If you find yourself overwhelmed by those late summer/early fall chores (like cleaning the house), why not take a break and stay a few nights at a place that's already been cleaned for you?

Every Select Registry inn, boutique hotel or luxury B&B must pass a rigorous inspection that assures that each property is up to our high standards of cleanliness, friendliness, and overall excellence. As you'll discover below, in recent years, a few of our properties have even achieved a perfect score on their inspections from our Association of independent innkeepers-now celebrating its 35th anniversary of "providing unforgettable introductions to the finest accommodations and hospitality in North America."

For many years, the symbol of our association was a lighted lantern, symbolizing the "shining light in hospitality." Today, that quality is reflected in the weight given to hospitality issues in Select Registry's quality assurance inspection report. When you stay at one of our properties, you are greeted by a friendly face and the offer to help with whatever you need - or, if you choose, you are given that perfect amount of "space" you need for a long-awaited getaway. Almost as important is the high level of quality at our diverse member properties. From California to Nova Scotia-and everywhere in between-at Select Registry member properties you'll find that extra-comfy bed, that memorable breakfast (and/or dinner), special amenities, and an ambience second to none. Let Select Registry help you plan your next special trip-for business or pleasure; you won't be disappointed.

September's guest e-newsletter includes a few ways to get the most out of your upcoming trip. Several of our properties are offering special packages, and more can be found on member pages within the Select Registry web site (www.selectregistry.com).

This month, the "Indulgent Traveler" reports on a summer vacation trip that took him to Duluth, Minnesota and our Select Registry member property, The Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek. The blurb below tells about the experience what this small country inn has to offer. In many areas, late summer and early fall mean berries are in season, and the three recipes included in this newsletter take advantage of the blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries that we all love. The featured inn this month is the Canyon Villa Bed & Breakfast Inn located in Sedona, Arizona. With gorgeous views of the Red Rocks and themed guest rooms, this Inn would satisfy any scenery enthusiast. "Hiking and Birding in the Southeast" is the name of this month's featured itinerary, created by Glen-Ella Springs' innkeepers Barrie and Bobby Aycock. This trip will take you through the Smoky Mountains near North Carolina and Georgia, and is complete with suggested SR properties where you can stay. For those who love traveling to states and provinces where fall's colors are abundant, we suggested the pre-planned itineraries for Prince Edward Island, Canada, New Hampshire's White Mountains, and Rural Central Vermont, which can be found on the Select Registry web site in our "Trip Planner" area.

There are also a couple of new features in this month's e-newsletter. In the "Guest-to-Guest" section, we've taken a few typical guest comment cards from different inns around North America and have included their reviews of our inns from their stays. At a time when sites such as TripAdvisor are proving so popular for direct guest feedback, Select Registry guests provide that for their friends and family-and you. Each year between one and two million guests stay at a Select Registry property. Stay tuned in future guest e-newsletters (and on our web site) for commentary from a representative sampling of those guests. As one person said, "it's an experience worth talking about!"

Finally, great innkeepers are a huge part of making a superb Select Registry property work for its guests. Beginning in September, each month we will profile a different person (or couple), owner/innkeepers, each with a unique story of how he/she/they became involved with one of our member inns. As you might imagine, their backgrounds and stories are varied, but they all represent the pinnacle of the innkeeping industry-being a Select Registry award-winning innkeeper.

Enjoy, and we hope to see you for future editions of the guest e-newsletter. Tell your friends and family about it, and we'll be happy to add them to the distribution list (or they can sign up on the Select Registry web site). Thanks for your attention and loyalty to "traveling the Select Registry way"!