Green Lodging

Here's a little note from the innkeepers of the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast in Joseph, Oregon (almost into Idaho it's so far east & north in Oregon):

If you're a guy and into wildlife, you might just want the 2012 Wallowa Mountain Quilters Guild raffle quilt for your bed or as a blanket on the leather couch in your den.  And the raffle's still on until June 9, 2012, so buy your tickets now!  $1 per ticket or 6 for $5--and you can order them through the mail too.  This year's quilt is a Montana Log Cabin style with black silhouettes of birds, moose, deer, foxes and other wildlife.  Very masculine and very striking.

Gee, might even be a good idea to order some tickets and win this beautiful quilt to give as a present to that man who has everything. . .

If you want to see the quilt in person, come to the 20th Annual Quilt Show!  The show takes place on June 8 & 9, 2012, the same weekend here in Joseph Oregon as the Oregon Mountain Cruise Car Show.

We're all sold out of lodging here at the Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast but we're happy to refer you to other inspected and approved Oregon bed and breakfasts of the Oregon B&B Guild.  Belle Peppers Bed and Breakfast in Joseph still has rooms open and carries green lodging certification.  Only 6 miles away, the 1910 Historic Enterprise House Bed and Breakfast is currently full.  See you at the quilt show!

Whatever your pleasure—romantic getaway, playing hookey from work, change of pace, touring Oregon's Wine Country or even a quiet weekend just for you, you can find it at the Kelty Estate Bed and Breakfast.

An inspected and approved inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, Kelty Estate is located in one of Oregon's many wine country regions and is just 48 miles from Portland, 60 miles from beautiful beaches at Lincoln City or zero miles from the most relaxing holiday you have ever enjoyed.

Built in 1872 in historic Lafayette, Oregon, the Kelty Estate B&B is located in the McMinnville area and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The proud, white house with green trim is surrounded by lawns, gardens and two hundred year old native trees. Painstaking restoration has left the interior with a new feeling, while graceful architectural details and selected antiques recall another era.

Enjoy a 3-course, gourmet breakfast made from fresh, locally grown ingredients. You can enjoy local wine in the afternoon, a fireplace and player piano in the parlor, the pond, wishing well and beautiful landscaping. Book our limo for your wine tour.

After a day of touring the backroads of the Willamette Valley return to this 5 room inn and enjoy  omplimentary wine and cheese, take a nap and then go out to dinner in one of the fine local restaurants and enjoy the fare followed by a wonderful rest in one of our fantastic rooms.

From the Coast, Portland, Mount Hood and The Gorge, Willamette Valley, Southern Oregon to the Rogue River Valley or Central Oregon to the High desert of the East the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild offers unique and comfortable accommodations.

Get to know our State like a local; stay with one of our near 100 hosts in any one of our many regions. Experience romantic getaways, historic treasures, and tucked away rustic retreats.  Whether your trip is for a quiet escape to a quaint rural or coastal town, for a World Class City experience or for a new spin on business travel, you can be assured of combining gracious hospitality with ambiance by staying at an inspected and approved Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member Inn.

As usual, the innkeepers of Bybee's Historic Inn just outside of Jacksonville in Southern Oregon are planning something guaranteed to pique your interest.

February is the month of Love and Fun!

Join us for a weekend of chocolate! Our Chocolate Lovers Getaway weekend February 10th through the 12th includes a two night stay (second night 1/2 off) and a chocolate lovers dinner on February 11th.   Upon arrival you will be indulged with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries in your room.  The two night lodging and dinner is offered at great package price of $282.50 to $340.00 depending on the room choice.

February 20th is Mardi Gras night at Bybee's Historic Inn.  We will celebrate the the traditions of Mardi Gras with a New Orleans Style dinner and festive atmosphere.  We encourage costumes, masks, and the official Mardi Gras colors of Purple, Green and Gold!  Lodging with dinner package is $190.00 to $235.00 depending on room choice.

Both dinners are catered by Chef William Prahl and each dinner course will be paired with wine or Dry Soda.

We hope to see you!

Bybee's Historic Inn appreciates Oregon Slow Food and often hosts wine pairing dinners at their authentic Oregon property.  Take advantage of their February special events and happy eating!

Villa Columbia Bed and Breakfast in Hood River, Oregon, was recently featured on Mike's Road Trip.  In the same class as the Columbia River Gorge hotels (really more in the boutique hotel category), Villa Columbia B&B gives you good access to the scenic Columbia Gorge year round and access to Mt. Hood in the winter for skiing.

An excerpt from Mike's blog post:

Breakfast at the Villa Columbia is scrumptious and served in thee-courses.  Local ingredients are often used to create a unique experience that reminded me of being in Europe.  Each morning of my stay I enjoyed a fresh fruit berry parfait with vanilla yogurt.  Some of the other items/dished included:

• Whole wheat blueberry scone
• Ham & cheese breakfast calzone
• Twice baked croissant with cherry compote and chicken sausage
• Spinach quiche with sliced cantaloupe accompanied with sausage in puff pastry

Throughout the day refreshments are available, from stocked mini-fridges with soda and water, to cookies, fruit (like a fresh bowl of cherries while I was there) and a number of candy dishes…all the comforts of home.

Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast along with The Gresham Historic Downtown Boosters are proud to announce our city's 10^th Annual Gresham Art Walk!

During the Gresham Art Walk, more than 140 artists from Oregon and Southwest Washington will sell their original works along scenic Main Avenue between First and Fifth streets. The family event also includes live music, free children’s arts and crafts, and unique shops and restaurants in the downtown core. Art for sale includes garden art, pottery, photography, jewelry, watercolors, textiles, glass, wood, oil paintings and much more. Plus you can always meet the artists behind the work!

Always the third Saturday in July. . .this year it's July 16th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Historic Downtown Gresham

If you're traveling to the Portland Oregon area for this event, consider staying close by at Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast.  This inn is one of the founding members of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild's Green Lodging Certification program and is an eco friendly travel option (not to mention a gorgeous setting and great food too).

See you at the Gresham Art Walk!

Spring is coming to WildSpring

And that means our annual explosion of wild irises, each year more spectacular, plus our rhodies and azaleas say hello, and the baby deer start their cute stumbling around.

Fourth of July Celebrations!

And don't forget Port Orford for your Fourth of July plans. Our fireworks display is considered by many the best on the coast. We have an old-fashioned parade down Main Street, complete with tractors, classic cars, pretty ladies on horses and square dancing. We also have dingy races, arts & crafts, keg tossing and knot contests, and all sorts of "tom foolery."  (I've always wanted to use that word in something...)

Eco friendly travel is just one of the things Oregon bed and breakfasts might specialize in.  Here's some breaking news from the WildSpring Guest Habitat's owner Michele Duarte:

Hi there....we just found out something very cool....actually two things very cool...and just wanted to share:

USAToday just wrote about us (again) as one of five luxury vacations in the U.S. And Spawards just listed us as one of the top 100 spas in the U.S. 

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/luxury-vacations-united-states-25861.html

http://www.spawards.com/winners

Wow....

And woo hoo!

Michelle

When you're looking for your green vacation lodging, consider WildSpring Guest Habitat.  Or, as Michelle might say, "The great outdoors finally comes with an equally great indoors."

America’s Wild Rivers Coast to the Heart of the Dunes, Oregon's South Coast presents an unspoiled coastal experience filled with windsurfing, fishing, exploring the most accessible and spectacular beaches in Oregon and a retreat providing Eco Friendly Travel.

AMERICA’S WILD RIVERS COAST - Starting at the Oregon/California border and stretching North to Port Orford, Oregon, America’s Wild Rivers Coast offers 101 miles of nature’s best. Historic Port Orford is the oldest townsite on the Oregon coast and is the northern gateway to America’s Wild Rivers Coast. With the only open water port in 600 miles and two wild rivers, commercial and sport fishing, diving, windsurfing, and beachcombing opportunities are plentiful. Port Orford is also one of the best whale watching spots on the Oregon coast.

You'll need more than one day to explore the Southern Oregon Coast, its spectacular shoreline with some of the best beach access in Oregon, its towering forests and some of the last remaining wild rivers in America.  That's why we suggest you check into the WildSpring Guest Habitat,  a small, ecofriendly resort in Port Orford.  This inn has Green Lodging Certification through the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and sits on 5 secluded acres, it offers luxury accommodations in a naturally beautiful environment.  Elegant cabin suites built like small homes, filled with art and antiques. Their guest hall, sculpture garden and open-air slate spa overlook the ocean.

Fabulous fishing, hiking and exploring can be found in almost every city along this stretch of Oregon Coast. Quaint shops and dining in historic downtown settings, quiet walks on the beach at sunset, the excitement of catching your own dinner of clams, crab or fish will fill your days.  Sleep to the sound of wind through the trees and wake up to deer outside your window.  And while you are on the beach, be sure to look for the majestic gray whale that migrates along the coast in the spring and winter.
 

Filmmakers and others appreciate the authentic Oregon aspects of some of our Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild member inns.  About a year ago, Patrick Arbuckle of the Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast in Gresham wrote a blog post about a recent experience his inn had with a film crew.   Patrick recently provided an updated post about the film. . .

by
Patrick Arbuckle
Owner & Innkeeper
Forest Springs B&B @ Historic Heiney House
Guest Blogger

The crew returned on May 16^th to film a few re-shoots for the film: Pathfinders: In the Company of Strangers (See Below). As before, they treated our property with the utmost respect. If all bodes well, they have a tentative release date for Veterans Day 2010. We look forward to its premiere and wish the Film Makers (Portland Independent Films) all the success in the world.

Hollywood (or at least Portland) made a little visit to our Bed and Breakfast. Michael Conner Humphreys (Young Forest Gump) was our guest during the shoot and together with Portland Independent Films, they shot 3 scenes from their upcoming movie. Pathfinders: In The Company of Strangers is set in WWII England and France. As well as having a featured role in the Movie, Conner directed a few scenes. The Story centers around a volunteer unit of American paratroopers whose mission is to land in the heart of enemy territory, and survive long enough to direct the coming airborne invasion of Normandy. Their only hope for survival lies in remaining undiscovered, successfully marking the drop zones, and holding off the enemy until the ensuing invasion arrives.

The cast and crew were an absolute delight and despite the lights, cables, people, props and general chaos, they left our Bed and Breakfast as they had found it.

Thank you, Patrick!  I know I'm planning on seeing the film not only for the subject and actors, but because I want to see Forest Springs Bed & Breakfast @ Historic Heiney House on the big screen!  If you're an independent film maker or a location scout for a major film maker, don't forget the many historic homes preserved so well by members of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild.

And if you like to visit places used as filming locations, Forest Springs Bed & Breakfast @ Historic Heiney House in Gresham, Oregon, is as authentic Oregon as one can get.  Plus, Patrick's inn is a leader in our Green Lodging Certification program.   Situated close to Portland but a world away in terms of tranquillity, this bed & breakfast is the perfect Portland Oregon lodging for the traveler who wants the convenience of town but the serenity of the way Portland used to be.

Here are two things that don't fit together:  "generic" and "bed and breakfast accommodations" Ask any bed and breakfast traveler and they'll tell you.  But, there are people out there who think the old stereotype still exists.  Thanks to Fox News' Paul Eisenberg for helping to clear out the old!

"If your idea of a bed and breakfast experience involves antique furniture, creaky floors, and sharing bathrooms and meals with strangers, well, you have the right idea.

However, this is just one possible B&B experience - the traditional one, if you will - that provides a chance to spend time with like-minded travelers in a quaint and eclectic home away from home. But if you look more closely at the B&B landscape you’ll find your choices are as diverse as a pack of American Idol finalists, ranging from happily staid to contemporary, romantic, and freaky." 
--Paul Eisenberg, "The ABCs of B&Bs", FOXNews.com, March 15, 2010.

• Geographic setting (beach? urban?)
• Architectural style (contemporary? ranch?)
• Area Activities (birding? wineries? golfing?)
• Food Service (allergies?  vegan?)
• Inn Amenities (green lodging certification? business rates?)
• Policies (children permitted?  not permitted? pet friendly?)
• Room Amenities (king beds?  steam showers?)
• Best Suited For (family travel? romantic travel? business travel?)
• Or you can string together your own set of keywords, price ranges, region or city and find the bed and breakfast accommodations that are best for you.