Leucadia is an eclectic little community on the Pacific Ocean. It once was a mecca for hippies and surfers – remnants of those 1960s days can be seen throughout this north San Diego community. Here you will find palm trees, wooden cigar store Indians, tie-dyed T-shirts and blue jeans, barefoot kids playing in the streets, funky lawn art and glowing beads.

Settled by English spiritualists in 1870, Leucadia was named after some Greek islands and its streets were named for mythological figures. You won’t find a Home Depot, McDonald’s or shopping mall in Leucadia, but you will still find some of the flower farms that made it the Poinsettia capitol of the world.

Leucadia is home to Italian restaurants, funky shops, yoga studios, palm readers and cool art galleries. Local hangouts include Pannikin Coffee & Tea, a former 1880s train station much favored by the arts crowd; world-famous Lou’s Records housing an enormous collection of new and used CDs and records; and Karina’s Taco Shop, home of the best Shrimp Burritos on earth.

Talk to any Leucadian and he will tell you that the best thing that ever happened to Leucadia is that nothing ever happened to it. Leucadia’s beaches are seemingly forever locked in time in the 1960s – they’re neighborhood surf breaks that have been surfed for more than 50 years. Four very popular surf spots are Moonlight, Grandview, Beacon’s and Stone Steps; all are hidden diamonds, tucked away at the bottom of steep staircases.

Fitness enthusiasts can get a daily workout at Stone Steps Beach where a 97 step staircase lead down from the bluff top to the sandy beach; all along the workout you have phenomenal views of the ocean while you get fit. When it’s high tide, the ocean comes right to the stairs – at low tide the beach is sandy and wide.

You can learn to surf by taking a class at Beacon’s Beach from world-famous Kahuna Bob, a Leucadian celebrity. Dolphins and whales are regularly seen, especially from the “high-bluff” beach entrances at Stone Steps and Beacon’s. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the famous “green flash” as the sun takes its final dip into the vast Pacific Ocean.

Moonlight Beach is a Leucadian treasure – often called “the beach with everything” because it has lifeguard stations all year long, a big new playground for children, multiple spacious parking lots, fire-rings, restrooms with clean showers, beach rentals and a wide sandy beach.

Bed and breakfasts are a tradition, carrying on to past world esteems and a stage of hospitality that has most been gone in todays up-to-date world. Most often, you will obtain that bed and breakfasts are run in a visually catchy home with lots of history, located in the most beautiful areas of town. The atmosphere within is very in-person and home like, since most bed and breakfasts are run by the family or the individuals who have got it.

You might be wondering to yourself, what are the main differences between a standard hotel and a bed and breakfast? For one, since bed and breakfasts are normally ready ready in a home, there are a very limited number of suite accessible. You will definitely want to plan ahead and book your room in advance. Another important difference you will find is that bed and breakfasts are usually placed in more rural regions than where hotels are mostly located. Hotels are developed near highways and other areas where a traveler is likely to pass, which is a great way to market towards their customers, but can sometimes place you in an undesirable location. Bed and breakfasts, on the other hand, are frequently situated in beautiful residential neighborhoods, where you are sure to get a peace-loving and smooth nights remain. Then of course, there is the breakfast. Hotels that service breakfast are pleasant, but they often have processed food that is remindful of schools cafeteria, taking the extended crowd of patrons waiting in line. With a bed and breakfast, you can be positive that the food and the coffee are good while you sit down at a real table with just a few other guests.

With bed and breakfasts having so many more benefits than a average hotel, you would likely expect them to be quite a bit more costly than hotels. While in some cases this is true, I have found that most of the time bed and breakfasts are comparable in price to other local hotels.

And Then for those of you have not yet had the pleasure of staying in a bed and breakfast, I definitely recommend you have it a try. Seeing it prices just about the comparable sum as a hotel, while giving you the additional benefits of a home cooked meal, enhanced privacy, and fair environment, there is no reasonableness why you shouldnt reserve your next holiday at a bed and breakfast. Formerly you have had their simple delight, you will never go back.

High tea is always in season at Hillbrook Inn in Charles Town, West Virginia. The historic English Tudor inn is a beautiful setting for any special occasion. For a little girl’s birthday, the innkeepers have created a fairy tale tea complete with table centerpieces of teapots filled with flowers. The inn’s six-course high tea includes a variety of sweet treats and savory items all prepared by the inn’s executive chef. In the summer months, guests can enjoy their special tea in the gardens of this 17-acre estate.

Cliffside Inn in Newport, Rhode Island, was named by tea authority Bruce Richardson as one of the 20 best tea rooms in America in his book “The Great Tea Rooms of America.” Unlike many hotels famous for their afternoon teas, the Cliffside changes the menu daily. Tea sandwiches might include salmon and capers, egg and caviar, pesto with tomato and mozzarella, cucumber and radish, cranberry and pear chutney, or crab with lemon zest. Sweets include artisan chocolates, cookies, brownies, pies, fruit tarts and cakes and there are always fresh scones with Devonshire cream, handmade English marmalades and fruit butter curds. The tea is hand blended exclusively for the inn. Tea is served in the parlor in winter under the enchanting glow from the Victorian lighting and dancing fireside flames or in summer on the veranda and outdoor garden tables.

For a tea that is truly seaworthy, the innkeepers at Kitt Shepley House B&B (also in Newport) offer a tour of the harbor while enjoying afternoon tea aboard their own private boat. This special package, named the High Tea on the Sea, includes all the trimmings from the tea sandwiches and sweets down to the fine silver and china.

In Chatham on Cape Cod the Captain’s House Inn serves a complimentary Cream Tea for their guests featuring scones, cookies and cakes. For a small charge both guests at this Massachusetts bed and breakfast as well as outside guests, can enjoy a formal English Afternoon Tea served by British interns. Traditional finger sandwiches, savory pastries and sweet treats are served. As a new twist, you may also do a “Tea Flight” — sampling six different teas, which the chef has paired with appropriate delicacies. This Massachusetts bed and breakfast was a sea captain’s home dating back to 1839 with each of the 16 rooms featuring a fireplace as well as most modern amenities.

Summertime at Halcyon House B&B means garden tours and afternoon teas. This historic Campbell, New York, bed and breakfast is host to special Wednesday Afternoon Teas throughout the season. The event begins with a tour of the inn’s extensive herb garden followed by a short presentation by innkeeper Yvonne Sloan about growing and preserving herbs. Then the tea is served along with a selection of savory and sweet treats, all prepared using the inn’s own herbs.

If you are searching for a retreat outside Atlanta, try this bed and breakfast for your next tea party. The Traveler’s Rest, a Montezuma, Georgia, bed and breakfast, is two hours out of the city near the Jimmy Carter Historic Site. The inn is located in a restored Victorian home, so it’s the perfect setting for a memorable Southern-style afternoon tea. Innkeeper Adele Goodman has hosted a variety of tea parties, such as Red Hat Society teas and mother-daughter teas. Guests take tea either in the dining room or on the wraparound porch.

At the Richmond Victorian Inn in Richmond, Vermont, the innkeepers have perfected the art of afternoon tea. They offer teas for wedding showers and book clubs, as well as princess tea parties for children. On Sundays, an English tea is served in the afternoons. Enjoy fresh, home-baked scones and teas made by the nearby Vermont Liberty Tea Company. The inn is just a short drive from Burlington, and one could hardly think of a more perfect day than driving along winding Vermont roads, looking at the fall foliage and perhaps shopping for antiques and then returning to your country inn to enjoy all the pleasures of an afternoon tea.

During the holiday season, the innkeepers at Rosewood Country Inn in Bradford, New Hampshire, go all out. Each December, they host a special Holiday Tea and Tour. The historic inn has a rich past as lodging, hosting guests such as Jack London, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. After the tour, you’ll enjoy lavish homemade treats, such as a lemony snowflake cake and freshly baked scones.