Go Caving in Kentucky
Lost River Cave offers Kentucky’s only underground boat tour, taking visitors through some of the largest caves east of the Mississippi River. While at the park, you can hike nature trails, go bird watching or visit the butterfly habitat—a whole day’s worth of fun activities.

The Country Inn & Suites, Bowling Green, is only four miles from Lost River Cave, and has an indoor pool and fitness center. The Lost River Cave Package includes an overnight stay in a quality suite, plus two adult tickets to Lost River Cave.

Hit the Links in North Carolina
There are plenty of blue-sky days to spend on the fairways this fall. Birkdale Golf and Country Club in Lake Norman, NC, is an 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed golf course right outside of Charlotte. This acclaimed course has well-manicured greens and challenging water hazards to keep you on your toes.

As part of the golf package at Country Inn & Suites, Lake Norman, you’ll get a suite with a king-sized bed and 18 holes of golf for two adults at Birkdale Golf Club. Also included is bottled water and various snacks for when you hit the course.

Bike through Lehigh Gorge
The trails that crisscross Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Gorge State Park take you through a railroad bed along the river, making for an unforgettable bike trip. Take the 15-mile ride down the Mid-Way trail, which is 100 percent downhill and takes about 2 to 4 hours to complete. Or for more of a challenge, opt for the 25-mile ride, which takes 3 to 5 hours and canvasses just a slightly downhill grade.

The Country Inn & Suites, Lehighton has biking packages for either route you choose. The packages include overnight accommodations, bike rental and shuttle service for two.

And don’t forget, any stay at a Country Inn & Suites by Carlson hotel always includes our free hot breakfast to help you start the day!

Before heading off to B-More, make sure you add these must-see sites to your itinerary:

• Learn about the Battle of Baltimore and the nation’s history by visiting Fort McHenry. This 18th-century brick fort defended Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812 and is the birthplace of the American national anthem. Park rangers offer visitor programs and special events that highlight the park’s history.
• The B&O Railroad Museum brings alive the magic and adventure of railroading. Comprised of the oldest and most comprehensive collection of railroad history in the Western Hemisphere, the B&O provides visitors with a unique opportunity to see, touch, hear and explore original 19th- and 20th-century railroad equipment, shop buildings and surviving tracks.
• Historic Ships in Baltimore represent one of the most impressive collections of military vessels in the world. Located within easy walking distance of each other, the US Sloop-of-War Constellation, the US Submarine Torsk, the US Coast Guard Cutter Taney and the Lightship Chesapeake exhibit life at sea from the mid-19th century to the mid-1980s. Also included in the collection is the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, which marked the entrance to the Patapsco River and Baltimore Harbor for more than 130 years.
• The Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards is the state’s sports history headquarters. The 22,000-square-foot museum features exhibits devoted to Johnny Unitas, the Baltimore Orioles, Ravens and Colts, Baltimore’s Negro Leagues, as well as the Maryland Terrapins and college athletics. The nearby Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum showcases material devoted exclusively to the Sultan of Swat.

Another benefit is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Some tours, such as New York’s Big Apple Greeter, actually pair travelers with resident New Yorkers based on language, neighborhoods requested and interests. All that, and it’s free of charge.

Your Walking Guide:

• There’s a tour for that. Is your passion architecture, food, history, gardens or neighborhood culture? Chances are, in most cities and towns, a walking tour awaits. Some tours, such as those offered by Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program, or the Coronado Historical Association in San Diego, are also offered on bicycle.
• Take a foodie tour and skip lunch. Sign up for a stroll through Pittsburgh’s Strip District with ‘Burgh Bits & Bites or San Francisco’s Chinatown with Wok Wiz, and you’ll eat your way through colorful storefronts selling everything from homemade sausage to Peking duck.
• Calling all preservationists. PreservationDirectory.com is a great resource for history buffs. The website is a clearinghouse for history-focused strolls, both guided and solo. Searching by state and region, you may find a route through bewitching Salem, Mass., or along the Art Deco facades of South Beach in Miami.
• Dabble in the weird. If you’re looking for the offbeat, Weird Chicago fits the bill. Follow in the steps of serial killer H.H. Holmes, relive the bloody St. Valentine’s Day mob massacre or chase elusive ghosts for a few hours. With its voodoo-laced past, New Orleans is another city that loves to make you shiver. Explore the shady and sinister side of the Vieux Carré with Haunted History Tours or trek to an above-ground cemetery for a lesson in Big Easy burial customs and a gander at Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau’s final resting place. (Or is it?).
• All by yourself. Sites like City Slicker (Charleston, S.C.), GPSmyCity (multiple, including Indianapolis and Portland, Ore.) and Trek Exchange (multiple, including Philadelphia and San Antonio) offer self-guided tours you can download to your smartphone and do on your own schedule. Check the city’s local tourism or convention and visitor’s bureau sites for more, and sometimes even free, options. Your job is just to show up with a curious mind and a good pair of walking shoes.

• New York’s Adirondacks. The Lake George area in New York’s Adirondack Mountains is bursting with yellow, red and amber hues each fall. Get a close-up view of the beautiful scenery as you hike one of the many trails winding through the mountains. Or enjoy the peaceful lakes and charming towns that dot the countryside. This region is known for its fine wines, and you’ll get a souvenir bottle and two tickets to the Adirondack Winery as part of the romance package at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Lake George.

• North Carolina High Country. Wildflowers along the Blue Ridge Parkway and fall foliage against the Carolina-blue sky greet you in Boone, N.C. Relax in a rocking chair and do some people watching at the famous Mast General Store downtown. The mild autumn weather is ideal for taking a hayride at The Orchard at Altapass. This 102-year-old apple orchard is a cultural hub where you’ll find local art and plenty of mountain music and storytelling. For a panoramic view of the mountains, head to Grandfather Mountain and cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge. At the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Boone, your romance package includes a Jacuzzi Suite, a bottle of champagne and breakfast in bed!

• Discover Denver. The Mile-High City offers restaurants and attractions to keep you and your loved one busy. Browse the fascinating American Indian art collection at the Denver Art Museum, which includes Pueblo ceramics and Plains beadwork, or look through more than 150,000 titles at the Tattered Cover Book Store. If your sweetie has a sweet tooth, be sure to visit Hammond’s Candy for a complimentary tour. Hammond’s has been making homemade lollipops and candy since 1920. If craft beer is more your style, stop at one of the city’s many local breweries to enjoy a pint. After your day of exploring, watch a complimentary pay-per-view movie as part of your romance package at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson in Denver.

• Escape Into Bass Country – There’s nothing more relaxing than hitting the open water and passing the day away fishing with friends and family. Head to Portage, Ind., and test your bassing skills before checking out the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. This package includes:
  • $50 gift certificate to the Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World (per stay)
  • Complimentary gift bag
  • Complimentary upgrade

• Dam Release Whitewater Rafting – Get ready to get soaked! Paddle on over to Lehighton, Pa., and take on 17 rapids while screaming, laughing and having an excellent day. Enjoy 12 miles and five hours of Class III whitewater rafting on this exciting package.
  • Admission for two on the whitewater raft trip

• Escape in Town Trail Ride – Hit the trails by horseback in Shoreview, Minn., and encounter a true north woods experience. Begin at Bunker Park Stable-Anoka County Parks for a one-hour trail ride before taking the plunge on the giant weekend water slide, pool and whirlpool at the Country Inn & Suites Shoreview. This package includes:
  • $10.00 discount trail ride ticket

• Visit America’s oldest city and enjoy the great weather in sunny St. Augustine, Florida. With this hotel package from Country Inn & Suites – St. Augustine, Florida you’ll be treated to:
  • Two tickets per reservation for either the Red Sightseeing Train or the Old Town Trolley, which include unlimited on-and-off privileges for shopping, attractions and restaurants at more than 20 stops
• Tour New Orleans’ waterways by airboat. Country Inn & Suites New Orleans is proud to offer this Airboat package where you’ll ride through the depths of nature and experience a unique, once-in-a-lifetime adventure. This hotel package includes:
  • Two passes to Airboat Adventure
  • Pick-up and drop-off from hotel
• Explore Stone Mountain Park and enjoy this great family vacation destination from Country Inn & Suites – Stone Mountain, Georgia. Located on 3,200 acres of natural beauty, Stone Mountain Park features a wide variety of fun family activities. This offer includes:
  • Four all day, all attraction passes to Stone Mountain Park
• All Aboard! Take the trolley tour of Watertown. Enjoy VIP perks at all of Watertown’s Trolley stops with this hotel package from Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Watertown, South Dakota. This package includes:
  • One-night stay in a single king or double queen room for two at the newly renovated Country Inn & Suites
  • Free trolley fare and VIP perks at all Watertown trolley stops
  • Two tickets to Bramble Park Zoo
  • Keepsake cookie cutter and Mellette fan from the historic Mellette House
  • Terry Redlin exclusive edition print from the Redlin Art Center

And, as always at Country Inns & Suites, enjoy complimentary hot breakfast and free high-speed Internet in the U.S. and Canada.

Make this Fourth of July one to remember forever!

Guests visiting the 110-acre Hersheypark amusement park near the Hershey Chocolate Factory now have a sweet new place to rest their heads thanks to the opening of Country Inn & Suites in Hershey at the Park, Pa. This opening marks the brand’s expansion in the region as part of Carlson’s Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

“With 16 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 30 locations in the northeast United States, we’re establishing a strong footprint for the brand in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and in India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Rich with amenities
The 86-room hotel offers an indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center and features extended-stay suites, one-bedroom suites, and guest rooms with complimentary high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat panel televisions.

Consistency, value and leadership
“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said David Hogg, owner of the Country Inn & Suites, Hershey at the Park, Pa. 

The sweetest place on earth
Hershey, Pa. was originally named Derry Church, and for schools and official purposes it is still known as Derry Township. In 1903, Milton S. Hershey returned to his birthplace with a vision to build the world’s first modern chocolate factory.  The city was renamed Hershey in 1906 after the growing popularity of Hershey’s Chocolate.

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The brand new Country Inn & Suites hotel in Hershey, PA is conveniently located just four miles off I-81 and only one mile from Hersheypark. Hotel guests enjoy our complimentary hot breakfast, Fitness Center, Business Center and indoor pool. With easy access to popular local attractions and corporations, we are the perfect choice for both business travelers and vacationers alike. Book online and stay at the Country Inn & Suites, one of the newest Hershey hotels.

To book your room today, visit http://www.countryinns.com/hotels/pahersh, or call 1-800-596-2375.

Residents have differing views on where to find the heart of the borough, but Market Street runs right through the middle. The eastern edge of Market, by the Delaware River, is the original location of Shane Candies, one of the oldest candy stores in the United States. The Shane family has been making delectable sweets since 1876 in a building constructed during the Revolutionary War, and, like the store’s stamped tin ceilings and carved wooden counters, the specialties remain unchanged—chocolates and butter creams made in old copper kettles. The store is temporarily closed this summer for maintenance but will reopen in October 2010.

Down the street and around the corner on Third Avenue, past favorite shops like Charlie’s Jeans, Trophy Bikes and Friedman’s Umbrellas, you’ll find Kellijane, where lavender fills the air; luxurious linens and self-described “software for the home” fill the shelves. That includes the Purists line (popular for its chemical-free, dye-free products) and fine lamb’s-wool baby blankets.

Another shop for the home sits—but not too quietly—farther down Third Street. Tribal Home is an eclectic spot that came to life in 1989, right before an influx of studio and retail enthusiasts hit the Old City with heavy revitalization efforts in the early 1990s. Owner Karen Riggs offers notable finds such as earth-tone Kuba cloth from Zaire, which she displays amid handpicked antique African artifacts.

A shopping excursion in the Old City could last for days, especially since there are also plenty of choice restaurants to offer distraction from sidewalk venturing. Even window-shopping is a pleasure here, because shopkeepers rely on eye-catching displays. The key word in the language of Old City retailers seems to be “communicative” rather than “competitive,” which assures that variety thrives
as triumphantly as independence.

Originally created out of turf grass and 77 feet in diameter, the labyrinth was rebuilt in September 2005 of brick for more year-round accessibility. Its design is a copy of the 13th-century stone labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France. Traditionally, many labyrinths are set near water; the Toronto Public Labyrinth is located above the former course of Taddle Creek, a stream that has been buried for more than 150 years. Although the sound of flowing water can no longer be heard, several rows of trees surround the park and serve as a buffer to keep out the noise of the nearby city. Installed as a millennium project for Canada’s largest city, the labyrinth serves as an easily followed track for those in search of peace and serenity.

I made my way to the venerable urban respite of Central Park, where skaters, joggers, pedestrians and pooches were out in full force, ambling along the well-worn, leaf-strewn paths. Mothers and children were frolicking, students reading, lovers cuddling. In the quiet enclave of Strawberry Fields, I stopped at the sprawling Imagine mosaic and contemplated all the possibilities that the city had to offer.

Washington Square Park was busy, too—chess devotees with furrowed brows planned their moves amidst rowdy street performers playing to the bohemian crowd of NYU students and denizens of Greenwich Village. At dusk I watched a performance of Antigone in the basin of the park fountain, emptied for the season. Nearby, a guitarist strumming popular tunes competed for the crowd’s attention. Somehow, the ancient Greek drama and the 21st-century music blended seamlessly, along with everything else going on in the park. After the play, not ready to leave yet, I noshed on falafel from Mamoun’s on MacDougal Street and strolled through this lively corner of the Village.

I found myself amazed at the end of that first day by all I had witnessed—in the city that never sleeps I found tranquility in New York’s parks and a warm welcome from Manhattan’s diverse residents. New Yorkers have been hardened by tragedy, but the spirit of the city and those who call it home are as worthy a sight to see as its many famous landmarks.