Virginia is for Lovers ~ A Valentine's Day Giveaway

I think most of us Americans are pretty proud of the states we live in.

We love being Americans but we are especially proud of our particular home states.

So it will come as no big surprise that I love being a Virginian. 

It's the birthplace of 8 U.S. Presidents.

It is the home of the first permanent English settlement in the Americas.

It's also the home to the largest U.S. Naval base.

You can see the Atlantic Ocean, go crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay and then in just a few hours be in the glorious Blue Ridge Mountains.

Plus, we harvest some pretty darn good goobers and make some of the world's finest ham.

To me, it's a pretty special place and I've lived and traveled all over this state.

We are currently settled in Southwest Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Our other claims to fame?

The shows Moonshiners and Salvage Dawgs are filmed right here!

 Totally off topic...

Don't y'all love how the Appalachian mountains are called different names depending on what state you're in?  It's all the same mountain range but we gotta make it our own I guess.

Here (and in West Virginia) we call them the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In Tennessee and North Carolina,  they are called the Great Smoky Mountains.

Up north, they are called the Catskill Mountains.

That used to confuse the heck out of me when I was a kid. 

Anyhoo...back on topic...

Virginia's tagline also happens to be "Virginia is for Lovers".

So, with that in mind, I got together with fellow Virginian, Shellie Leete to bring y'all a special giveaway.  A little something special to celebrate Valentine's Day (but you have up until the end of summer to use this gift certificate!).

Shellie and her husband, Tony, own a gorgeous bed and breakfast called the

Claiborne House in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

It's an 1895 Queen Anne style home that is nestled in between the Blue Ridge Parkway 

and Smith Mountain Lake.

Seriously...isn't this gorgeous?

Can't you just picture yourself, totally unplugged from the world, sitting on this country porch sipping on some coffee or sweet tea (or maybe stealing a kiss from your sweetie??)

 

It don't get much better than this.

 Every morning, Shellie brews up some freshly ground coffee and lovingly prepares a homemade breakfast. And we ain't talking no Contintental breakfast either.

Shellie cooks up a hearty breakfast for her guests.

 They believe the second "B" in B&B is just as important as the first one.

That is, if you can tear yourself away from this comfy bed.

Or this bed...

And when you are well rested, and full from a yummy homemade meal, you can go for a walk, hand in hand with the one you love.  Or head on over to the lake and do some fishin'.

 Or take a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Or if you're feeling like a night out on the town, head on up to Roanoke City!

Whatever you do...it will sure to be relaxing and the sights will be breathtaking.

Alright, now that I have your minds dreaming of a mountain getaway, time for the giveaway.

Shellie and Tony are offering up a free night's stay at Claiborne House (a $165 value!)  to one lucky Country Cook reader! Who couldn't use some time away?

(see below for additional details)

And - that ain't all! I'm throwing in a gift as well.

This is supposed to be a romantic evening for two, right?

So we gotta have some chocolate for y'all too!

I'm giving away a Chocolate Gift Basket from Chocolate Paper.

Chocolate Paper is a favorite chocolate maker based right here in Southwest Virginia.

So, how can you win all this?

How to Enter:

1. Leave a comment below telling us why you could use a a night away in Virginia. 

Just need some one on one time with your sweetie? 

Maybe you've gone through a rough patch and haven't been able to afford a nice night out? Whatever the reason, tell us about it!

2. Head over to the Claiborne House website and leave a separate comment on here telling me which room is your favorite at Claiborne House.

3. For additional entries, "Pin" this blog post to Pinterest, "Like" Claiborne House on facebook, and follow Claiborne House on Twitter 

(be sure to leave additional comments on here letting us know what you did so we can count them as your extra entries!)

That's up to 5 chances to win!!

***Please be sure to leave us your email address so we can contact you if you win***

The fine print:

You must be 18 years or older to enter.

This is for one room for two adults to share.

Open to U.S. residents only.

 (Sorry to my international friends!  We can only ship the chocolate within the U.S.)

Free night at Claiborne House is good to use between March 1, 2013 and September 19, 2013. 

Can be used Sunday thru Thursday (excluding Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays).

Good Luck!! I am so excited for one of you to win!

Contest ends on February 16th at midnight EST.

If you get a chance head on over to Shellie's blog, Funky Blog Coffee Talk.

You'll get an inside look at what it's like to run a B & B and lots of other hilarious insights into Shellie's world (and where they live!).

***CONTEST IS CLOSED***

Winner is Lori from Holbrook, PA.

Lori, an email has been sent to you to get all your details.

Thank you so very much to all who entered.

Your comments touched my heart so much.  I wish I could do so much more for y'all!