Bed And Breakfasts For the Whole Family

Bypass the dull highway motels and impersonal chain hotels and take the family somewhere unique this year. Kid-friendly bed and breakfasts can be found throughout the country, offering the best of location and amenities. Here are some family-friendly favorites.

Billed as "New England's Best Family Resort" by Yankee magazine, The Wildflower Inn in Lyndonville, VT combines a wonderful country B&B setting with all kinds of kids activities. The Wildflower Inn offers supervised activities for kids, allowing parents to truly take a break while their children are entertained. For instance, "Butterflies, Tots and Forget-Me-Nots is perfect for the parent traveling alone with young children," says the Wildflower Inn's website. "Our program combines time together with the kids with opportunities for relaxing while the children are enjoying their activities." There's even Daisy's Diner, which prepares special themed meals for kids.

A stay at Villa Park House, just four block from the Jersey Shore in the town of Spring Lake, is sure to please the whole family. The kids will enjoy the close access to the beach, boardwalk and nearby Six Flags amusement park. Parents will appreciate the historic charm and romance of a restored Victorian. The innkeepers provide many thoughtful amenities, as well as serving a delectable full breakfast each morning. Beachgoers will appreciate use of beach tags, towels, umbrellas and chairs. Guests also can borrow the innkeepers bicycles. There is badminton and croquet available at the inn, and several parks nearby. The Historic Village at Allaire is special treat, and allows families to go back in time and experience life in the early 19th century.

If you've ever dreamed of life at a home on the range, the Vee Bar Guest Ranch will be a perfect spot for your next family vacation. Located in Laramie, Wyoming and set on 800 acres, the ranch offers guests a myriad of outdoor activities. Go tubing in the river, enjoy a horseback ride through the untamed Wyoming countryside, or even take part in cattle work. The kids also will love the expansive ground where they can run and play for hours. Hayrides and cookouts are among the other fun activities. Guests stay either in the main lodge or in country cabins or suites that rest along the river's edge.

Parents will have no doubt that their children are welcome at Las Palomas Bed and Breakfast in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The innkeepers have included a play area for children on their beautiful grounds, and the inn is stocked with plenty of games, books and toys. They even have safety gates, high chairs, cribs and nightlights. Parents will enjoy the richly decorated casitas, designed in a romantic New Mexico style with kiva fireplaces and rich leather and wood furnishings. In the mornings, the innkeepers serve freshly baked breads, cereals, fresh fruit and yogurts to get the day off to a healthy start.

Once a cotton plantation, the Sunrise Farm Bed and Breakfast in Salem, South Carolina, now serves as a family-friendly country vacation experience in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are ten acres to enjoy, and the kids will love meeting the many friendly farm animals such as Muffin, a pot-bellied pig, or perhaps Elvis, a pygmy goat. The rooms are done in a comfortable, country style with antiques and quilt-topped beds. After a homemade breakfast and visit to the animals, head out and enjoy all the area has to offer, from whitewater rafting to hiking and fishing or even visiting local museums.

Surrounded by mountains and rolling hills, the Capay Valley Bed and Breakfast is an ideal spot to get away from it all and enjoy a nature-filled family getaway. The B&B is located a short drive from Sacramento in its namesake town of Capay. The grounds include a real zoo, with a variety of beautiful creatures, such as zebras, a tortoise, ostrich and plenty of farm animals. The grounds include a swimming pool and walking and hiking trails, and there is badminton and croquet available. In addition to rooms in the main house, there are two 880-square foot cottages with private porches and kitchenettes. Within a half-hour or less of the inn, you'll find whitewater rafting, a nature preserve and plenty of parks.