By Maryann Hammers
Love lakes? We found four great options. Sit back, kick up your feet, and enjoy the view (and the military discounts, too).
New Hampshire
Coppertoppe Inn, a pet- and family-friendly B&B overlooking Newfound Lake in central New Hampshire, sits on 15 acres of gardens and woodlands. Surrounded by conservation land, the inn is near beaches, state parks, hiking trails, waterfalls, boating, golfing, and skiing. Regular rates range from $189 a night to $295, but servicemembers (and family members traveling to visit servicemembers) get a 25-percent discount. In November, servicemembers and veterans get 50-percent off. The inn also participates in the “B&Bs for Vets Free Night Program,” so your stay in one of four rooms or suites can be free on Veterans Day. In addition to a full custom breakfast and homey comforts, guests enjoy free Wi-Fi; cable TV, a DVD, and movies; a refrigerator, a towel warmer, robes, slippers, bath amenities, and a hot tub under the stars. For information, call (603) 744-3636.
North Carolina
Lakeview at Fontana in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains offers to active and retired military and their spouses 25 percent off room and spa rates for Sunday through Thursday stays. Just three hours from Atlanta; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.; the Lakeview at Fontana has an on-property nature trail winding through 50 wooded acres, serves organic French press coffee and pastries each morning plus complimentary afternoon wine and local cheese, and boasts a seasonal mountainside pool in the forest. Try a massage with lemongrass and sage-infused oil in the boutique spa (and don’t forget your 25-percent discount on spa services). Use promo code mil25. Call (800) 742-6492 to learn more.
Texas
Little cottages with private porches rest on the bank of a small lake under a canopy of century-old pecans and oak trees at The Old Irish Bed and Breakfast in Denton. Despite being located just outside one of the Dallas/Fort Worth area’s largest suburbs, this peaceful adults-only, six-acre wooded retreat boasts ponds full of huge catfish, ducks, and geese, with llamas and alpacas wandering the grounds. “Our little cottages ooze Irish charm with Texas hospitality,” say owners Jim and Rita Patrick. The innkeepers offer active duty servicemembers and anyone over age 62 a 10-percent discount on regular rates through Jan. 1, 2015, with a three-night stay. For veterans with more than 20 years of service, the discount is 15 percent. The rate includes a continental breakfast on weekdays and a gourmet breakfast on weekends, a complimentary bottle of wine, “and all the blarney and Texas boasting you can handle,” the owners promise. “Kisses from the alpacas are at no charge.” For information, call (214) 447-9241.
Virginia
Peaks of Otter Lodge in the Blue Ridge Mountains offers a 20-percent mid-week discount for active duty and retired military personnel. (Peaks of Otter is named for the three mountain peaks — Sharp Top, Flat Top, and Harkening Hill — that overlook Bedford, Va.) Hike to the mountain summits, explore the countryside of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway, or stroll the easy path around picturesque Abbott Lake. If you’re overly attached to your cellphone, be aware there is no cell phone service, but rooms include flat-screen TVs and free WiFi. Book online using promo code “Military,” or call (866) 387-9905.
Image by Maryann Hammers.