Eco Friendly Travel

Green Lodging at an Oregon Bed and Breakfast

Friday, July 23, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Green bed and breakfasts are becoming more and more popular, adding an environmentally conscious twist to the quaint, quiet and natural charm of a traditional B&B. Interest in Eco Friendly Travel destinations is

The Old Parkdale Inn - Green Certified by the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild

on the rise, and a green bed and breakfast can provide a comfortable and guilt-free stop for conscientious travelers.

A bed and breakfast is a quaint alternative to a traditional hotel. It's a cozier experience for travelers, who receive a peaceful night and a meal prepared for you in the morning. Many eco friendly travelers have found that a green B&B, one in which the house may be LEED-certified, energy efficient, using enviromentally safe products and where the breakfasts served are organic, local, seasonal and sustainable, is certainly the way to travel. For added solace the inn and surrounding grounds are infused with the sights and sounds of nature.

Plan your green vacation today by booking a room at a bed and breakfast certified green by the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. We are committed to business practices that promote the sustainability of our planet's natural resources and integrate that commitment into exemplary guest services.

Bed and Bike Oregon for an Authentic Oregon Vacation

Friday, June 11, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Portland has been voted one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in United States and Oregon itself isn’t just one of the best places for biking in the nation it, too, is one of the most bike-friendly. Home to hundreds of state parks and endless highways and back roads ranging from alpine to high desert, Oregon offers the expert and beginner road and mountain biker unthinkable diversity. And while the journey may be the destination, don’t forget to enjoy an Oregon wine or brew at the end of a long day of cycling and choose an inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild to rest your tired body and soul.

Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild recognizes the biking and hiking culture and we have dedicated a Biking and Hiking target page on our website where our innkeepers share biking options near their inns. You'll find an Oregon B&B inn waiting for your arrival on your eco friendly journey through Oregon. Enjoy the video courtesy of TravelOregon. Visit their website, plan your route then choose where to rest for the night.

Eco Friendly Travel Through Crater Lake National Park

Tuesday, June 1, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

The "new" eco friendly travel around Crater Lake. Picture courtesy of Herald and News.

Late spring snows have been making for great late season snowshoe adventures but have delayed the opening of the North Entrance Road to Crater Lake National Park for a couple more weeks. But open it will and then visitors can experience one of the most scenic National Parks in our nation, Crater Lake, while on an eco friendly trolley.

With a depth of more than 1,900 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. It's setting, in a massive caldera atop the Cascades, and beauty makes the lake itself the major attraction. Surrounding the lake are thick evergreen forests and high alpine meadows filled with wildlife and unique fauna.

While visitors typically drive the 33 mile loop road around the lake, this year they will have an opportunity to park the car and hop on one of the three historic-looking trio passenger trolleys from The Shuttle of Klamath Falls. Eight, two-hour tours are planned daily with park rangers providing interpretive information. The trolleys operate on compressed natural gas, which produces 90 percent less emissions and fits in with the park's goal of reducing emissions. Park rangers are encouraging riders to hop off anywhere along the rim, take a hike or picnic, then catch the next shuttle back to your car. Geotourism at its best, enjoying our natural wonders with sustainable travel.

For Crater Lake Lodging choose an Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member near Crater Lake National Park. Our newest member, Lonesome Duck Ranch and Resort, is located just 35 minutes from the park on the east side and the Historic Prospect Hotel, 28 miles to the west.

Portland, Oregon. Known for Eco Friendly Travel, Certified Green Lodging and Green Beer

Thursday, March 18, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

St. Patrick's day is behind us but Green is here year-round in Oregon. Many Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild members provide Certified Green Lodging. And at Hopworks Urban Brewery in southeast Portland, the brewpub calls itself an "eco brewpub."

Many celebrate St. Patrick's Day with green beer, but in Portland, we're not talking the food colored or dyed kind. We’re talking about the organic kind.

Green is no doubt the theme at Hopworks Urban Brewery in southeast Portland. Not only does it serve all certified organic beer. It also uses all renewable energy, runs its kettles on biodiesal fuel, and even sits its customers on furniture made from recycled wood.

"We're really the first brew pub to incorporate all aspects of sustainability in our operation," said Christian Ettinger, brewmaster and owner of Hopworks.

Combining green beer with Portland's National Green status and the Green Lodging Certification held by some Portland area B&Bs makes for an authentic green Oregon vacation.

Blue Plum Inn ~ Portland
Forest Springs B&B ~ Gresham
Nob Hill Riverview B&B ~ St. Helens

These member inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild's Green Certification Program are committed to engaging in practices that promote the sustainability of our planet's natural resources while providing luxurious accommodations and sharing their eco-friendly values.

Hopworks Urban Brewery is not alone in its green brewing. It joins other "green" breweries like Lauralwood, which back in 2002 became Portland's first ever organic brewery, as well as Root's Brewing Company which was the first brewpub in the city to serve all organic beer. While you'll find plenty of organic green beer at these pubs, you won't find any green colored beer on this day or any St. Patrick's Day

Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast ~ An Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild Member

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

The Cornerstone B&B, the newest member of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, was built in 2006 on the south side of Cooper Mountain and is a gateway to wine country overlooking beautiful green pastures, orchards and vineyards.

In the warm summer evenings guests love to watch the crimson sunset from their rocking chairs on the large covered deck surrounding the house. If you listen carefuly you can hear the owls hooting in the twilight and watch over 20 species of birds coming for their last meal of the day at our feeders.

There inn was built with your safety in mind. There is not a single step that you have to navigate between your car and your room. One guest rooms is specifically designed to meet ADA compliance. Every room has its own private entrance from the deck that surrounds the house.

The Cooper Mountain Nature Park, atop the butte where the south ends of Beaverton and Aloha meet, with spectacular views of the Tualatin Valley and Chehalem Mountain from its open south slope, just minutes from the inn.

Cooper Mountain Nature Park has 3.5 miles of gravel surface trails over its 231 acres. The looping trail system covers well the public land at the summit of the 774-foot high butte.

One has so many eco friendly travel options in Oregon and the member inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild are happy to share ways to enjoy geotourism with you.

The Craftsman B&B ~ A Green Vacation on the Oregon Coast

Thursday, February 18, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Located in Pacific City, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast welcomes you to experience beautiful Oregon Coast Lodging in style, grace, and comfort.

The Craftsman B&B was awarded the Best Period Restoration Award

The Craftsman B&B has been awarded the Best Period Restoration Award in the LanierBB.com Guests’ Greatest Picks Award program out of 8,500 B&B’s world wide.

Built in 1921, The Craftsman B&B was renovated in 2004-2005 to return the character of the period and modernize the workings. Classic Arts and Crafts elements were incorporated - from the Greene & Greene inspired cloud lift detail of the railings and gate to the wainscoting typical of a Gustav Stickley house.

The craftsman style house features four guest rooms with period-inspired design and decor, queen beds and private baths. No lace or doilies here. Mike and Laura Rech are committed to providing eco friendly travel by obtaining Green Lodging Certification through the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and implementing green business practices.

Whether you're planning your vacation around culinary or eco friendly travel or just looking for a perfect romantic Oregon Coast lodging experience The Craftsman B&B can and will provide it all. Another unique, quality inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild

PLEASE JOIN US AT ARCH CAPE INN & RETREAT FOR A SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DINNER AND MEET OUR NEW CHEF, NOAH KAUFMAN

Friday, February 5, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

From our Guest Blogger
Lori McKean, Arch Cape Inn and Retreat

Arch Cape Inn and Retreat on the Oregon Coast is pleased to announce the arrival of our new Chef, Noah EunJung Kaufman, who will debut his culinary creations at the Inn beginning February 2010. Kaufman was born in South Korea and adopted by his American parents at an early age. While serving at the award winning 1913 Room in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Kaufman's love for food blossomed and, in the fall of 2003, he enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America. Kaufman graduated in 2007, earning his associates degree in Culinary Arts and receiving a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Before joining the Arch Cape Inn, Kaufman worked as the Chef/ Director of Food Operations for the exclusive Balsam Lake Club in the heart of the Catskills in New York. His artfully composed dishes taste as delicious as they look. Chef Kaufman's upcoming Valentine's Day Tasting Menu will include Wild mushroom ravioli with Dungeness crab leg and lemon brown A true Northwest Culinary experience at Arch Cape Inn and Retreat butter; braised pork belly with caramelized apples, frisee salad and cayenne oil, pan roasted duck breast with a root vegetable medley with aceto balsamico, and a "Valentine's Day Kiss" composed of meringue, ganache and raspberry coulis, among other dishes -- all paired with regional wines.

On March 12, as part of Savor Cannon Beach, Chef Kaufman will prepare a special Winemaker's Dinner paired with wines from Oregon's Walnut City Wineworks. Arch Cape Inn and Retreat's kitchen specializes in featuring locally grown produce, locally sourced meats, seafood and cheeses and other sustainable foods spiced with a variety of ethnic flavors from top culinary regions around the world a unique Oregon Slow Food experience.

Arch Cape Inn & Retreat is a small, eco-friendly resort overlooking the ocean on the North Oregon coast, offering luxurious green lodging accommodations in a naturally beautiful environment. Eco-conscious since their initial planning stages, they are as proud of the fact they have obtained Green Lodging Certification by the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild, as they are of being both an exclusive Bed and Breakfast.com Diamond Luxury Property and a Select Registry Inn, which represents only 400 quality assured, inspected inns and B&Bs in North America.