Oregon Coast hotels

Join the celebration by making your reservation today at the Prospect Historic Hotel/Motel and Dinner House.  Crater Lake's closest full service town, the Prospect was built in 1888 as a Stage Coach Stop half-way between the Rogue Valley and Crater Lake and is a Nationally Registered Historic Hotel.  A member of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild providing Crater Lake Bed and Breakfast lodging, Crater Lake National Park is just 28 miles away so plan on spending a few days.

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 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. 

Bike the Columbia River Gorge, the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway, the Willamette Valley and have a comfy bed and and hearty breakfast at an bed and breakfast along the way.  A Bed and Breakfast offers so much more than a hotel.  Oregon innkeepers know the best back roads, the best places to eat, the scenic attactions you won't want to miss.  You determine how far you want to go in one day.  The whole adventure is about 200 miles and you'll discover why those arriving in Oregon on the Oregon Trail called this place "paradise".

When starting and ending your trek choose a Guild member inn for your Portland Oregon Lodging.  A Painted Lady Inn, located in Northeast Portland provides a calm oasis in the heart of Portland and a convienent starting point.  Use the Columbia Gorge Bike Map to determine your pace for adventure through the Gorge.

The route of the Historic Columbia River Highway takes you into the town of Hood River, Oregon, right down Oak Street and to the The Hood River BnB.  Once settled in, walk downtown for dinner and a brew.



After a hearty breakfast begin your trek around Mt. Hood by traveling Hwy 35 south through the Hood River Valley.  This is a steady climb with spectacular views of Mt. Hood.  Located only 13 miles from Hood River, in the Upper Hood River Valley, the Mt. Hood Hamlet could be home base for exploring the many side loops in the Upper Hood River Valley, filled with family farms and friendly communities.

Continue on around Mt Hood and junction with Hwy 26.  Travel west to check into the Brightwood Guest House for a true Oregon Lodging experience surrounded by fir and cedar trees.  Take a well deserved soak in the hotub on the deck.

Head back toward Portland through the pastoral, rolling hills of the eastern Willamette Valley....final destination, Fulton House B&B, and be prepared for Portland Bed and Breakfast hospitality.

A bike tour around Oregon's highest mountain, Mt. Hood, will spark your sense of adventure, invigorate your spirit and nourish your soul with stays at the Mt. Hood and Portland regional inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild.  Our innkeepers would even arrange for your personals to be shuttled to your destinations.

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.

"Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of coffee cherries that grow on trees in over 70 countries. Green unroasted coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Due to its caffeine content, coffee can have a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide." per Wikipedia when googling "coffee!"

And according to a National Geographic take on coffee..."Goats will eat anything. Just ask Kaldi the legendary Ethiopian (map) goatherd. Kaldi, the story goes, noticed his herd dancing from one coffee shrub to another, grazing on the cherry-red berries containing the beans. He copped a few himself and was soon frolicking with his flock."  This is actually supposed to be a true story from centuries ago when the fruit was first discovered.

The biggest question though is...how do you take yours?

A self professed coffee snob, I did not have a relationship with coffee until about 10 years ago.  It was so bad that my father-in-law got in to the habit of bringing his own thermos when coming to our home.  Now that's telling you something.  My coffee was apparently horrible.  Since then, I have learned that the fresher roasted the bean the better, the grind is really important and if you are true coffee snob, you will forgo the sugary syrups, the tons of creamer and learn to love the crema as it lulls in your mouth and you are smitten when you find that perfect cup of "joe!"

I recently learned about coffee "French Press" style.  I love the flavor, the way the oils thicken the brew and the true coffee experience.  And an experience when drinking that perfect "cuppa" is what you want.  I hear from an English friend that we Americans taking our "cups to go" is not how it should be done.  A true sit with a "real" cup is how we should do it.  And, if you aren't making it at home, check out a few of these places if you are visiting Oregon this season!

Pirate Coffee, Wandering Goat Coffee Co., Boyd Coffee Co., Sisters Coffee Co., Kobos Coffee Co., Oregon Mountain Coffee or Allann Bros.!

And yes of course...there just happens to be an Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild membership inn or two near all of these awesome coffee shops!  But then...you are really lucky if your innkeeper is a "coffee snob!"  We are sure to buy the best, local and freshest beans around.  And, if you are looking to check out some "Oregon" roasted coffee beans and you want to try them brewed "French Press" style, check out "Mother's Bistro and Bar" or "The Heathman Hotel" in the Portland area or, "Tease" in Southern Oregon!

Just as always, your Oregon innkeepers know where to find the best of everything here!  The best local culinary experiences and the best brews too!

So here we are--social innkeepers engaging in a little culinary tourism in Ashland Oregon as part of our Annual Meeting of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild.  We started the day with touring some wonderful Ashland Oregon lodging facilities:  Ashland Springs Hotel, Winchester Inn, Chanticleer Bed & Breakfast, the Romeo Inn, Albion Inn, Shrew's House Bed & Breakfast, the Ashland Royal Carter House, Oak Hill B&B and Country Willows Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Most of these inns were withing walking distance of downtown Ashland.  Can you imagine innkeepers trooping through the neighborhoods of Ashland in the rain and sometimes snow? 

In the afternoon, we began our Epicurean tour of Ashland restaurants at the Ashland Springs Hotel with samples of Organic Nation's Gin and Vodka accompanied by duck confit from Lark's, a restaurant located within the Ashland Springs Hotel.  Yum!

Other restaurants on our Epicurean tour included samplings from: Zoey's Cafe, Tease, Dragonfly Restaurant & Gardens and Standing Stone Brewing Company.  Everything was tasty and fresh.  As says Pat from Oak Hill B&B, "We're so lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful restaurants!"

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.

As diverse as a pack of American Idol finalists--that's us!  And you can find us right here in Oregon on the new Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild website.  So, what are you looking for in your bed and breakfast accommodations?  Our new website features an in-depth search capability.  You can find inns by (these are just a few examples in each category):

• 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.

So, what are you waiting for?  If you want the creaky you can find it here.  If you want the ultra modern you can find it here.  Today's Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild members go toe-to-toe with hotels, motels, and other forms of lodging.  We're proudly not hotels--check into our members' unique inns of Oregon and discover your own favorite styles of bed and breakfast accommodations!

Sipping chocolate at Cacao's near The Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland was only the beginning of our "Epicurean Tour" last Saturday!  In the works for months, Portland Walking Tours teamed up with a few very interested Oregon innkeepers and we headed out to devour the city!

Led by Bob, tour guide with Portland Walking Tours, we covered about 2 mi. of ground.  And thank goodness we did because it helped walk off all the extra bread I ate at Pearl Bakery!...well, I had help! After donning the hair nets and washing our hands we were led to the bakery's kitchen.  Oh wow...not a good combination.  A bunch of innkeepers in a bakery kitchen?...might have seemed like a good combination at the time.  Thank goodness we have manners, don't mind sharing and the fact that at least two of us had camera's kept us on our good behavior.

On to Elephant's Delicatessen and through the back door, we tasted the best tomato soup.  Specializing in sandwich's, salads, soups, cookies, etc., this sweet deli has a little bit of everything for every visitor! 

Some of us know what Portland has to offer to our visiting guests from out of town. Just ask Pam and Carl over at Heron Haus Bed and Breakfast in Portland or former restaurant owner Patrick over at Forest Springs Bed and Breakfast in Gresham and they will concur...Portland is among the leading cities offering that perfect itinerary for culinary travel and culinary experiences in the nation!  Brew pubs of which we got tastes of, offer so many different tastes and types of beers that it's no wonder that Portland is known as the brew capitol of the world.  Toss in a few wineries and a taste at a local gourmet shop and you have found another reason to come here.  Where else in the world can you go and walk in to some place called The Tea Zone & Camellia Lounge and have a cup of hot tea or a mixed drink?...a tea/cocktail....  What a great place and so very unexpected!

So, continuing our noshing fest, we sampled pear and Canadian bacon style pizza all made with local ingredients.  We ate gelato, drank berry soda, ate raspberry tea cookies, tried curried dips with rice crackers, sprinkled finishing salts made of truffles on our palms and lapped them up with flavors so surprising we had to buy some to take home!  A very tasty way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Portland!

So, when you come here to Oregon this year or when you are contemplating on where to vacation or holiday this year, begin with us...your innkeepers that know where all the good food is!  We can tell you, show you, point you in the right direction and help you with your culinary travel plans and help show you how to have that culinary experience of a life time...right here...in Oregon!

Thanks to David and Bob at Portland Walking Tours for our very fun day!  We had a great time!

 



 

Culinary travel makes for some interesting trips.  On Saturday, March 20, 2010, Pacific Northwest Culinary enthusiasts will convene at the Prospect Historic Hotel near Crater Lake, Oregon.  The reason?  A Getaway Beer Tasting Dinner featuring Southern Oregon Brewing and the imaginative cuisine of Prospect Hotel owner Karen Wickman!

The Menu (designed by Karen to complement Tom's and Ander's selections of beers):

Appetizer: Chevre Chaud oozing from within a fluffy pastry purse
Soup:  Smoky Shrimp and Chorizo in tomato base
Salad:  Celery Root and Fennel Matchsticks tossed with hazelnut vinaigrette
Entree:  Rock Cornish Game Hen with spice-rubbed crispy skin and overflowing with Red Potato and Olive Stuffing, accompanied by Braised Brussel Sprouts drenched with Bacon Cider Gastrique
Dessert: Dark Chocolate Tart sprinkled with Sea Salt

Learn more about Southern Oregon Brewing Company while sampling their beers.

Price:  Only $55 per person!

Reservations are required.  Call Fred or Karen at the Prospect Historic Hotel at (541) 560-3664.

The Prospect Historic Hotel is the closest Crater Lake lodging at this time of year.  Plan for a "Play and Stay" trip--enjoy the dinner and stay on for a great breakfast the next morning.  Then take the beautiful drive up to Crater Lake for a little playing in the snow.  It doesn't get more authentic Oregon than this!

Looking for an Oregon culinary weekend?  A romantic bed and breakfast?  Do you embrace Oregon slow food?  And don't want to venture too far away from Portland OR?  How about a short trip west on the Columbia River to the little town of St. Helens, Oregon.

This town's received a lot of hype because of the original Twlight Movie, but there's more to St. Helens than a movie set.  Wandering through the Internet today, I discovered a lovely painting that's currently on display in St. Helens at the Houlton Bakery for the month of February 2010.

Houlton Bakery loves the orange snail of Slow Food.  I've not been there personally, but Lisa took the time to yelp about Houlton Bakery last July.  And the Houlton Bakery blog (although not really, really current), gives you an idea of the loving touch they put into their breads, sandwiches, soups. . .and all those good foods you'll find at a great bakery.

For the month of February 2010, you'll find artwork by Scappoose artist Maeona Urban and by Jennifer Hanson (mosaic glass artist) on display at Houlton Bakery.  Maeona is a member of the Columbia Arts Guild and her Secret Garden Flowers are superb.

On the romantic bed and breakfast scale, the little town of St. Helens boasts not just one but two romantic bed and breakfast inns.  The Seawright House Luxury Retreat is currently closed for extensive renovation.  Watch for its reopening sometime in the future.

In the meantime, the Nob Hill Riverview Bed & Breakfast provides romantic bed and breakfast accommodations that can more than fit your needs for a relaxing .  (I've written extensively about Nob Hill--an excerpt of that appears here.)

The Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast is a former physician's home on the bluffs overlooking downtown St. Helens and the Columbia River.  Tana & Matt own this luscious B&B, a cross between Victorian and Art & Crafts construction.  Completely renovated, this stately home on the hill now holds three extensive guest suites and lovely common areas. 

Guests meet for wine or tea and hors d'oeuvres in the afternoons on the comfortable front porch.  If the weather's cool, the parlor and living room also face the river.  

Tana gave us a tour of her B&B.  My goodness!  The Paris Apartment on the top floor has incredible views.  This place is more like a fine boutique hotel than a B&B!  We're staying in the Casablanca Suite--more of a self-catering suite rather than a typical B&B room.  Two bedrooms, a living room, full kitchen, bath complete with a sensuous soaking tub for two with in-line water heater. . .the features go on and on.  And now, on the day we leave, Tana tells me a local massage therapist is available for in room massage. 

Breakfast included fresh fruit with organic yoghurt and scones, a baked stuffed French toast and hormone-free smoked chicken sausage.  Tana uses mostly organic milk, eggs, butter, and other ingredients whenever she can.  Tasty, tasty!

Ever since the Nob Hill Riverview Bed and Breakfast appeared in the November 2008 National Geographic Traveler magazine, Tana says that business has taken off.  Guests arrive by boat at the St Helens Marina or by airplane from the Scappoose Oregon Airport--or drive in from nearby Portland. 

You won't find another bed and breakfast in Oregon like the Nob Hill Riveriew Bed & Breakfast.  What a hidden jewel!

Now here's a real insider's view of what to do for Valentine's Day in Portland Oregon.  "Travel Geek" works at the Oregon Welcome Center at the Portland International Airport.  She's lived in Portland for 30 years, so she knows her way around!

Travel Geek offers a complete Portlander's guide for Valentine's Day with ideas for "Events that Inspire Romance" plus "Places that Fill You with Love" (a Northwest Culinary experience in itself) and "More Pragmatic, Less Romantic (and still fun).  She's taken the time and effort to include extensive links and phone numbers for all her favorites.  This is a must read blog post and you'll find it here. 

If you'd like to round out your Valentine's Day experience, how about skipping on the hotels and trying out a Portland Oregon bed and breakfast?  You'll get an authentic Oregon lodging experience--even if you live in Portland.  You can have a vacation without leaving town! Most innkeepers live in their bed and breakfast and can give you as much (or as little) attention as you'd like. 

In the Portland area you'll find 14 unique inns that are members of the Oregon B&B Guild.  All of them--from the Sandes of Time Bed and Breakfast in Milwaukie or the Rose Cottage B&B in SW Portland,  to the Blue Plum Inn or the Lion & the Rose Victorian B&B in the Irvington District of downtown--and 10 other wonderful Portland Oregon bed and breakfast inns--await your call.

Take Travel Geek's advice and find that Portland Valentine's Day event you want to share with your lovey.  Then put a little icing on the cake with a stay at one of Portland Oregon's best bed and breakfasts!

A road trip to Ashland to prep for our Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild annual meeting, a few of us decided that we liked being the "visitor" to Southern Oregon.  So, after twenty four hours of planning, meetings and setting up schedules, we decided to find the cheese!

Our friend Fred at The Historic Prospect Hotel in Prospect, Oregon told us that we had to go to Rogue Creamery near Medford in Central Point before we headed back home to Albany and Hood River respectively.  So, of course we always listen to Fred but I think just hearing the word "cheese" was really all it took to head us in the right direction!

So, off we were heading home with a pit stop or in our case a "cheese stop" at Rogue Creamery.  We were in cheese heaven!  Enamored by anything so famously local, down home but good enough to be in almost every gourmet market and local shop in Oregon, Rogue Creamery is the epitome of the perfect Oregon culinary experience.

Perfect for pairing with wine or beer, check out Rogue Creamery's website where "pairing" is as important as the cheese itself.  A nice mild Oregonzola with an Oregon Pinot Noir perhaps?  Chocolate Stout, (my fav) with such beer as a stout or porter?  Artisan cheese from an artisan cheese company focused on sustainability, perfecting the art of making the world's best cheese and sharing it with the rest of us who just simply love cheese!

Follow my recipe below using two of my favorite Rogue Creamery cheese's.  The perfect egg and cheese dish for one!

Shirred Eggs

Butter the inside of a 3 or 4 inch ramekin.  Add one tablespoon of bread crumbs to cover bottom.  Place two thin slices of Rogue Creamery cheddar cheese over the bread crumbs to make a cup.  Add a slice to two of tomato on top of the cheese and break an egg over that.  Crumble a tablespoon of cooked sausage or bacon on top of egg.  Add one tablespoon cream over top then grate two tablespoons of Rogue Creamery Chocolate Stout Cheddar on top.

Bake 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or till egg is set.

This is a fun recipe because it is so easy and you can change it up by adding fresh crimini mushrooms, small slices of fresh garden zucchini, fresh basil or thyme and change the type of cheese now and then with the same results.  Your guests will be amazed at this sweet little cheese dish.

Is there a trip to Southern Oregon in your future perhaps?  A little culinary vacation?  A taste of Oregon maybe?  Well, if you are visiting Oregon, stop in for some samples and load up your ice chests with some of the best cheeses Oregon has to offer.  If you are an innkeeper heading to Ashland for our annual meeting in March, you can stop too!  Taste the cheese, choose your favorite and load up for your trip home.  The proof is in the cheese...a truly original Oregon Culinary Experience!

• Backcountry Safety Package worth ~$700 from BackCountryAcccess: (New backpack, shovel, probe, and Tracker Transceiver)
• 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

Need a place to stay for the weekend?  Check out two unique inns offered by the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild and combine your love of snow with an Oregon culinary experience.  Both are located in Joseph, OR--only a 6-mile drive from the fundraiser.

Bronze Antler Bed and Breakfast is known for (among other things), incredibly rich brownies that will melt in your mouth.  Heather bakes these from scratch, using Guittard chocolate and farm fresh eggs.  If you're looking for a romantic bed and breakfast, consider making the Bronze Antler B&B your choice.

Belle Pepper's Bed & Breakfast serves those same farm fresh eggs, because they come from Pepper's flock of laying hens!   Belle Pepper's B&B also carries green lodging certification and is recognized by Sustainable Travel International, the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild Green Lodging Program and the Green Hotels Association.

Both unique inns are ready for you for Presidents Day Weekend 2010.  Check room availability  for either bed and breakfast.  For more details, visit each inn's website.

Going to be in or near Salem, Oregon, sometime before July 31, 2010?  How about a stop at the Archives Gallery in the Oregon Archives Building?  Images of "ghostly houses" dating from 1859 taken by modern photojournalist Daniel Ray will be on display in the gallery as part of Oregon's 150th birthday celebration (also called Oregon's Sesquicentennial).

The gallery is open daily Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.  The exhibition closes on July 31, 2010.  The Oregon Archives Building is located at 800 Summer Street NE in Salem.

Here are some of the 13 historic homes on display in the exhibit:

• Montieth House, in Albany.
• Watson House, near Philomath.
• Baker Cabin, in Carver.
• Bybee-Howell House, Sauvie Island.
• McLoughlin House, in Oregon City.
• Brunk House, near Dallas (pictured).
• Oregon State Hospital, in Salem.

As quoted by The Oregonian writer Ruth Mullen, Daniel Ray states, "Some of the Oregon homes I photographed may be gone in the next few years," Ray said in a statement. "It is still possible to visit most of these ghostly residences that were built before the Civil War."

Now, to make this a real outing, how about skipping the Salem Oregon hotels and staying at one of three Oregon Bed and Breakfast member inns near Salem.  Two of these bed and breakfasts might even have "ghostly" presences of their own!

The Feller House is only 22 miles outside of Salem in a lovingly restored late-1860s farmhouse.  This historic photograph (at right) gives you an idea of what it looked like in the 1860s.  Owners Barb & Arnie are anxious to show you their loving restoration of this historic home.  Two fine guestrooms and a wholesome breakfast await you each morning. 

Think there are ghosts at the Feller House?  You'll just have to decide for yourself after a night's stay!

Another historic Oregon bed and breakfast not very far from Salem Oregon hotels is the Independence House Bed & Breakfast in Indepdence, Oregon (pictured at left).  This home was built in 1895 and is both completely restored and on the National Register of Historic Places.  Innkeeper Cheryl Gaston can show you how this house has been restored.   Three lovely restored guestrooms await you.

Is the Independence House occupied by ghosts?  Cheryl mentions clinking beer glasses in the dining room, but decide for yourself!


Another Salem Oregon hotels option is the Hopewell Bed & Breakfast (pictured at right) located a bit farther out from Salem, but a great jumping off location for exploring the Willamette Valley.  This farmhouse is much more "modern" (hey, built in 1927!) than the other two bed and breakfasts near Salem Oregon, but still provides charm and that great Oregon innkeeper hospitality.  Give Mike or Penny a call and pay a visit to their 12-acre farm.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that Oregon Bed & Breakfasts offer some of the best lodging in Oregon and make a great alternative to Salem Oregon hotels when staying near the Oregon capital!

Sometimes I just can't help myself when I find something amusing on the internet.  Who doesn't like Tillamook cheese?  It's hard not to enjoy something so uniquely Oregon.  You'll find Tillamook cheese in use from our Astoria Oregon bed and breakfast inns to the Bend Oregon bed and breakfast inns and even all the way to the Prospect Historic Hotel (our Crater Lake lodging member). 

So here's the new video from Tillamook Cheese as they take their Loaf Love Tour.  The website's entertaining too, but the videos (one of the loaf tour, one of the making of the Baby Loaf VW buses) are fun too.  You'll find them both on the website.  Here's one:



Culinary tourism is the new buzz word and our Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild member inns are embarking on our own message, letting our guests know that when you stay with us, you're going to have a very local food experience.   And Oregon-made Tillamook cheese is part of that experience!

"Loaf thy neighbor" and tell that someone special "I loaf you" and while you're at it, check out some of our bed and breakfast lodging in Oregon.  We'll loaf you too!

Whenever my husband Bill & I travel we try as often as we can to stay in bed and breakfast lodging.  This week we spent three days and nights at Heron Haus-- a Portland Oregon bed and breakfast in a beautifully restored 1904 Tudor style home in hills of Portland just over the trendy Pearl District.

It was a dual-purpose stay.  Bill had appointments at the Casey Eye Institute (part of the OHSU hospital/clinic complex on the hill in Portland Oregon).  I was in Portland to attend a meeting of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild board of directors--conveniently held at Heron Haus.  Driving time to the Casey Eye Institute was quick--about 12 to 15 minutes--making this Portland Oregon lodging a good choice for someone in town for medical appointments, especially with the privacy and space that the Heron Haus affords its guests.

The common areas of Heron Haus are extremely spacious--plenty of room for a dozen innkeeper-board-members to hash out the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild's business.  Innkeepers from Crater Lake, McMinnville, Hood River, Portland, the Oregon Coast and Eastern Oregon all came together for two days of productive work (and fun) in a very gracious setting.  Wireless internet?  Of course--and no additional charge as found in many metropolitan hotels.

Pam and Carl, owners of Heron Haus, moved into this Portland Oregon lodging about a year ago.  They're putting their own flavor on this beautiful property.  Just looking out the 2nd and 3rd floor bedroom windows at night over the lights of Portland Oregon was a treat.  But this bed and breakfast is well appointed with spacious rooms, private baths, fireplaces--so tucked away from the bustle of the city but so close to freeway access that it's very convenient.

We stayed on the second floor in the Ko Room.  Comfy king-sized bed, huge walk-in closet, sitting areas, private bath, and plenty of windows (with shutters) to let in the light.  We had the chance to peek into most of the other rooms (6 total).  All are beautiful and serene, and many have hillside views over the city.

If you're a business traveler, you'll find everything you need at Heron Haus without the cookie cutter approach.  If you're on vacation, Pam & Carl will make you feel right at home.  Give them a call at (503) 274-1846 or visit them online at the Heron Haus to book your reservation.

Want to know why some people choose to stay in bed and breakfasts when they travel?  What is it that makes some of us yearn for the coziness and warmth of that "home away from home?"  Well, hopefully if you haven't stayed at an Oregon Bed and Breakfast before...we can convince you to try it out.  We promise you will like it and once you've been pampered a bit, fed a few homemade chocolate chip cookies and poured a nice glass of Oregon's premier Pinot Noir...you will be sold!

The whole idea of the Bed and Breakfast idea of course dates back many years and was mostly a European idea.  In the recent past, the eastern US was the place to visit for that perfect Bed & Breakfast experience.  However, since the 1980's, the idea of the B & B as has grown and flourished all over the US with the advent of the big hotel stay becoming "sterile" and "unfeeling" of guests needs.  Warmth, coziness, homey...whatever "feeling" most B & B's are going for these days, the attraction is there, the feel good, feel at home, feel like I love being pampered are just a few of the main reasons to book that B & B stay.

Some hotels are trying and succeeding I might add in really trying to provide their guests with as much homeyness as possible.  But, there is just something about waking up in a bed that's over 100 years old and used to belong to someone's favorite aunt that brings that B & B stay to reason.  There is something about laying in that bed each morning and smelling that delicious scent of coffee brewing, smelling those homemade hazelnut scones baking in the oven and somehow know that's part of your breakfast.  And, that "good morning, did you sleep well" caring attitude that you just can't get from a big hotel that will leave you never wanting for anything less is amazing.

Owned by innkeepers, most inns offer the best of the best in whatever region they are in.  In the know about where to find the "best" dinner, brew, outdoor activities, wineries, etc., these innkeepers live in their inns!  They live in these communities and hold stake in what happens here and are proud and excited to share all that they know and love about where they are! 

New ideas...maybe but you know we love our jobs and we love catering to our guests.  Any men out there not sure about the whole Bed & Breakfast stay yet?  Well, finding the right inn for you isn't too hard.  With more innkeepers sticking their doilies in the drawers and instead of dusting the knick knacks, they are now getting rid of them, you will be happy to find that we have catered to the male type of guest more often than not.  Don't be surprised to see a well stocked guest fridge with some local beers or specials that include a fishing or golf trip.  We're there for you too!

An Oregon Pinot Noir and a local artisan cheese platter may be waiting for you at your next visit to an Oregon Bed and Breakfast.  A simply unique style, simply unique architecture, comfortable and perfect...that's your next B & B experience!

The Prospect Historic Hotel was just published in the 2010 Annual Calendar for Saif Corporation, one of the largest Workers Compensation Insurance carriers in Oregon with over 50,000 members. The Project Director and Photographer for Saif visited the Hotel earlier this year and must have shot a zillion photos!   The Hotel was 1 of 14 companies selected out of over 50,000 for our historic significance and claims records.

Congratulations Fred and Karen.  You've done the Guild proud!!

Winter fun.  Time to start thinking snow!  Oregon ski resorts are open for the season.  Cross country skiing, backcountry skiing and snowshoeing are available in many areas across our lovely state.

And how about some winter fun in Halfway Oregon?  Here's a YouTube clip of a family having a blast with their snowmobile in Halfway--all the way across the state near Hells Canyon.


The little giggle at the end is especially cute.

Need a place to stay in Halfway?  How about the Inn at Clear Creek Farm?  This Oregon bed and breakfast is currently the most easternly member of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild and still in the state of Oregon (barely!).  And practically the only bed and breakfast in Halfway--but definitely the only one inspected to the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild's quality assurance standards.  Give Vicki a call toll-free at 866-430-6003 and she'll be happy to tell you more about visiting Halfway in the wintertime.

The inn is near the Pine Ranger District with 260 sqaure miles of accessible National Forest, 155 miles of snowmobile trails and 85 miles of backpacking trails.  Is that enough to get your heart started or what?

Join innkeeper Vicki for a hearty breakfast and let her tell you about the best places for viewing wildlife (plenty of it and very visible from fall through spring).   With six rooms to choose from--in house and outlying cabins too--bring your whole crowd along and take over the inn for a week! 

Expand your horizons past the Oregon coast hotels (save them for another trip) or the Oregon Wine Country lodging (another wonderful romantic getaway Oregon style).  A trip to Halfway Oregon in winter is one you'll remember for years to come!