Web guides set scene for perfect stays on cross-country trips

WASHINGTON -- Sometimes it's not so much where you go as the character of the place you stay in when you get there that makes a trip a success. The Internet makes it much easier to find one of those perfect spots for your weekend or longer vacation.\nOne of the handiest resources for finding a room with character is Historic Hotels of America -- http://www.historichotels.org/ -- started by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It only lists quality hotels that are least 50 years old and have historic significance. According to the Web site, it now has 218 members in 40 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, ranging from rural settings to big cities.\nIt's too late this year for their "Spirits, Spooks and Specters" lineup of hotels with resident ghosts, but you could still try the packages listed under "Fantastic Fall Finds."\nClick on "Our Destinations" to search by state for accommodations such as the century-old Blennerhasset in Parkersburg, W.Va., the famous Algonquin in New York, or Madden's on Gull Lake at Brainerd, Minn. Each hotel's page has a description of its historic significance and accommodations, plus online reservations, and most have a photo gallery. And if you click on "About Historic Hotels" you'll find links to video tours of many of the properties.\nHeading out West? Click on Arizona on Historic Hotels' map to find Rancho de los Caballeros, a ranch at Wickenburg where you can hike and bike, play golf or tennis, or ride a horse. If that's not to your liking, head up U.S. 89 to the relaxing Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona's territorial capital, where you can explore the town's antique shops on your way north to the Grand Canyon.\nWant something a little more intimate?\nThe bed-and-breakfast inn directory at I Love Inns -- http://www.iloveinns.com/ -- has a handy interactive map to help you find cozy retreats all over the United States. Visiting the northern Plains? Try the Rough Riders Hotel B&B in historic Medora, the town established by a French marquis where Teddy Roosevelt ranched. Or, in the Southeast, follow the map to the elegant Governor's House Inn in Charleston, S.C.\nIf you don't see one you like there, try Bed & Breakfast Inns of America -- http://www.bbinnsofamerica.com/ -- where you can click on their "Inn Search Of" map to reach Rhode Island and check out the Little House on Thames near the harbor in Newport.