Unique Bed and Breakfast

Mt Hood Railroad, Columbia Gorge Wines and Unique Mt Hood Bed and Breakfasts

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

There's no better way to kick off this season's Oregon Bounty than riding the rails on the Mount Hood Railroad's Friday Night Wine Trains. It is sure to be just the ticket for those looking for a vintage railroad experience combined with premier local food and wine. Starting September 3rd and running every Friday through the end of October the railway experience serves a variety of wines from the night's featured local winery, including limited production and reserve wines from each. While in route, you'll enjoy a delicious and freshly prepared boxed-meal from Celilo Restaurant, Travel Oregon's Featured Columbia River Gorge Restaurant. Your personal host will select a pairing for your meal or you are welcome to taste one of the many winery selections.

The Old Parkdale Inn, a Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast

We invite you to create a truely memorable culinary experience. Plan an overnight stay so as to enjoy the many Columbia River Gorge Fall Events featured on the Fruit Loop. Reserve your seat on the Train then make arrangements to stay at a unique inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild in the Mt Hood and Columbia Gorge region.

The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon's Wine Country

Monday, August 23, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

While you are out enjoying and exploring Oregon's Wine Country stop in at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum outside of McMinnville, home of the Spruce Goose. In March 1990, the current owner of the Spruce Goose, the Disney Corporation, announced that it was closing the exhibit located in Long Beach, Calif. The Aeroclub of Southern California was notified and they immediately began the search for a new home for the Spruce Goose. In 1992, the Evergreen Museum won the bid with a proposal to build a museum around the aircraft and feature it as a central exhibit.

Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in the heart of Oregon's Wine Country

The Evergreen IMAX theater was completed in 2007. Work began on the space museum building in September 2006. As of mid-June, 2008, there are now two main large exhibit centers open to the public, consisting of aviation, where the Spruce Goose acts to anchor the other exhibits, and space flight, in another, matching, new large building. The current center of the space flight exhibit building is occupied by the SR-71 'Blackbird', which originally rested under one wing of the Spruce Goose. The museum is reportedly in talks with NASA officials to obtain one of the retired Space Shuttles at some time in the future, when it will become the centerpiece in the space flight exhibit center. Flight simulators for landing the space shuttle, as well as for Gemini capsule docking and the Lunar Excursion Module moon landing, are available for use by visitors now.

With so much to see and do in Oregon's Willamette Valley Winecountry you'll need to stay a few days. The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild has many unique accommodation choices in the Valley, some near McMinnville and the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum.

Take a Step Back in Time at the WAAAM Museum in Hood River Oregon

Sunday, August 22, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Nestled in the Hood River valley along the Columbia River Gorge you will find the opportunity to step back in time and see life as it was in the era of early flight and transportation. The Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum (WAAAM) is a living museum dedicated to preserving transportation's golden past. WAAAM honors the memory of early aviators from the first and second war, barnstormers, air mail and early transportation.

WAAAM is proud to have the largest known collection of flying 3 cylinder radial engine aircraft. Within the next year we hope to have the largest collection of flying OX-5 Aircraft. We currently have 5 flying with one more being restored in the next year. One of our OX-5 flying aircraft is a very rare and very original 1917 Curtiss JN4D Jenny. This museum fleet includes many other flying antique aircraft making it one of the largest flying in the world today. This museum also brings a unique and rare collection of other Aircraft, Automobiles, Propellers, Aircraft Engines, Aircraft Instruments, Military Jeeps, Tools of War and other interesting artifacts.

While visiting the Columbia River Gorge choose an Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member inn for the perfect Mt Hood Bed and Breakfast. If you fly in our innkeepers will gladly taxi you to and from the airport.

Don't miss WAAAM's biggest event of the year. The Annual WAAAM Fly-in will be held September 10-12 at the Hood River Ken Jernstedt Airfield. Many of the museum planes are flown around the Hood River Valley. Plane rides, Food, Activities and more.

A Labor of Love ~ The Gardens of the Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast

Friday, August 6, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Guest Blogger
Kathe McIntire
Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast
Cottage Grove, Oregon

It was determined by Kathe in 2001 that a project that required physical labor and exercise was in order. So the garden at the Apple Inn B&B began.

The Apple Inn Garden Story

The Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cottage Grove, Oregon "I discovered a delightful yard next door to my daughters family in Creswell and in my curiosity was leaning over the fence and gawking when the lady of the house came home. She gave me the tour and the name of guy who had designed and created her special yard. Nolan Blansit became my designer and drew a plan that even a novice could use.

"The summer was spent in digging up the beds and discarding mountains of sticky clay soil in favor of purchasing soil that plants would actually like to live in. Then the adventure of visiting every nursery I could find in order to purchase the hundreds of plants on my plan. Fall arrived and each day after teaching school I would come home to my raingear and plant until dark. I measured according to the plan and put plants that had little appearance of life in the ground. A thankless job it seemed as I had little idea of what these lumps of dirt with little sticks on top would actually look like. No mulch this first year as I was out of time and money and energy.

The Gardens of the Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cottage Grove, Oregon
"Then spring began and there was green attached to the little sticks and I could not wait to wake up, grab a cup of coffee and see what was appearing in my dirt each morning. It was like Christmas everyday for the whole growing season and I was dragging everyone who would allow it out to the garden to see the little plants grow and bloom.

"The garden has evolved and changed over the last 9 years. Some transplanting and of course dividing has changed the plan some. Pruning is now a full time event when years ago I would never have thought to cut anything as there was not enough to spare. I have ventured out from the original plan and added and subtracted where it seemed a good idea. It was not always a good idea but it was my idea and labor and my garden so there you go.

"I am limited by the great amount of shade that our forest setting provides so there do not get to be many sun loving plants in the plan. When I add plants I am learning to read the label and look for shade to part sun so I am not killing the poor choices.

The Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cottage Grove, Oregon
"I enjoy the work and challenge of the landscape and even though I get tired of the weeds, I get satisfaction from removing them and hoping they are gone for good. (ha!) I have learned to mulch and mulch and mulch. It makes my plants happy and comfy and irritates the weeds a little. I have learned to have trucks bring large loads of soil and mulch and dump them in big piles where I can wheel them to their new destination. These piles are handy for those impulsive days when I decide to make a change, move a plant, or create something different. I have learned to feed the plants and water them more, they like me better for it. Soaker hoses and a watering system needed to appear in this plan early on. My husband is really good at repairing the hoses as I manage to chop them in pieces when I make my impulsive changes. And there are the deer. I have learned that some plants must be placed in pots on the deck or they are just going to be dinner. I have learned to plant some things the deer like close to the fence in hopes that it will keep them busy and they will leave the others alone. (ha!) I have learned to find plants that the deer don’t like so much. I enjoy my garden and love to share it with others, just not the deer, gophers and voles!"

Imagine yourself relaxing in the gardens of the Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cottage Grove, Oregon
The Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cottage Grove, Oregon is a distinct member of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild and was chosen by a committee of gardeners to be included in a Garden Tour set up as a fundraiser for a worthy cause, this past July.

The innkeepers of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild take pride in providing a relaxing and personal getaway both in their gardens and within their unique inns. Make your plans to visit one very soon.

Solena Estate Presents "New World - Old World" Comparative Tasting Series

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

The Willamette Valley, Oregon's largest AVA (American Vitaculture Area), stretches 150 miles from Portland, Oregon. to south of Salem and consists of six sub-appellations. 200 wineries and 10,000 acres of quality Oregon

After a day exploring the Willamette Valley, return to the comfort of an Oregon Bed and Breakfast

wine grapes. The rich, diverse soil and relatively mild climate make for ideal grape growing conditions. All this combined with warm summer days and cool nights allows the wine grapes to develop their flavor and complexity.

The inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild presents equally diverse options for Oregon Wine Country Lodging. Over 20 unique bed and breakfasts in the Willamette Valley are scattered throughout the region and are located near many of the events scheduled this summer/fall at the wineries.

Visit the Willamette Valley in Oregon and experience fine Oregon Wine Country Lodging at the member inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. Salut!

Solena Estates in Oregon's Wine Country the Willamette Valley

August 14th, Old World : New World Series; Pinot Gris

Location: Yamhill winery, 17100 NE Woodland Loop Rd., Yamhill OR 97148 (503) 662-3700 and Carlton Tasting room, 213 S Pine St, Carlton OR 97111 (503) 852-0082

Time: Noon to 5 pm
Cost: Free

"Join us at Soléna Estate as we kick off our “New World – Old World” comparative tasting series on August 14th! Each month, we’ll be hosting a fun and educational tasting room event comparing and contrasting the influence that origin has on wine. For this month’s event, we’re offering complementary tastings of Pinot Gris from both New World and Old World producers; a Pinot Grigio from Italy, a Tokay d’ Alsace from France and a Pinot Gris from the US – all in a side by side comparison with our own award winning Pinot Gris.
We’ll also be offering four packs of Soléna Estate Pinot Gris at a 10% discount, either in the tasting room or on-line, August 14th only. Come join the fun as we explore the roots and differing styles of this summertime favorite!"

Homes For Sale In Oregon!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by Debbie Lusk

Yes, there are homes for sale in Oregon...vintage homes in a town that boasts the most in the entire state! Albany, Oregon has over 700 historic homes and buildings and they are all within four historic districts.

Each year, some of these gorgeous dwellings are open for the Annual Tour of Historic Homes and Gardens Tour. This year that happens to be on July 31st! Join hundreds of visitor's to Albany and The Willamette Valley to get a glimpse of some of the most unique homes in the country.

A once thriving agricultural mecca, the sweet town of Albany banks the Willamette River. A

perfect location or "hub" for visitors to see our vintage treasures while visiting our awesome downtown and culinary travel destination. Several historic homes, museums, buildings and restaurants will be

waiting to welcome you as you tour our town and see why this region is drawing such a plethora of visitors. Parks, riverwalks, a new promenade, tours and that Oregon culinary experience you have been dying to find!

Harrison House Bed and Breakfast, Edelweiss Manor and The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn all have rooms available for the home tour weekend. Reserve your guest room and enjoy a weekend of touring in the Willamette Valley and see why we love it here...in Albany where the charm of vintage bliss captures the historic home lover in all of us!

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge ~ A Favorite Oregon Geotourism Site

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

From nearly every viewpoint on the Oregon coast, colossal rocks can be seen jutting out of the Pacific Ocean creating postcard images.

Each of these rocks is protected as part of Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge includes 1,853 small islands, rocks, and reefs plus two headlands, totaling 371 acres spanning 320 miles of Oregon's coastline from the Oregon–California border to Tillamook Head.

This is a place where eight of America's most beautiful wild and scenic rivers tumble down through towering forests of Douglas fir, Port Orford cedar,myrtlewood and redwoods creating tidal estuaries, long sandy beaches and coastal islands. The Siulsaw National Forest has 4 major rivers flowing through onto the Pacific Ocean. It also provides many Oregon coast B&B lodging options. More about that in a minute.

All of the island acreage is designated National Wilderness, with the exception of 1-acre Tillamook Rock and Lighthouse, so public access is restricted but there are spectacular viewing opportunities at numerous locations along the coast.

The Oregon Coast Birding Trail website includes a birding checklist that shows 250 birds most likely to be seen along the scenic seascapes of the Central and South Oregon Coast. It also includes trail guides with maps and site descriptions for over 50 sites.

Central Oregon coast lodging options are plenty from Lincoln City, to Depoe Bay, to Newport and then to Florence. South Coast lodging options include the unique inns of Coos Bay and Port Orford.

You'll find that you can bird-watch on the Oregon Coast for days and hop from one Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member inn to another from Astoria to Port Orford.

Sea watches on the Pacific Coast are best conducted in the morning with the sun at your back.

Cottage Grove, Oregon’s Bohemia Mining Days Festival – July 15-18

Sunday, June 27, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Submitted by guest blogger Kathe McIntire
Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast
Cottage Grove, Oregon

Saturday, June 16, 2010 by Cindy Weeldreyer

Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast, a quality inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild The Apple Inn Bed and Breakfast invites you to join us and celebrate Cottage Grove’s rich history at our annual community festival.

The four-day family-friendly event tranforms the city park into Bohemia City featuring music and entertainers, demonstrations, contests, themed meals and vendor booths offering food, beverages, community information, unique gifts and handcrafted items.

There are offsite events that include an old fashioned ice cream social and quilt show, three parades, a carnival, and a Victorian melodrama. You can also visit Cottage Grove’s Historic Downtown District, charming covered bridges, museums and area wineries.

The Apple Inn B&B, a quality inn of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, will send you off with a hearty and delicious breakfast and pamper you with treats and a hot tub soak when you return from your adventures each day in The Grove. For specific details on the Bohemia Mining Days Festival go to www.bohemiaminingdays.org or call 541-942-5064.

It's Berry Season in the Willamette Valley

Saturday, June 26, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

We love our Berries!! Any one of them could be called our favorite! There is nothing quite as delicious as a berry plucked right from the plant. And the Berries of the Willamette Valley are ripe for the pickin'. Here are but a few of my favorites, really just a few!!

** Strawberry: The fragrantly sweet juiciness and deep red color of strawberries can brighten up both the taste and aesthetics of any meal..It is no wonder they are the most popular berry fruit in the world.

** Silvan blackberry: Silvans are the first blackberry to ripen and launch the beginning of our blackberry season.

** Marion blackberry: Commonly called marionberries, these have that wild berry flavor plus they freeze beautifully, even holding their shape after being frozen. In baking they pair perfectly with cinnamon and cardamom in coffee cake and muffins. They are the world's leading commercial blackberry and, like all of Oregon's berries, are grown right in our backyard -- the Willamette Valley.

** Willamette red raspberry: These floral, aromatic raspberries have the perfect balance of tartness and acidity, no doubt the reason they are the primary raspberry grown in the Pacific Northwest.

Try this super easy, delicious, raspberry cobbler. Any juicy fruit or berry can be substituted but I like using raspberries straight from our garden for a breakfast treat at our Old Parkdale Inn.

Preheat oven to 375

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teas. baking powder
3/4 cup milk
3 cups raspberries

Melt the butter in a 9X9 baking pan. Combine sugar, flour and baking powder. Add milk and mix well. Pour over melted butter. Sprinkle with berries and bake for 35-45. Serve warm with whipped cream.

There are many u-pick farms in the Willamette Valley and for the less adventurous, many farmers markets where you'll find just picked fresh berries. When visiting the Willamette Valley you'll want to spend at least a few days. Besides the amazing family farms you'll enjoy the scenic backroads, wineries, and unique Bed and and Breakfast Inns of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild. Let Oregon's Bountiful Harvest Begin.

Lavender Daze in the Hood River Valley and other Oregon Lavender Festivals

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

What do you think of when we say the word "Lavender"? Aromatic, fragrant, relaxing, soothing are a few adjectives that come to mind. Leave the hustle and bustle of daily life behind, visit an Oregon Lavender Farm and prepare to relax. During the weekend of July 9-11, 2010, over 30 Lavender Farms in Oregon will open their farms to tours, workshops and celebrations, many including food and music, during the peak of the lavender season.

I may be a little bias but my favorite lavender farm is Hood River Lavender Farms as it is just 8 miles from the Old Parkdale Inn Bed and Breakfast. Recently selected for inclusion in the Central Cascades Geotourism Project, Hood River Lavender Farms is a certified-organic u-pick lavender farm situated on the top of Straight Hill surrounded by orchards and offering amazing views of Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and the Hood River Valley below. It has a large wildflower garden (Oregon native wildflowers) in the center of the farm. Due to the climate and location, over 70 varieties of lavender are present, including two unique lavenders grown only here, with a cute Lavender Shoppe on the farm where many luxury lavender items (including lavender oil distilled on site) are created and sold.

The farm is home to the annual Lavender DAZE Festival, July 10-11, 2010, featuring live music, local wines, 20+ local artisan booths, craft classes, kid activities and more. Picnic lunches are encouraged. Truly a unique and beautiful experience. The bed and breakfast inns of the Mt Hood and Columbia River Gorge region, all members of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, have rooms available for the perfect, romantic weekend getaway.

Can't make it to the Hood River Valley? No problem as there are plenty of Lavender Festivals planned this same weekend across Oregon. And certainly a bed and breakfast of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild near the one of your choice.

Oregon Bird Watching Adventures and Accommodating Bed and Breakfasts

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

Book your room, pack your binoculars and set out on your bird watching adventure to Oregon! The state's diverse and spectacular landscape provide varied habitats ranging from sandy beaches to verdant forests, from desert playas to alpine meadows. More than 500 species of birds call Oregon home year round or migrate through, sometimes stopping to nest.

The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild has 88 quality assured inns scattered throughout the state, each near a unique birding opportunity. Our innkeepers know the most favorable viewing areas and after providing a comfy bed, hearty breakfast and useful information, will send you off on an extraordinary birding adventure. The Guild recognizes this popular activity and has dedicated a page to Birdwatching that includes inns where innkeepers can share the best observation sites and what you might expect to see.

Sandhill Cranes in the Eastern Oregon fields Watch surfbirds and black oystercatchers scramble over rocky headlands along the Oregon Coast. Explore the alpine meadows, picturesque lakes, mountain streams, and dense conifer forests of the Cascades in search of Lewis's woodpecker and Clark's nutcracker. Listen to the song of hermit warblers among majestic pines framing the snowy volcanic peaks. Mt. Jefferson, Oregon's second highest peak, is bordered by dry sagebrush and juniper flats and dense forested corridors. Harlequin Duck reaches it highest density here and the high mountain lakes host typically east-side species. You'll find bird-rich riparian zones along major rivers like the Metolius and Deschutes.

The murmur of thousands of snow geese will mesmerize as they settle to rest in the tule marshes of the Klamath Basin and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Smell blooming sage as the song of Brewer's sparrows fills the warm evening air in the high deserts Central Oregon. Salem, Oregon's state capital, is a leader in urban forestry, with tree-lined streets and 40 city parks and is located in the heart of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River so no wonder there are many birding sites in it's backyard.

Beautiful majestic hawk near Baker City Oregon Supporting one of the highest concentrations of breeding hawks and eagles in North America, the Zumwalt Prairie in Eastern Oregon, is also home to falcons making this a haven for birds of prey and 17 species of grassland songbirds. The nearby Wallowa Lake has a wide variation in habitat and terrain drawing a large number of species.

When your journey ends, your bags are unpacked, and you're scrolling through your vacation photos you will reminisce on memories of great accommodations, food, conversation and of course birding in Oregon.

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.

Rogue Creamery Lavender Cheddar Spring Tart ~ An Oregon Culinary Delight

Tuesday, May 25, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

As a bed and breakfast innkeeper I am always looking for unique breakfast recipes to serve guests, one that will provide a true Oregon Culinary experience.

I found one such recipe on Rogue Creamery's Facebook page. You see I am a true fan of the Rogue Creamery both on Facebook and in really life. The Rogue Creamery, in Central Point, Oregon, is a “artisan cheese company, with people dedicated to the sustainability and the art and tradition of making the world’s finest handmade cheese“. David Gremmel, cheesemaker at the Creamery, has created cooking videos which he has been posting on Facebook, along with recipes that include their cheeses.

Pastry Crust for a 13 inch springform pan
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 oz Rogue Creamery Lavender Cheddar- shredded
2 eggs
2 Tbls butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Bake pastry for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. In a food processor blend the remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour into pastry shell and bake for another 20 minutes or until set. Serve topped with fresh fruit and herbs.

This simple tart, with it’s sweet almond crust, light, creamy texture and subtle hint of lavender received high compliments from our guests and has earned a spot on the Old Parkdale Inn’s Spring Breakfast Menu as has the Lavender Cheddar Panini Sandwich with Apples, Spinach and Red Onion which I served for breakfast today. I guess I need to start buying Rogue Creamery Lavender Cheddar in bulk!

FARM to FORK ~ An Authentic Oregon Culinary Experience

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

FARM to FORK photo courtesy of http://farmtoforkevents.com/

I stayed with Pat and Tom Howard, Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast in Ashland, last March for the annual meeting of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild, and they shared information for this remarkable culinary experience. They just bought their tickets for the first dinner scheduled for June 5th at the Salant Family Ranch in Jacksonville.

FOOD to FORK is a "traveling farm-to-table restaurant, local food fundraiser, and community celebration rolled into one! Our unique FARM to FORK dinners are designed to reconnect people to the source of their food, and to honor the talented farmers, food artisans, winemakers, and chefs that contribute to the growing culinary reputation and local food community of Southern Oregon"

There are seven FARM to FORK dinners planned for the summer of 2010 and the promoters of this event invite you to "meet the farmers, tour the farms, and experience a remarkable artisan meal in the company of friends, neighbors, and fellow supporters of our local food and wine community. Proceeds from the dinners will be contributed directly to local farmers, wineries and organizations that support small farms, food security, and greater accessibility to healthy, local food."

And of course we encourage you to secure accommodations at the Oak Hill Bed and Breakfast and your hosts, Pat and Tom might even join you for dinner as they are strong supportors of these events. Other B&Bs in the Ashland area include TouVelle House in Jacksonville and Anne Hathaways, Blue Moon, Country Willows, A Midsummer's Dream.

We hope you can make one or more of the FARM to FORK dinners and we encourage you to make your reserve your seat early as these events will surely sell out as will most events happening in Ashland, Oregon. And the beds fill up even quicker!

New York Times likes Oregon Organic Wines and Abbey Road Farm

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 by Heather Tyreman

Congratulations to Oregon B&B Guild member Abbey Road Farm near Carlton, Oregon, for their mention in Bonnie Tsui's recent New York Times Travel section article, "On This Oregon Trail, Pioneers Embrace Organic Wine" (NYT Travel, April 30, 2010)!

Abbey Road Farm Oregon Wine Country Lodging

Bonnie writes:

. . .For those on the eco-trail, there are also inventive places to stay, like Abbey Road Farm, a five-room bed-and-breakfast on a working farm with modern rooms inside converted grain silos. Circular rooms have floors warmed by radiant heat, Jacuzzi baths and expansive views of the lush countryside. Breakfasts are made from ingredients straight from the garden: farm-fresh egg frittatas, homemade granola with huckleberries and warm zucchini bread, all made by the proprietor, Judi Stuart. Trails crisscross the grounds, making it a lovely place to explore. . .

Abbey Road Farm is one of the more unique inns of the Oregon B&B Guild. Where else can you spend the night in a silo? If you're looking for Oregon Wine Country lodging, give this unique bed and breakfast a look see. And save yourself a copy of Bonnie's article for some Oregon Wine Country touring.

Rhubarb Muffins in The Willamette Valley!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 by Debbie Lusk

Centrally located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, Lobenhaus Bed and Breakfast and Vineyard has sent us this very tasty recipe to share with our readers.

This muffin recipe looks easy and we love that! We can't wait to try it.
Thanks innkeepers Shari & Joe Lobenstein for sharing. You'll find the Lobenhaus as one of the unique inns of the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild.

If you happen to try this recipe, be sure to let us know how it turned out!

RHUBARB MUFFINS

MIX:
3/4 cup brown sugar
    1 egg
    1/3 cup oil
    1 tsp. vanilla
            1/2 cup half & half
ADD:
    1 1/2 cup flour
    1/2 tsp. baking soda
    1/2 tsp. salt
ADD:
    1 cup finely chopped rhubarb
    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
FILL:
12 greased muffin cups or paper lined (3/4 full)

TOPPING:
    1/4 cup brown sugar
            1/2 tsp. cinnamon
    1 tblsp. Flour
            1/4 cup chopped walnuts
BAKE:
- 20-25 minutes
YIELD:
    One dozen     –    freeze well

as served at the    LOBENHAUS B & B

Ski, Surf , Sip and Sleep in One Location ~ In and Near the Hood River Valley

Saturday, April 24, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

The town of Hood River, the hub of the Columbia River Gorge, is known in the world of sports at the windsurfing capital of America. Stiff prevailing winds and the Columbia's strong river currents combine to create a kind of wind tunnel that makes for legendary windsurfing and kitesurfing conditions. South of the city, above the pear and apple orchards of the Hood River Valley, the massive glaciered peak of Mount Hood rises to fill the horizon, a perfect postcard image of Oregon.

Where can you ski in the morning and windsurf into the afternoon and evening? And it's blossom time in the Hood River Valley. Take the Fruit Loop, a 35 driving tour through the valley's orchards, forests and quiet communities. Stroll the quaint shops, breweries, and wine tasting rooms in downtown Hood River. The innkeepers of the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild will provide unique accommodations, a superb Northwest Culinary experience, and tips on where to dine and explore.

Wings, Wine and Eugene Bed and Breakfasts of Oregon

Monday, April 5, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

The Wings and Wine Festival is scheduled for May 8, 2009 at Fern Ridge. The extensive wetlands provide unique habitats for a variety of wildlife, including breeding birds and a large variety of birding opportunities for all levels.

Pre-registration is required for some activities.
There are many nature walks planned and a van tour of local wineries and tasting rooms. Nothing like mixing a little geotourism and culinary tourism on the same trip!

Where to stay? Fern Ridge is located 10 miles west of Eugene, in Oregon's southern Willamette. These Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild's inns await your arrival. They are sure to provide a quiet place to unwind, a restful night's sleep and an outstanding gourmet breakfast to start your day.

Oval Door B&B: A 20th century farmhouse style inn, located in downtown Eugene. The guest rooms are elegant, comfortable, and spacious.

C'est la Vie Inn: Offers four guest rooms, each uniquely decorated and well appointed and proudly stands in a quiet west Eugene neighborhood.

River Walk Inn: Located in a quiet residential neighborhood on the edge of downtown, this lovely Dutch Colonial home is on a local bike path.

Culinary Travel and Oregon Coast Lodging in Astoria

Sunday, April 4, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

April 23-25, 2010 The annual Astoria-Warrenton Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival is one of Oregon's most popular spring events. The festival focuses on the bounty of the Pacific as well as on the

Astoria Crab Seafood and Wine Festival, a Culinary Delight

region's famous wines. Seafood lovers can savor shrimp, salmon, oysters, halibut, and clam chowder. The Northwest's awesome microbrews and and wines are also featured. In addition to the freshest of seafood, you'll be able to enjoy live music and crafts booths. The highlight of the three-day festival is a traditional dinner featuring local, fresh-caught Oregon Dungeness crab; the dinner is put on by the Rotary Club of Astoria.

The Oregon Coast is the place to be for Oregon Geotourism and unique Oregon Coast Lodging and the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild has accommodations waiting for you.

Rose River Inn Bed and Breakfast - This 1912 Craftman style home which is filled with country style antiques and is located in a National Historical District and is on the local historical register

Clementine's Bed and Breakfast - Five rooms, each with private baths are located in this beautiful 2-story classic 1888 Victorian house and children and pets are welcome.

Benjamin Young Bed and Breakfast - Enjoy gracious hospitality in this elegant but comfortable1888 Queen Anne Victorian Bed and Breakfast.

Crab, seafood, wine and Astoria Bed and Breakfast Accommodations. The perfect combination for the perfect Culinary Travel experience.

Birding In the Oregon Cascades from Mt. Hood to Crater Lake

Friday, March 26, 2010 by Mary Pellegrini

March brings the beginning of the southward movement of many migratory land birds and as an avid birder I wanted to share the many birding opportunities that can be found in Oregon. The Oregon Cascade Birding Trail (OCBT) is a self-guided auto tour highlighting nearly 200 prime birding destinations designed to showcase the region's birds and spectacular scenery. This blog will focus on the Mt Hood Loop of the Oregon Cascade Birding Trail. Let's get settled first before we begin our birding adventure.

There are Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild member inns all along the OCBT where you can begin your trek with a belly full of a hearty breakfast and a brain full of local knowledge.

Check into the Mt. Hood Hamlet, nestles into the woods of the family cherry orchard with magnificent views of Mt. Hood. Pick the brain of the innkeeper

View of Mt. Hood from the sitting room at the Mt. Hood Hamlet B&B

who is very knowledgeable of the area's flora, fauna and geology. Located between the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood has four unique guestrooms decorated beautifully with comfort and care.

The Mt. Hood Loop of the OCBT rises from the Columbia River to Mt. Hood, the highest point in Oregon, and combines

some of the best of the region's birding with legendary Oregon scenery. This loop traverses the Columbia River National Scenic Area and the Mt. Hood National Forest and visits 19 birding sites.

Lewis and Clark traveled the Columbia Gorge corridor. The Lewis' Woodpecker, Clark's Nutcracker and Clark's Grebe were named in their honor. Many species of waterfowl and raptors including the Bald Eagle inhabit the river and

further up the mountain you'll observe woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and so many more.

One of my favorite hikes, and I have many, is the Tamanawas Falls trail. The falls are amazing at 100 feet high and 40 feet wide. The trailhead footbridge is the midpoint of a 8-mile stretch of the East Fork of the Hood Riverhosting nesting Harlequin Ducks. A riparian habitat and mature mixed-conifer forest surrounds the trail to the falls.

Brightwood Guest House Bed and Breakfast

After you've explored the trails on the north side of Mt. Hood head on around to the south and western flanks where the Sandy and Zig Zag Rivers lead you past Trillium Lake and through Wildwood Recreation Area. The Brightwood Guest House B&B, the site of a former pioneer way station, can provide a home base while searching for the elusive Pileated Woodpecker.

Bring out the hiking boots and binoculars, pack your bags. Next stop the Mt. Jefferson Loop.