New iPhone App Caters to the "Inn" Crowd

Now you can find your favorite bed and breakfast getaway spot right on your iPhone.

Looking for a romantic getaway at a great little boutique inn or bed and breakfast?

iLoveInns.com presents your guide to America's best and most romantic inns right on your iPhone or iPod touch.

Are you fed up with overpriced hotels and long faceless hallways? Top award-winning inns offer you unique one-of-a-kind adventures and great value for your dollar. Business travelers can find the perfect inn from thousands across the country.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

38th Annual Christmas in Newport celebrates the noncommercial traditition of the holiday season.

Founded in 1971, Christmas in Newport began as a two-week festival that celebrated the noncommercial traditions of the holiday season. Now in its 38th year, the annual program boasts multiple activities for nearly each day of the December calendar.

In a community collaboration among residents, businesses and the city, only clear bulbs illuminate the scenic harbor and wharves, the restored colonials of the Point and Historic Hill sections, and the Victorian splendor of Bellevue Avenue.

For more information about Christmas in Newport, call our hot line at (401) 849-6454, or visit our web site at http://www.christmasinnewport.org.

Newport's Astors' Beechwood Schedual for the Annaul Christmas Feast

As you cross the threshold of the Astors' Beechwood Mansion, you step back in time to St. Nicholas Day1891. You are a dear friend coming to join Mrs. Astor and her family for a magnificent celebration.

The home is decorated in full holiday splendor and
music fills the air. Once you have greeted Mrs. Astor,
please tour the home and visit with the family.
Don’t forget to sneak into the servants’ hall for a
behind the scenes glimpse of holiday activity!

As the touring winds down, the butler will invite you into the
ballroom. You will be seated at a table for ten guests and
will have the opportunity to interact with them, as well as
members of the Astor family, throughout the event.

As the performance begins, and you journey back in time,
the beautiful voices of our company of actors will help
re-create this bygone era. After introductions, dinner begins.

You will be entertained during your entire stay at Beechwood.
You will enjoy delightful events between each course, chuckle
at the servants’ antics, and you just might see St. Nicholas
himself. The highlight of this spectacular soirée is a vocal
performance so breathtaking it will fill even the hardest heart
with the true spirit of Christmas. We look forward to your visit.

2008 Feast Performance Dates

Saturday, December 6, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 13, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 20, 7:00 pm

Tickets on sale September 2nd
$125 per person

RESERVATIONS: 401-846-3772

Rhode Island's Newport Preservation Society celebrates Christmas at the Newport Mansions

5 Holiday Evening at the Breakers

Why wait 'til December to get into the holiday spirit? Get your cheer on early by heading to The Breakers mansion in Newport on Saturday. Decked out with garland, trees, wreaths and ribbon, the mansion -- and in our opinion, the city itself -- is in its finest form this time of year. The Jubilate Chorale is scheduled to perform, a spread of sweets will be out for the taking, and you can tour the property at your leisure. This Saturday marks the first of five such events, which run through December 27.
The Details: November 22. 6 to 8 p.m. $25 (when purchased in advance), $30 (at the door) adults; $10 youth ages 6-17. 44 Ochre Point Ave., Newport, 847-1000, www.newportmansions.org.

Newport's Old Quarter The Arts & Culture Neighborhood

Newport's storied history still thrives in the Old Quarter. Stately trees and striking 18th- and 19th-century buildings, including the country's largest collection of Colonial houses, line its charming narrow streets. The heart of this city by the sea is packed with museums, places of worship, and other fascinating sites that document its role as America's welcoming harbor of religious freedom. Experience the Old Quarter's living history in its galleries, shops, taverns, restaurants, and on the vibrant streets of this timeless arts-and-culture neighborhood. Visit the Old Quarter web site: www.theoldquarter.org

Located in Newport's Old Quarter, Hydrangea House Inn is within walking distance to all of Newport's Colonial sites.

Newport Preservation Society's 2008 Annual Flower Show at the Newport Mansions

Each day of the 2008 Newport Flower Show offers guests opportunities to enjoy judged horticultural specimens and floral designs, special garden exhibitions, free lectures and demonstrations, as well as wonderful shopping experiences in both the Oceanside Boutiques and the new Gardeners' Marketplace. Tickets are also available for special luncheons, lectures and workshops. Explore! which ticket or package offers you the best value to fully enjoy all the Botanical Passions of this year's show.

Visit the Newport Mansion web site for a complete list of Flower Show exhibits and lecture series.

Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 401-847-1000.

My Aunt Bernice's Carrot Cake Recipe - a Hydrangea House Inn favorite!

My Aunt Bernice and Uncle Walter owned a 48 bed nursing home back in the 50's through the 70's. I grew up there in a private home on the sprawling property for the first 8 years of my life. I have fond memories of that time---exploring the wooded acreage, fishing on the ponds (skating in the winter), and sitting on a tall stool in the nursing home's kitchen watching "Cookie" create her daily magic for the resident's in house. Cookie was my aunt and uncle's chef. Even though I was young, she brought her skills to me. And, I am told, I cooked, while unsupervised, my first fried egg when I was just 3 while standing on a chair by the stove in my own parent's kitchen. (Fortunately, I not longer have to stand on a chair!)

Here is my Aunt Bernice's Carrot Cake recipe. It's a winner! And it makes great muffins too! After baked, be sure to add your own favorite cream cheese frosting. And, like we tell all our guest at Hydrangea House Inn, "We don't cook with calories"....this recipe is no exception! Just enjoy!

Boil together:
3/4 C oil
2 C shredded carrots
1 C crushed pinapple
2 C sugar

Until carrots are tender...just about 5 minutes. cool.

Sift together:
2 C flour
2 Tsp. Soda
2 Tsp Cinammon
1/2 Tsp nutmeg
1/2 Tsp. Cloves
1/2 Tsp. Salt

Add to:
3 eggs well beaten
1 C. chopped nuts (walnuts are fine...."Have you seen the price lately?"
1 C shredded coconut

Bake in a well greased 13 x 9 pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Call me if you have any questions.

Grant (Edmondson)
Owner/Innkeeper/Chef and anything else asked of me!
401-846-4435

Jamie, Jon and Juliana are off to Ethiopia!

As some of you may know, our long time assistant innkeeper, Jamie Duponte, along with her husband Jon and their daughter Juliana, have been in an 18 month process of adopting two children from Ethiopia. Well, tonight, as I write this blog, they are flying to Dubai and onto to Addis Ababa to adopt a young brother and sister and finally realize this important milestone in their lives.

Dennis and I are so proud and happy for this wonderful young family. As they return with their new precious additions we will post updates with pictures.

Stay tuned!

Newport Folk Festival Lineup Announced

The Newport Folk Festival is a multi-day, multi-stage music festival held at the historic International Tennis Hall of Fame and Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. The Newport Folk Festival brings together some of the most prolific performers of our times with roots to folk music.

This year’s event will kick off on Friday, August 1st, with an evening concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino; followed by two full days of ground-breaking performances across three stages at the historic Fort Adams State Park on August 2nd and 3rd.

A partial lineup for the 2008 Newport Folk Festival has been announced! Single day tickets for Saturday and Sunday, as well as a limited number of special Two-Day Passes are on-sale now!

Saturday, August 2, lineup features: The Black Crowes, Cat Power, Stephen & Damian Marley, Cowboy Junkies, Jim James (of My Morning Jacket), She & Him (feat. Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward), Jakob Dylan, Willy Mason, The Felice Brothers and Jesca Hoop.

Sunday, August 3, lineup features: Jimmy Buffett, Levon Helm, Gillian Welch, The Avett Brothers, Calexico, Brandi Carlile, Kaki King, Over The Rhine, Jake Shimabukuro, Kate Taylor and Richard Julian.

Tickets are available at: Newport Folk Festival

Hydrangea House Inn has some limited availability at the time of this posting.

Hydrangea House Inn Welcomes New Passport to New England Member

At the recent bi-annual meeting of Passport to New England, hosted by member property, The Inn at Bay Ledge, Bar Harbor, Maine, it was voted to welcome the Swift House Inn of Middlebury, Vermont as the association's 12th member. Swift House Inn, owned and managed by Dan and Michele Brown, offer it's guests 20 large luxury rooms with contemporary amenities along with fine dining in their full service inn. Middlebury's central Vermont location makes it an easy drive to major attractions: the Shelburne Museum, New York's Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain, and the ski slopes of Mount Mansfield. There is also plenty to do right in the neighborhood. Middlebury is home to the Sheldon Museum, the oldest community museum in the country. Nearby is the Robert Frost homestead, the Vermont State Craft Center at Frog Hollow, the famed Breadloaf writer's school and ski area, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Fly Fishing, hiking and bicycling are our most popular summer activities as there is some of the best of each right here in the heart of Vermont!

We hope you will enjoy this new Passport member on your next trip to Central Vermont! Hydrangea House Inn welcomes, Dan and Michele to the family of Passport inns.

2008 Newport Music Festival Celebrates 40th Season Sixty-seven Concerts Scheduled July 11 - 27

Newport, RI, August 01, 2007—The Newport Music Festival 2008 celebrates its 40^th season July 11–27, continuing the tradition of presenting unique chamber music programs, American debuts, world-class artists and special events in the Gilded Age “summer cottages” of Newport, Rhode Island. Beginning his thirty-fourth season as General Director, Dr. Mark P. Malkovich, III, researches and selects works from the 19^th century chamber music, vocal repertoire and the Romantic-era piano literature, to create one of the most extraordinary festivals in the world. In its thirty-nine year history, the Newport Music Festival has become celebrated for presenting over one hundred twenty artists and ensembles in their American debuts.

The Festival will present 60 concerts—three to five per day—in the famous Newport Mansions with American and international artists. Morning concerts are at 11 am, afternoons usually at 4 or 6 pm and evenings at The Breakers, the queen of the Newport Mansions, at 9 pm. The afternoon “Victor Borge Series” highlights the favorite concerts of Festival director Dr. Mark P. Malkovich, III from 1990-2006 in a series of 17 “Best of the Fest” concerts. Midnight concerts feature one-hour intermission-free works with champagne receptions preceding. The Yamaha Corporation of America and Your New England Toyota Dealer are the major Festival sponsors. The Festival was again selected for “America’s Elite 1000—the Ultimate List,” the very best American luxury goods, shops, services and special events; it was also named one of the “Top 50 Outstanding Festivals & Events” in North America by Leisure Group Travel magazine.

For further information and brochure requests, kindly write the Newport Music Festival, PO Box 3300, Newport, RI 02840-0992, or phone 401-846-1133. Newport County tourist information is available at the Newport County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 23 America’s Cup Avenue, Newport, RI 02840, local phone 401-849-8098 or toll-free 800-976-5122. The Rhode Island Division of Tourism may also be reached toll-free at 800-845-2000. Informational websites include www.GoNewport.com and www.VisitRhodeIsland.com. Current Festival information is also available on the official Festival website www.newportmusic.org. Or you may e-mail your request to staff@newportmusic.org.

WORK BEGINS ON NEW GUEST SUITE

Work began recently on the inn's 10th guest room. The new suite, just off the first floor foyer, will also have an entrance on Bellevue Avenue. As with all the inn's suites, the suite will feature a king canopy bed, comfortable sitting areas, a spectacular two person shower with the largest rain shower available on the market and a large 2 person spa tub. And, as required by today's discerning traveler, complimentary high speed Internet and long distance calling, flat screen television with DVD player, and fireplace.

As work progresses through the next few weeks, we will post addition photographs and progress updates.

See you at the inn!