Going Our Way: Searching for a romantic B&B getaway

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Who: Susan Day, 51, and T.E. Lyons, 51, of Falls Church.
Where: A romantic B&B in the mid-Atlantic.
Why: To celebrate work projects completed and surviving a painfully expensive heat pump replacement.
When: A long weekend in mid-March.
Budget: $500.
"We're trying to get the most enjoyment we can without spending money that makes us feel guilty."
Let us now praise B&Bs. At least the ones without teddy bears and doilies. Mercifully, the mid-Atlantic has many sophisticated inns, with fine dining, stylish decor and nary a ruffle in sight. For lots of travelers, a good B&B is a destination in itself.
So it is for Susan Day and T.E. Lyons, who find themselves craving a long weekend in a romantic inn after a winter consumed with work and home repairs. But not just any old romantic inn. They want a water view, proximity to hiking trails and art museums, the option of spa services and, oh yes, a ghost or two would be nice.
We consulted several experts, including Mary White of BnBFinder.com (http:/
A waterfront manor on the Eastern Shore. Great Oak Manor (800-504-3098, http:/
Dining options abound in Chestertown and nearby Rock Hall, but if you time your visit right, you can participate in one of the inn's culinary and music evenings, when a chef from the Culinary Institute of America prepares five-course meals and a pianist plays classical and jazz tunes. (There's one scheduled for March 12-13.) No fine-art museums in the immediate area, but Rock Hall and Chestertown are home to several galleries, and there are many more in St. Michaels, a little over an hour away. If you want pampering, the inn will arrange for a massage therapist to make an in-suite visit.
As for the ghost component, will Tallulah Bankhead do? The flamboyant actress is buried in nearby St. Paul's Churchyard.