Retire in Paradise

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Inauguration Day is just around the corner and the fabulous bed and breakfast inns in Washington, D.C., are sold out. Not to worry. You can still celebrate presidential history or enjoy President Obama’s big day at a bed and breakfast inn listed at iLoveInns.com. Many of the original 13 colonies still have beautiful residences that are now open to the public as bed and breakfast inns. Like the White House, these late 18th-century treasures show the Roman and Greek-inspired Palladian influence and have elegant furnishings to match. Watching the televised event among white house columns, gilded chairs, rich mahogany, satin settees and bald eagles beats standing in the street for a far-off glimpse of the festivities.

The Governor’s House Inn, an exquisite bed & breakfast situated in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina’s Historic District, is the former home of Governor Edward Rutledge, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence. This luxurious home boasts elegant drawing rooms, unbelievable staterooms and, of course, the traditional southern veranda porches. Enjoy a mint julep while you relax in the atmosphere of richly colored walls and furnishings or watch the festivities on TV while you recline on your canopied bed.

Even the president takes time out for a bed and breakfast. Devonfield Country Inn Bed and Breakfast in Lee, Massachusetts, has shared at least one tenant with the White House. Rumor has it that in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s chauffeur drove him across Devonfield’s front lawn for a visit with Queen Wilhelmina of Holland. Be sure to stay in the Roosevelt Room. Unlike the windowless Roosevelt Room in the White House, Devonfield’s room has a panoramic view and a wood-burning fireplace for fireside chats.

A Williamsburg White House in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, celebrates presidents through the ages. Luxurious and spacious, this bed and breakfast is fit for the First Family. Each presidential suite is fitted with period furnishings and memorabilia inspired by the greats, from Washington to Roosevelt. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride down the same street where George Washington led his troops to victory in Yorktown and be back in time to witness history in the making - many of the rooms come with televisions for watching the inauguration.

On June 2, 1886, President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom descended the staircase into the Blue Room as the first and only president and first lady to be married in the White House. While the White House may never be available to the public as a wedding venue, Washington Plantation in Georgia provides a similarly elegant setting. Greeted by four columns resembling those of the First front porch, couples can exchange their vows outdoors in seven acres of landscaped gardens or opt for an intimate reception inside the house. For the honeymoon, the Planter’s Room has a 72-inch whirlpool bath built for two (or for one President Taft).

If you hesitate to fight the crowds for the 2012 inauguration in Washington, D.C., take the time to plan your inaugural celebration now at an elegant inn. Visit iLoveInns.com and browse through the 19,000 bed and breakfasts and country inns that specialize in other events and locations that may be of interest to you. Many of the above listed properties are included in the best selling bed and breakfast guidebook, Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Get-One-Free-Night certificate. ILoveInns also offers gift certificates for their Bed & Breakfasts, a perfect solution for a special occasion.

Tags: Travel & Leisure