Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast is a dog friendly bed and breakfast in the Brandywine Valley.  We have two cottages and one bedroom in the main house that are dog friendly.  Our dog friendly room in the main house is the Cambridge Room which is on the second floor and at the end of the hall.   We discovered early on in our innkeeping career that when you have a guest dog and someone walks past the room chances are the dog is going to start barking.  The Cambridge is away from all the other rooms so no chance of barking from the guest dog.

Over the years we have hosted many wonderful fuzzy butt guests from tiny Malteses to Mastiffs and their wonderful two legged friends who brought them.  Check the pair below.  How can you not fall in love with these guests?

Two of Our Favorite Guests

We also have two of our own dogs.  Brandy, our 9 year old Doberman, came from the Doberman Alliance.  Bentley is a 3 year old English Setter and was rescued out of a puppy mill in Missouri.  Both of them were skin and bones when they came to our forever home for them.   Both are happy as can be now.  If you are considering getting a pet, whether it be a cat or a dog, I urge you to consider adoption.  No matter what breed you like there is a rescue organization for them.  Or you can find a wonderful loving pet at your local Humane Society.

Bentley taking advantage.

Busted!  He knows the furniture is only for two legged guests but every now and then he tries to get around the rules.  Just had to snap this picture before reminding him to stay off the furniture.

January 20-March
25,2012

Orchid
Extravaganza

You can still enjoy visiting Longwood Gardens. Even though the outside gardens are resting for the winter there is the spectacular indoor gardens in the conservatory. Did you know it is 4 1/2 acres under glass and includes 20 indoor gardens and 5500 varieties of plants? It takes about an hour and a half to stroll through the entire conservatory. The Orchid Extravaganza  runs through March 25.  And don’t forget about the Philadelphia Flower Show which runs March 4-11, 2012.  Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast is a short 30 minute drive into Philadelpia and about 15-20 north of Longwood Gardens so we are the perfect location if you are going to visit both shows.

For more information and to purchase tickets click here.

101 THINGS TO DO IN THE BRANDYWINE VALLEY IN THE WINTER.  Recently updated 1-17-12 with nos. 8 & 9.

I’ve just started compiling this list so it is no where near complete.  We’ll see if I can get to the 101st item by the end of winter.  Point is, the Brandywine Valley has lots to do in the winter months and you won’t have to contend with all the crowds.

Think there is nothing to do in January, February, and March in southeast Pennsylvania?  Well, think again.  Here are just a few of the fun things going on and I’ll add more during the coming weeks.  Want to brave the outdoors?  How about horse back riding on the magnificent Icelandic horses at Viking  Horse Stables in West Chester, Pa.  They offer a variety of year round treks through the country side of Chester County, Pa.  Each guided trek is customized for you and is offered for as few as one person or up to four people at a time.  For more information 610-517-7980 or click here.

1.

Enjoy the bucolic countryside of Chester County on an Icelandic horse at Viking Stables.

2.  If horseback riding isn’t for you, there are plenty of trails nearby for hiking and cross country skiing.  Enjoy going over the hills and through the woods  not to grandmother’s house but past historic buildings in Ridley Creek State Park and Tyler Arboretum which are only a 10 minute drive from Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast.  For more information on Tyler Arboretum click here or call 610-566-9134.  And for more information on Ridley Creek State park click here.

Ridley Creek Park

3.  For a slower pace grab your binoculars and head over to John Heinz Wildlife Refuge at the Tinicum Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge is about a 15-20 minutes from us.  For more info click here.

Bird watching at John Heinz Wildlife Refuge.

You can still enjoy visiting Longwood Gardens.  Even though the outside gardens are resting for the winter there is the spectacular indoor gardens in the conservatory.  Did you know it is 4 1/2 acres under glass and includes 20 indoor gardens and 5500 varieties of plants?  It takes about an hour and a half to stroll through the entire conservatory.  The Orchid Extravaganza begins January 20, 2012 and runs through March 25. For more information

Orchids at Longwood Gardens

5..   February 11-18 – National Curling Championships at IceWorks Skating Complex.  For tickets:  610-497-2200

6.    January and February  Winter bird walks held every Wednesday at Tyler Arboretum 8:15 – 10:15 a.m.  610-566-9134×212.

7  .  March 11 – Brandywine Battlefield Charter Day:  honors charter between King Charles II and William Penn.

8.  Celebrate Chinese New Year – Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year) occurs in the early months of our calendar year, typically January or February and this year falls on January 23rd.  This is the first of 15 days of celebration and the start of the Year of the Dragon.  For more information on things to do click here.

9.  The Hedgerow Theatre
  For more info click here.

Educating Rita by Willy Russell 2/9-3/6

Shirley Valentine by Willie Russell  2/25-3/10

And, of course, we won’t mind if you come just to enjoy relaxing in front of the fireplace and enjoying a good book and good conversation.  We are open all winter and look forward to seeing you.

Celebrate the Season with the
Chester Heights Historical Society
Sunday, December 11, 2011  1-4  PM
Wine and cheese plus tour of the beautiful
Hamanassett Bed & Breakfast
725 Darlington Road, Media PA 19063   Hamanassett is located just off Route 1, 5 miles south of Media, Pa. and 4 miles north of the itersection of Routes 202 and 1.   See web site for driving directions
www.hamanassett.com
$10.00 donation requested per person
All proceeds benefit the Chester Heights Historical Society

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We were honored at Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast to take part in the Bed and Breakfasts for Veterans program.  Started last year in West Virginia, the program is now part of the Better Way to Stay program at the Professional Association of International Innkeepers.   As a result, hundreds of bed and breakfasts across the United States offered free rooms to our veterans on 11-10-11 to thank them for their service to our country.  This year we had the Army, Navy, and Air Force represented. 

  In addition to the rooms offered by Hamanassett, the good people at the Delaware County’s Brandywine Valley Conference and  Visitor’s Bureau secured donations from many of the attractions and local businesses in the area.    Included were  items like a WALK FOR THE WOUNDED T-shirt (a major fundraising event that draws thousands of people to Delaware County each year to honor soldiers who have been wounded overseas), plus a bottle of Chadds Ford wine, a box of Fudge made by a local candymaker – and a variety of free admission passes to places like Longwood Gardens, the Simeone Car Museum, the American Helicopter Museum, the Brandywine River Museum and more!   There was also a $20-25 gift certificate to a local restaurant in each bag.  

B&Bs for Vets Couple

Retired Army Veteran and his wife

Brandywine Prime is looking for a butcher or butchers!   No, not a butcher of meat, but a butcher (carver) of pumpkins. This job is one night only, Thursday,  October 27^th, beginning at 5pm. You (and your team) will check in at Brandywine Prime before 5 and then head down to the Chadds Ford Historical Society to carve their sponsored pumpkin. After the carving is complete, hang around to see the judges decision or head back to Brandywine Prime and join them for the after-carve party.  

For those of you interested in the party and not the job opportunity visit,  http://www.brandywineprime.com

 Those wishing to apply for the job must meet the following criteria;  at least 21 years old,  possess carving tools and be able to use creatively, friendly, don’t mind having a beer or two after a hard day’s carve, must use the term CHOP! CHOP! when speaking to your team. 

Please respond to Michael@brandywineprime.com, if you are interested. Include your idea of how the pumpkin will look.  Compensation $100 gift certificate to Brandywine Prime for you; $50 for each of your teammates; snacks and drinks at the after carve party for you and your team; hopefully lots of fun. 

Looking for spooks and things that go bump in the night?  Is getting a chill and a thrill your idea of fun for Halloween?  I just learned about the PennHurst Haunted Asylum which is about a 50 minute drive from Hamanassett. If their web site is any indication, this is definitely a place to check out if you like being scared out of your wits The Assylum was a state school that only closed down in 1986 after many allegations of abuse. The new attraction there is a combination of high tech animatronices, digital sound and actors. Even if you don’t plan on going, I suggest reading their web site for interesting information. Fair warning: this web site is scary and noisy so if you are at work, turn the sound down before clicking here.

Another creepy attraction only 10 minutes from Hamanassett is the Haunted Hayride at the Bates Motel. For over 20 years this attraction has been scaring visitors with amazing props and great actors. Click here for more information

Their slogan is “Think Pink, Drink Pink”.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the eight wineries that make up the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail are doing their part to be supportive by donating $1.00 of every sale of specially designated pink wines from October 1 through October 31.  Your purchase will help support one of two organizations,  The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and Living Beyond Breast Cancer.  Come out and lend your support to these very worthy organizations.  You can purchase a Wine Passport for only $20.00 at Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast and visit all eight of the participating wineries.  Your passport is good through the end of the year.  The wineries that are members of the Brandywine Wine Trail include Black Walnut Winery,  Chadds Ford Winery, Kreutz Creek Vineyard,  Paradocx Vineyard,  Patone  Cellars,  Penns Woods Winery, and Twin Brook Winery.  All of the wineries are within a 10-20 minute drive of each other as well as major Brandywine Valley attractions such as Longwood Gardens and Brandywine River Museum.  I hope you’ll come out and add your support to this very worthy cause.

Looking for something different to do Labor Day weekend?    Now you can not only learn about how wines get bottled but help Kreutz Creek Winery bottle their new vintage.  On Monday, September 5 you can join them from 9-5 as a volunteer wine bottler.  They have only a few spots left so if you are interested call 610-869-4412 to reserve a spot.

Their last evening concert is this coming Saturday, August 20. The Red Alert Band will be entertaining guests with their motown and funk!  It’s 6-9, you can bring a picnic and lawnchair.  Hamanassett has a couple of nice lawn chairs you may borrow.  Your well behaved pooch is welcome too!  The fee is $10 for adults.  Steuben and Port slushies will be available at the concert!  Kreutz Creek is approximately 40 minutes from Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast.  Lots of other neat things going on in the Brandywine Valley so book your room soon.  We still have a few available.