Green Lodging Certification

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!

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.

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

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 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.

For more information about Arch Cape Inn & Retreat, please contact:

Stephen Malkowski

Arch Cape Inn & Retreat

503.436.2800

206.971.2441 Direct
innkeeper@archcapeinn.com 

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• Black Diamond 165 Kilowatt Skis from Wallowa Alpine Huts
• 2 nights/2 skiers at Wing Ridge Ski Tours Huts from Wing Ridge Ski Tours
• And, of course, more prizes too numerous to mention

by
Mike Rech
Owner & Innkeeper
The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast
Pacific City, Oregon
Guest blogger

Innkeepers Mike & Laura Rech of The Craftsman Bed and Breakfast in Pacific City, Oregon, are taking Green Travel one step farther. 

They have always believed in saving the planet and making as small of an impact as they could.

Green is in, so they decided instead of quietly being green, they would promote their green practices.

They are part of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild's Green Inspection Program and are listed with another Green Travel site, istaygreen.org, where they rate 3 leafs.

The Craftsman is offsetting its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org; the country’s leading nonprofit carbon offset organization. Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree^® Partner program is a national movement of businesses and organizations that are leading the fight against global warming.

Their car is even carbon neutral! VW of America and Carbonfund.org are planting the VW Forest. They are offsetting carbon emissions by funding the reforestation of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

They want to help you be green too. You can purchase Green-e certified renewable energy certificates, Green Tags, to help offset the carbon footprint of your travel to The Craftsman B&B. Their Green Tag web page has a chart where you can look up what kind of car you drive and figure out how many Tags would offset your travel. 

Green Lodging News, an industry specific e-zine, wrote a story about The Craftsman’s partnerships and practices, click here to read it.

Find out more about The Craftsman’s Green Philosophy on their newly redesigned website.

For their already green inspired guests, they offer discounts for green practices already in use: 10% of a 2 night stay if they arrive on 2 wheels, arrive via Public Transportation or arrive in Hybrid or Bio-fuel car.

Visit The Craftsman B&B; experience Green Travel, Pacific City and the beautiful Oregon Coast in style, grace and comfort. No lace, no doilies!

Thanks for blogging, Mike.  Visit this wonder Oregon coast lodging the next time you're planning an Oregon coast vacation.  Skip the Oregon coast hotels and opt for green practices at an Oregon Bed & Breakfast member inn.

No longer is the day that luxury and pampered attention is the stuff of waste and non-sustainability.  Oregon Bed and Breakfasts, as part of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, have established a green certification program.

Launched shortly after the 2008 Bed and Breakfast Regional Conference, the pioneers of this program were:

The Blue Plum Inn, in Portland;
Forest Springs in Gresham;
Nob Hill Riverview in Saint Helens;
Sandlake Country Inn near Tillamook;
Belle Pepper's in Joseph:
Old Parkdale Inn in Parkdale.

Other inns are soon to follow ensuring Green stays in every region of Oregon.

Number of State Level Green Programs Now at 16 and Counting
The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild was recently mentioned in a Hospitality Trends article.  "They are certainly not all uniform and some are managed better than others but the number of state level green lodging programs is increasing.  There are now at least 16 states that have some type of green lodging program".

Next time you want to pamper you and yours without checking your conscience at the door, choose a green inspected Inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild