://bnbboston.com/west-suburbs/western_suburbs_2a.php, is another great example. This gracious hostess is a favorite among visitors to Wellesley College and Babson College. She never disappoints with her friendly and gracious hospitality, comfortable accommodations, and incredible proximity to these prestigious schools. So, if you're planning to do some college hunting in the near future, take advantage of what we're offering over the next couple of months. Families traveling to the Boston area will get a discounted rate at one of our Bed and Breakfasts, or furnished apartments, when visiting the Boston schools. Reserve nights for March 14 through April 30 (blackout dates: April 16-19), and CHILDREN (even teens!) CAN STAY FOR FREE! This is a huge savings! Check out our website for details, http://bnbboston.com/top_level/lodging_deals.php. Happy hunting!

Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
PO Box 57166
Boston MA 02457 USA
781-449-5302
fax: 781-455-6745
Toll Free: 888-486-6018

Love is in the air!

One of the best Valentines gifts I can think of is a romantic trip to beautiful Boston! Surprise your valentine this year with dinner at a cozy restaurant nestled into a cozy Boston street, book a room and get away from it all at at Boston bed and breakfast, or just spend the day exploring all the city has to offer. Boston.com has a great tool for selecting a Boston restaurant that works best for you, http://www.boston.com/ae/events/valentines_day/, and many Boston restaurants are offering special deals on reservations made for February 12th, 13th, and 14th. Check out Open Table http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=7&pid=102 for great ideas for romantic Saturday dinner or cozy Sunday brunch. You can even make your reservation online with this tool, which is a huge time-saver! Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony is in the mood for love, too, so we're offering 10% off stays at many of our properties that weekend, as long as you stay for two nights...and who wouldn't want to?? We'll even have a complimentary bottle of champagne waiting for you when you arrive to help you jump start the romantic mood, so check out the great deals at http://bnbboston.com/top_level/lodging_deals.php.
Need chocolates? I highly recommend Teuscher Chocolatier on Newbury Street Boston, http://www.newbury-st.com/Boston/74/1033/Candy_and_Chocolate/Teuscher_Chocolates_of_Switzerland.
XOXO

Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
PO Box 57166
Boston MA 02457 USA
781-449-5302
fax: 781-455-6745
Toll Free: 888-486-6018

Chocolate: Here today .... Gone today!

Okay, it's cold outside, winter is starting to feel long, and yes, Valentine's day is approaching. So, let's talk about chocolate. Is there really any better mood lifter? If you're going to be in the Boston area this weekend, this is one of the coolest Boston events taking place this Sunday, just outside the city in the Newton Boston area.

Death By Chocolate 2010
Date: Jan 31 2010
Event Fee: $15.00 per person
Location: Crown Plaza Newton
320 Washington St.
Newton, MA, 02458

Join The Rotary Clubs of Newton and Waltham for a fun day of eating and tasting chocolate!! Done as a perenial partnership between the Rotary Clubs of Newton and Waltham. There will be local food vendors, chefs, restaurants and caterers competing in 5 categories. Best Chocolate Cake, Best Cookie, Best Brownie, best candy and Best unique Desert. YOU BE THE JUDGE!!! During the event there will be a silent auction too!!

For more information, click on http://www.whofish.org/events/Newton/MA/9th_Annual_Death_By_Chocolate/433179.aspx

My juices are flowing just thinking about this event, so if you call into our office to make a reservation, mention my blog, and say "I love chocolate!," you'll get 10% off your stay this weekend!

Need somewhere to stay in the Newton area? Check out this page for some great options: http://bnbboston.com/west-suburbs/western_suburbs_1b.php

"A true chocolate lover finds ways to accommodate his passion and make it work with his lifestyle..." --Julie Davis of the Los Angeles Times, 10/30/85, http://www.virtualchocolate.com/quotes.cfm

Enjoy!



Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
PO Box 57166
Boston MA 02457 USA
781-449-5302
fax: 781-455-6745
Toll Free: 888-486-6018

Boston Parking...the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

At this time of year, we typically get a lot of questions about parking in Boston and how wintry weather will impact a city that is already a little tricky for visitors with cars. Okay, so let's break it down a little...according to the city of Boston's official website, http://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/parking.asp, there are approximately 7300 electronic parking meters offering two hours of on-street parking in Boston. Sounds like a lot, but those of us who like to pop into the city for dinner or a little Boston shopping know that it can be challening to find somewhere inexpensive to park...inexpensive is the operative word here, because there are certainly plenty of lots and garages around if you don't mind paying the rates. This past Saturday night, I went into the Back Bay around 6pm to visit my brother on Marlborough Street, and it took us around 15 minutes to find a meter about 3 blocks away. Not bad, right? Regardless, my advice is always this: If you don't absolutely need your car, then by all means, leave it at home. Boston has a wonderful public transportation system and is an extremely walkable city. And the reality is that you probably won't be able to park right by your destination unless you get lucky and find a meter or are willing to shell out a chunk of change for a garage. That being said, there are plenty of insider tips out there on websites like http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Massachusetts/Boston-794476/Warnings_or_Dangers-Boston-Parking_Driving-BR-1.html, where one blogger shares, "There is lot's of free parking to be had in Boston. You just have to know where to look. I have lived in Boston for years and have never payed to put my car in a garage. Good areas to find spaces are Charles Street between the Public Garden and Boston Common, Newbury Street and Boylston Street in the Back Bay (and any of the side streets that run between Newbury and Boylston),Harrison Avenue in Chinatown, and most of the side streets in and around Post Office Square.
NEVER park ANYWHERE you may see a Resident Parking sign..." At this time of year, be sure to check out the city of Boston website we mentioned earlier to learn how snow emergencies impact parking....there are many more rules during big snow storms and the risk of being ticketed is that much higher. All that said, if you're coming to Boston and you and your car are a package deal, here are a few popular hotels Boston that offer parking: Abigayle's B&B (M263)http://bnbboston.com/boston-bnbs/b&bs_4c.php; CL's South End Bed and Breakfast (M363) http://bnbboston.com/boston-bnbs/b&bs_7b.php; The Hilltop B&B (M611) http://bnbboston.com/brookline/brookline_2.php; Cambridge Accommodations (M857) http://bnbboston.com/cambridge/cambridge_2_b-1.php.

Bed and Breakfast Associates Bay Colony
PO Box 57166
Boston MA 02457 USA
781-449-5302
fax: 781-455-6745
Toll Free: 888-486-6018