The Craftsman Innkeepers Blog

The Plan

2010-08-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

With any business, you need to start with a plan. Now our plan for running a bed and breakfast didn't happen the way we thought it would. Here is a video of how my plan was told to Laura not long after we first met.

Big Travel Weekend

2010-05-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend kicks off the travel season for America. So in classic travel form, today's salt and peppers are the classic travel companions, the family car and a trailer.
You don't see this combo very often anymore. The RV has taken over and the trailers are too huge to tow with a car. Now you need a $50k truck to pull your trailer.

A friend of ours decided to do the vintage travel trailer and purchased this.

We wish them a lot of luck getting this in tip top form. Having old VW's and "art cars" in the past, I'm sure this will be rockin'. I mean, really nice.

So hopefully you'll be out there with the rest of America and traveling this weekend. If you don't have reservations for your favorite B&B, it might be too late. Camping in Oregon, too late to. So plan ahead for your travels this summer. Who knows, you may drive by a field and find an old trailer that needs a new family.

Beer-cation

2010-05-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

Beer-cation, that's right, a vacation trek in search of beer. Sound good? Pacific City is home to the Pelican Pub & Brewery as well as our bed and breakfast, The Craftsman B&B. They are an award winning brewery, we are and award winning B&B.

Darron Welch, the brew master at the Pelican entered 11 beers to the Australian International Beer Awards this year and won 11 medals. That's an awesome accomplishment, a master at his craft. See all the awards their beer has won here.

We have won BedandBreakfast.com's Best of the West and LanierBB.com's Best Historic Renovation.

We think it's time you visited Pacific City, our still tiny beach town and see how one of the nicest places in the North West will inspire you to greatness.

Don't be afraid of staying at a B&B. We are the "no lace, do doilies" B&B. Men love our place and women love it too. TripAdvisor.com rates us # 1 in Pacific City and #3 for the Oregon Coast.

Come to Pacific City for the beer, stay for the friendly people and great hospitality.

30 years ago today

2010-05-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

I am not the only post you will see today regarding what happened 30 years ago today. I have seen quite a few over the past few days. But I do have the best Salt and Peppers to commemorate the event.

These come from a friend who visited Mount St. Helens after seeing our collection at The Craftsman B&B. She was inspired to add to our collection with this awesome, creative idea for a S&P. As you can see, it's before, above and after, below.

May 20th, 1980 Mount St. Helens blew its top. Ash all over, even where I was living in Denver, nearly 1,300 miles away. This wasn't a big deal to me at the time, but now that I am a "North Wester," it's a part of the history of the area.

Another thing that makes this set one of my favorites is that they are glazed in ash from the eruption.

Just a few minutes and the mountain top was gone. I have seen some good links floating around the web today, here are a few: National Geographic has posted some pictures of how the mountain has transformed after the 123 years of hibernation.

The person who gave me the S&P's linked to a blog post today about what people remember on this day, 30 years ago.

Our local news station has a good video and photos posted to this page.

This didn't happen without warning. Earthquakes started in March followed by phreatic, steam, and ash eruptions. Then the big eruption and pyroclastic flow, I like that word, pyroclastic, on May 20th. Wiki has a great article here.

Do you have a set of Salt & Pepper shakers that depict a natural disaster?

Summer time Sunsets

2010-04-01T18:08:00.001-07:00

Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City, Oregon, originally uploaded by dibec.

How do we tell what time of year it is on the beach? Well, in our, still tiny beach town of Pacific City, we look to see where the sun sets. North of Haystack rock in the Summer, South in the Winter. If you want a shot like this in your portfolio, make your plans to visit us at The Craftsman B&B.

A horse, of course.

2010-03-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

So you own a horse. That is a lot of responsibility. Feeding every day and cleaning stalls, it takes it's toll. We here at The Craftsman B&B think you need a vacation, and bring your horse with you. That's right, you and your human friends can stay at the B&B and your horses will be well taken care of at our local Horse Hotel.

Just a few minutes from Pacific City, our still tiny town, is the Horse Hotel. You can ride on the beach and many of the forested trails in the area, drop off your steed, check in, hit the town and do it all over again. Knowing your horse will be well taken care of and not stuck in it's trailer while you do your own thing.

Just let us know you plan on traveling with your horse and we can connect you with the Horse Hotel.

Bob Straub State Park is a great spot to horse around. They have a great parking/ staging area and a trail on the sand spit that separates Nestucca Bay from the Pacific Ocean. Ride down to the bar where the Nestucca enters the ocean and see the salmon swimming up and the seals and sea lions feasting and sun bathing.

We know you dream of riding on the beach. You haven't because it's too far for a day trip. Now, you don't have a reason not to, giddy up!

Biking to the Beach

2010-03-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

As most Oregon bicyclists know, Pacific City is the destination of the Reach The Beach ride held every May. The rides vary in length by where you start, but they all end here, in our still tiny beach town. I'm in no way trying to promote that you stay here after riding in the Reach The Beach event. I have had the same group here since we opened, they have a standing reservation.

I am suggesting you ride over on an alternate route from the Reach the Beach ride. This route is one of the 10 best bike rides in the state. Nestucca River Road.

Get your bike and gear an hop on the, bike friendly, West Side MAX to the Hillsboro station. Head south through rolling farmland and vineyards to Carlton. Here is where you turn west along Meadow Lake Road into the Coast Range. After a good climb to the summit, it's all downhill to Highway 101 at Beaver. Head north just a bit to Sandlake Road, which you can follow all the way to Pacific City and The Craftsman B&B. Click here for a map. A few miles of Nestucca River Road are unpaved, though the gravel is generally well-packed and suitable for road bikes.

So you made it, now how are you going to get home? Well, last year some guests rode back, but if that's too much for you, you can take the bus. The Wave has bike racks on all bus's, pick it up in Pacific City, change in Tillamook and get off at the Hilsboro MAX, or downtown Portland.

What an awesome green way to travel! Stay 2 nights and we discount to room when you arrive on 2 wheels.

Tsunami? What Tsunami.

2010-02-28T10:42:00.000-08:00

After the massive earthquake in Chili, the Oregon Coast was under a tsunami advisory. Not a warning, like they had in Hawaii. They were expecting the waves to peak around 2:30 PM yesterday here. So we were interested in seeing a wave 90 degrees to the normal waves we get on the beach. Laura and I went out to the beach to watch, and wait. Nothing noticeable to report.

We have met a quite a few people from Hawaii, or who are now living in Hawaii, so we were concerned to what the magnitude and effect the tsunami would have on the islands. Through the facebook postings, we found out all was well.

So that leads us to today's salt and peppers. Our friends know about our collection at The Craftsman B&B and when they travel, they look for ugly S&P's for us. This set is from Hawaii, but could be from anywhere in the tropics. You would have believed these came from Tahiti, or Greneada, or Bora Bora, but they didn't. They are genuine Hawaiian.

After being in the Bay area for the big quake in 1989, I know the damage it can cause first hand. This quake was much worse and I hope the Chilean people come out of this disaster and are able to rebuild their lives. So if you r are so inclined, give to the red cross to help these people out.

How hoppy is your beer?

2010-02-26T08:34:00.001-08:00

Beer drinking isn't like is was 30 years ago, partly because beer making has evolved. Smokey and the Bandit was a movie about smuggling Coors Beer. Being a Colorado Native, a lot of people smuggled Coors Beer in the 70's. Due to the company policy that the beer always had to be cold, they limited it's distributorship to the West. Most house guests we had growing up took home Coors Beer. It was rare and different then what they could get at home. It's a light beer, great for a hot Summer day or to chug after a softball game, I don't know why I know this.

Not that this blog is about Coors, but it is about a beer that is limited in distribution and production. If you are a beer drinker with any merit in your exploration of the liquid arts, you know about Pliny the Elder. This double hopped beer from Russian River Brewing in Santa Rosa, California. This is one of the top beers in the world and I have blogged about it before. It's hoppy, real hoppy. That is not my taste in beer so I am in the minority.

Well, there is a limited time of the year when the Hoppiest beer I have ever tasted is released. Pliny the Younger! 11.0%ABV, 1.098 O.G, GOBS of BUs, that's beer talk. Pliny the Younger was Pliny the Elder's nephew, in the case of this beer, the "Younger" is a triple IPA, hopped three times more than Russian Rivers standard IPA, and is dry hopped four different times.

So where can I get this beer? In Pacific City, at Twist, tonight! Why is tonight in bold? Because people from all over will be there for this nectar and the keg will be empty before the night is out, trust me on that.

The best part about you coming to try this beer is The Craftsman B&B is walking distance to Twist. No drinking and driving in Pacific City, all the pubs and tasting rooms are walking distance. Don't forget to sample the wines from Basket Case, Shy Chenin, Reversal and Stumbling Block.

If your stuck in Portland and want to try some beers, check out Bailey's Taproom. But I got to warn you, beer and wine taste better at the beach.

Three Capes on Video

2010-02-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

Here is another one of Grants Getaways.

Grant's Getaways - Three Capes Scenic Drive from Travel Oregon on Vimeo.

Grant stops at all the good spots and talks to Darron at The Pelican Pub & Brewery, just a mile and a quarter walk up the beach from The Craftsman B&B.

See why we love Pacific City?

Pruning Time

2010-02-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

Mid Febuary and your reading a blog about gardening. Well, now is the time of year where you need to spend time in the garden to make sure your spring and summer gardens will look good.

Traditionally, you should prune your tea roses on Presidents Day. Because it's so close to Valentines Day, I wait until I get a nice day so I'm not pruning in a downpour. But the absolute limit is when pitchers and catchers show up for spring training.

Today's salt & peppers are rose buds. Kind of the theme of the blog, if you haven't noticed, that's the point.

We have had some awesome weather in Pacific City this week. I cut the grass yesterday and plan on tackling the roses today. I don't have as many as I had when we were in Lake Oswego. There I had about 20 tea roses and 3 climbers. Here at The Craftsman B&B, I have half a dozen and 2 climbers. All in the back yard as the deer love roses.

Do not compost your rose cuttings! You all know I like to be as green as possible, but roses are the first plants to get funky disease, mold and other nasty illnesses you don't want spread all over your yard via the compost. You may have seen a lot of vineyards with roses at the end of the rows. They do this as a gauge of the health of the vineyard. A rose will show the signs of black spot and other diseases first, so the problems can be addressed before the vines are attacked. Farmers are smart!

If I have time, I will also prune the fuchsia down to the ground, I do this every other year. The ornamental grasses get whacked to the ground and the apple trees get any branch growing vertical pruned.

Then it's chipping time. I grew up in Denver where nothing grows, now I live where you need a chipper to maintain a basic small garden. So get out there and prune your roses down to a few strong canes. Cut just above an outward facing bud and if your roses have already started like they have here on the Oregon coast, don't worry about cutting off some growth. Remove dead canes too, you want a nice vase shape when your done.

If you don't have roses, go get some. Bare root are the best, soak them in a bucket of water overnight and plant. Some come in a box and you plant the entire box. Check out Jackson & Perkins for ideas, and you can get J&P roses at Costco.

Presidents Day

2010-02-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Presidents Day! Yeah, I know, it's not an exciting holiday. Unless your in school or work for a bank. But a lot of people have the day off so it's a holiday none the less. Being the day after Valentines Day was a help to a busy weekend at The Craftsman B&B.

Back to the Salt & Pepper collection and today's are new to the collection. A fellow Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild innkeeper, Debbie Lusk of The Pfeiffer Cottage Inn in Albany wrote a blog about an antique store and posted a picture of these S&P's. I, of course had to comment on them and after a few days, they were in my mail box.

I rarely buy S&P's, they have to be real ugly for me to think about them. My collection has grown from nice people giving them to me. I like to challenge my friends and family to find the ugliest ones they can. I get my share of cute ones too.

What can you find?

In Box Surprise!

2010-02-11T15:46:00.000-08:00

We have returned from our vacation only to find 256 e-mails waiting to be answered. Over the 2 weeks we were sailing in the Caribbean, I checked my e-mail at Internet cafes, just for reservations. I replied to those and added them to my calender, 20 bookings!

I have spent the last few days sorting all the e-mail and opening them by groups that send me e-mail, The Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild and our local Chamber of Commerce got first attention as I am on the Board of Directors. Yesterday I was caught up and then today I got an e-mail from LanierBB.com titled "Congratulations on your LanierBB.com Award!"

A while back The Craftsman B&B won Best of the West from BedandBreakfast.com so another award sure was nice to hear about. The BedandBreakfast.com award was about our service and reviews. This award from Lanier is about the Best Period Restoration in their Guests’ Greatest Picks Award program out of 8,500 B&B’s world wide!

We spent 2 years restoring this house and it was a lot of work. We love our house and the Craftsman style. We spent so much time deciding how the B&B would look and researched endlessly to be accurate with our furnishings and fixtures. Our goal was for the guest to open the door to 1921. Everything you see in the house would have been in a house of this era.

It's gratifying to see that not only is our service award worthy, but also the work we did to make the Craftsman B&B a special place for our guests too.

Boat Drinks

2010-01-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

What's better than sailing for two weeks? Boat drinks!

You know what I'm saying:
Umbrella, check.
Rum, check.
Fruit garnish, check.

Here is our salt & pepper shaker of a boat drink.

The umbrella gracefully sits atop the drink. Fortunately none of our guests at The Craftsman B&B have picked this up and had the umbrella fall off. This is the most dangerous S&P we have, not only is it balanced, but enough boat drinks in real life can strike without much warning. We know you've been there.

The ship we are sailing on has a drink of the day every afternoon, of course last year we had to try them all. I was fond of Planters Punch and the classic, Pina Colada, the more coconut, the better.

If Jimmy Buffett sings about boat drinks, you know it's an essential part of any warm location vacation.

I gotta go where it's warm!

Even Innkeepers need a vacation!

2010-01-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's one of those funny things us humans do to ourselves. We like to travel and we are innkeepers. So that really limits us to being able to travel. As most of you know, Laura has her own business and with that, she travels a lot in support of that business. Sales calls all over the United States and she is in Hong Kong a couple of times a year. So while she is able to keep the travel urge under control, I'm here at The Craftsman B&B helping my guests with their travel plans.

So when do I get a vacation? Well, the last 2 seasons, May - September, each year I had only 2 days where I didn't have someone checking in. That doesn't give me a full day off as I do breakfast and clean the rooms, but it can be a nice break. I'm happy to be busy because I know the winter will slow down a bit. The first 2 years we were in business, we had no guests in January, so we decided to take the time for ourselves. Here is a Salt & Pepper to give you a hint of what we did.

That's right, sailing. I have always like to sail. I'm no expert, but pretty good a following directions. Show me what to do and tell me when to do it and I'm the best crew member there is.

Here are the S&P's apart. Each sail is a shaker and the boat is the holder.

Last year our vacation was spent sailing the windward islands of the Caribbean. We started off in Barbados, sailed north for 4 days, then back south for 3, a week on the water.

Here is a shot of Laura in the rigging.

We were on the 439 foot, 5 masted Royal Clipper. It was an awesome experience, so much so, we are headed back next week for a 2 week sail. Now if I can only find my pirate costume.

Which came first?

2010-01-14T14:09:00.000-08:00

You all know the classic debate: Which came first, the chicken or egg? Well here at The Craftsman B&B, we think beyond those common ideas. We ask the question: Which came first, the chicken or egg racer?

The egg, an ovoid shape is one of the strongest. Ever try to break in egg in you hand by crushing it in your fist? Not even "The Governator" could do it. Race cars need to be strong too. Not only to survive a crash, but to hold up to the power and cornering loads. A famous work of architecture, the Pantheon in Rome, Italy is in common with the egg. This monument has survived for nearly 2,000 years because it's shaped like a three-dimensional arch, a domed, egg-like shape that's one of the strongest architectural designs in the world. When an object is placed on top of it, no single point in the dome supports the entire weight; instead, the object's heaviness is carried down along the curved walls to the dome's wide base.

So here is the driver, outside of the cockpit. The ratio isn't perfect for a Salt & Pepper Shaker, but this is built for speed, too many feathers would slow it down.

Not only is the egg strong, it's also very aerodynamic. The shape of the egg is very stable in the wind. It will want to point itself into the wind. Living in Pacific City, Oregon, the wind has taught us a few things. Like only open one car door at a time, otherwise all the contents of your car will blow out and be replaced with sand.

So come to The Craftsman B&B and over breakfast, you can debate the egg, chicken, racer issue.

Art, or is it?

2010-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

We have all heard "beauty in in the eye of the beholder." That expression is used for a lot of things, including art. I have a friend that doesn't think any art he could create is art. For example a painting that looks like a bunch of paint splatters or paint that was whipped and smeared onto a canvas with a rag is not art. I have learned that the subject matter isn't the most important thing in fine art, I like great technique. We have a few oil paintings here at The Craftsman B&B that from a distance looks like a picture of a forest in the Spring. When you look close, it's just a bunch of tiny dabs of paint. I've seen the Dutch Masters in museum shows and the portraits, clouds, trees are photo-realistic from 10 feet away, up close they are paint splatters or paint that was whipped and smeared onto a canvas, sound familiar?

That leads us to today's Salt & Peppers. Is it art? Well I think these are the creation of someone who took an art class at the local community center. Where they learned to make jewelry.

First off we have the typical diner S&P's you can buy at the dollar store. Then we have the wire and "jewels." Hot glue the jewels and wrap wire around them. I think these are ugly, just like I look for. But wait, there is some fine technique. The twisting of the wire to hold the dangling jewels is very well done.

Is this the work of a master or just an average person using the skills learned in one class?

It's art, you be the judge.

New Years in Pacific City

2009-12-29T16:33:00.000-08:00

Pacific City is a small town. You know that, and that's why we and we hope, you like it. Here is what I suggest for a perfect end and fantastic start to a new decade. We even have the perfect Salt & Pepper shakers for the occasion.

Champagne and an ice bucket.

First, book a room at The Craftsman B&B, we still have an opening. When you arrive, we will have the cookies out at check in time and the coffee machine will be ready for Nespresso or tea.

Then it's off to Twist, the local wine tasting room for a New Years Champagne Tasting. They will be pouring 4 or 5 champagne and sparkling wines, blind. Can you tell the difference? We helped them taste a few they wanted to pour, so it should be interesting. A good rule of thumb, the tinnier the bubbles, the better. And you'll be drinking out of Craftsman B&B flutes. Twist closes around 7, so get in there early.

Next on the plan is The Delicate Palette Bistro for dinner. The are doing a special menu for the night with or without wine parings. I suggest a reservation for the dinning room. We have guests checking in, so I hope there still a spot for us after our guests are settled in. There was talk of lobster mashed potatoes, check out their facebook page for the menu, when they post it. We can also make reservations for you, let us know when you book.

The last item for us is a house party here at the B&B. We are planning on starting at 9:00 p.m. so our friends from Twist and the Bistro can join us. We will be playing wii, poker and snacking on whatever Laura thinks up, if you've heard about Laura's party menus, you know it's going to be good. This is a casual BYOB kind of event, you can try your luck at whatever people bring or what you can find around the house. Our personal cellar will be closed, but we will have champagne at the ready for the strike of midnight.

Then it's off to bed, hopefully early as I need to make breakfast in the morning.

New Years Day has something going on here too. It's the Rose Bowl. I know, college football. I'm not a fan, but the local twins talked me into hosting so they could see the game in HD. All are welcome, again BYOB and I'm sure Laura will have something good to nibble on. Game starts at 2:10 p.m., all hype before that, I'm sure. Oregon is playing Ohio State.

We hope to see you in town for the year end fun.

Whale Watching Week

2009-12-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hey, the end of the year. You know what that means, right? Of course, the whales are migrating down the coast. You should come down and see them spouting as the swim by. The last few days have been fantastic as it has been clear and calm. There will be trained volenteers at all the good spots for watching. The State even has a web site dedicated to these part time residents, check the locations here.

OK, I do not have whale Salt and Pepper shakers, this is as close as I can get.

I'll now have to be on the hunt for some whales. Do I need a permit?

So the number one tip on seeing the whales: They are swimming from the North to the South, so you should always be looking North. When you see a spout, just follow with your eyes a few hundred yards south and you should see more spouts. If you look to the South, they've just swam past you. 61 were spotted on Saturday!

Take advantage of our Storm Watcher Special while you look for the whales. We are also hosting the locals for New Years Eve and the Rose Bowl on New Years Day. Come join us.

Another funny thing happend, well, I think it's funny. We rely on 2 newspapers for events going on around Pacific City. They both ran stories on whale watching week. That's not unusual, it is, after all, a big deal. The funny thing is they both used the same photograph on the cover, oops!

Post Christmas, what to do.

2009-12-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

We hope you all had a great Christmas. We did here at The Craftsman B&B. The Christmas tree was a big hit with our traveling guests. Because they were traveling for the holidays, they didn't decorate their houses, so they liked that we did.

When I turned on the tree this morning, one string of lights was out. At least it waited until after Christmas.

The other thing that happens after Christmas is you discover that missing present. Sometimes it was forgotten when all the wrapping is done. Sometimes it's just hiding under the tree, or still in the trunk of the car. Well I didn't forget this present, I just wanted to wait until today to it to show you.

These Salt & Peppers are from Gump's. They even come with their own shopping bag.

They are Sterling Silver and need to be polished often. Well, they get polished when my parents are visiting. My parents like to help with projects around the house, so polishing silver is a good one.

So living in San Francisco, I learned a few things. One is Gump's is the place where the elite brides of the City register for their wedding china and gifts. It's not like they carry items other that no other stores do, it's about service. Remember service when your shopping? I know, it's not around anymore. Kind of why you choose to stay in a B&B rather than a hotel. We provide service. OK, back to Gump's, Laura and I visited the store on our honeymoon. We had some wedding cash and wanted to get some nice things, so we checked them out. We ended up with these S&P's and mini-presents that are place card holders.

We even saw the famous San Francisco Twins! These ladies are "San Francisco." Always dressed very well and alike. They are more common the Bigfoot we get sightings of in the Pacific Northwest. Usally found around Union Square and Nob Hill. They are very friendly and always willing to be photographed. Living in the Bay Area for 10 years and I never spotted them. It was when I was a tourist, showing Laura the City that we lucked into the encounter.

We will have the tree and decorations up until after New Years Day where we are hosting 2 parties, more on that later.

This is also the prime whale watching season on the Oregon Coast. I write more about that tomorrow.

So check under your tree and in the trunk of the car or back of the closet to see if you have forgotten the last present of the season.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Well the sleigh made it to The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City. The skies were clear last night so his flight should have been pretty smooth in the Northwest.

Hopefully our new chimney didn't slow him down. Today is a double day for the Salt & Pepper collection. We have the loaded sleigh,

and the unloaded sleigh.

Now that Santa is all done with his year long job, he's back at the North Pole with his lovely wife.

They are singing Christmas Carole's for the last time.

Next for Santa is some sunscreen, board shorts and a well deserved vacation to the tropics.

We hope you have had a great Christmas with your family and friends and as we look forward to the new year, we hope to see you in our still tiny beach town.

Happy Festivus!

2009-12-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Another year has gone by and the most famous holiday of the season is nearing. Today at The Craftsman B&B, we will celebrate Festivus! A holiday celebrated by those frustrated with the commercialism and pressure surrounding the Christmas and Hanukkah season.

Snowmen are still an acceptable holiday icon, regardless of which holiday you chose to celebrate. Me, I like the Winter Solstice and Festivus the best. I still celebrate Christmas but I am more in tune with the Festivus traditions.

First off we have the Festivus pole.

During Festivus, the pole is displayed unadorned, "I find tinsel distracting." Plain and simple, see yesterdays blog post. Made from aluminum, with a "very high strength-to-weight ratio."

The pole is easily stored in the crawlspace.

The Festivus dinner is again, plain and simple. I prefer meatloaf, but tonight, I think we are having pork chops and applesauce. No alcohol is served, but you are welcome to drink from a hip flask.

After the meal is served, the traditional "Airing of Grievances" begins. It consists of lashing out at others and the world about how one has been disappointed in the past year. You know this happens in traditional family gatherings anyway, so you might as well make it part of the celebration.

The "Feats of Strength" is the final tradition observed in the celebration of Festivus, celebrated immediately following dinner. Here is how it works: The head of the household selects one person at the Festivus celebration and challenges that person to a wrestling match. The person may decline if they have something else to do, such as pull a double shift at work or clean the kitchen. Tradition states that Festivus is not over until the head of the household is pinned. Failing to pin the head of the household results in Festivus continuing until such requirement is met. My brothers and I used to wrestle my Dad, until he faked an injury, usually his ribs, until one time when we really did crack his ribs.

So how ever you decide to celebrate the season, try Festivus this year. It's so easy, all you need to do is find an aluminum pole.

Is more, better?

2009-12-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

That's a good question. Let's debate: I an a more, simple is better kind of guy. You can tell by how I did the interiors of The Craftsman B&B, the original "no lace, no doilies" B&B.

Form follows function. Ever hear that before? It means make something work, easy to use, first, then design in nice aesthetics. Michael Graves in the master of this in our era. He is the father of post-modern design.

Of course the Craftsman movement did it pretty well. I've written a lot about this in past blogs, but quickly, they ditched the ornate machine made Victorian "decoration" for simple hand made arts.

The Shakers had it almost all correct. Make useful items with your hands and your heart. Function and multi-use above all else. The celibacy part of their religion was a mistake.

But sometimes more is better. Automobiles are a great example of this. The first car I drove didn't come with a radio. Now, any car I buy must have: heated seats, dual climate control, Xenon headlights and an auto-tinting rear view mirror. 10 years ago, it was rare, now almost all cars have them, even micro cars.

Now let's talk about Christmas. I like a few gifts. I grew up on getting socks and underwear for gifts and Santa brought us toys. Seven people in the family and we were done opening presents in an hour. Plain and simple. Then I meet Laura, the first few Christmas' were insane. I thought it took all day to open presents, that was until the grand kids showed up, then it actually did take all day. Which is better?

Now we get to today's salt and pepper shakers.

Is more better? These came from Neiman Marcus. Known for being over the top, these fit the bill. Let's break the design down. First, they are S&P's. OK, simple right? Nutcrackers, very Christmas'y. But let's look a little harder, they also snow globes. Now I like a good snow globe. I have one depicting the car roll over scene in the movie Fargo. So we have nutcrackers in a snow globe that are also S&P's from Neiman Marcus. I'd have to say more is not better!

Play in the snow?

2009-12-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

A lot of people like to play in the snow, animals and snowmen too. With the threat of snow in the coast range tonight, I thought these snowmen playing would get you in the mood.

They look like they know how to have fun. Me, not a big fan of the snow. I grew up in the stuff and I made the best of it when I was a kid. We would get blizzards every year and the snow was so light and dry, the wind would clear open spaces and cover the house with drifts. Yes, snow up to the eaves of the house! Thirty feet away from the house, no snow. We lived near a park, so when we got these drifts, it would bury the houses that faced the park. The neighborhood kids would build snow forts and an inter-network of tunnels. We would work all day and throw snowballs at the passing cars. Our mom's were pretty resourceful as well, we would wear bread bags on our feet and tuck our pants inside of them to keep dry. Years later, I discovered gaiters in a mountaineering store.

From skiing most weekends in Colorado to living at the beach. I got to say, I love the weather at the beach here in Pacific City, even though it's hailing right now. The local weather forecasters always give you the snow level. When we lived near Portland, we were at 600 feet, so if Portland got snow, we got snow. Tonight they say it will be around 1,500 feet. So when you are sick of the snow and cold, come visit us at The Craftsman B&B, we are at 18 feet.

Hey, it's the shortest day of the year. Happy solstice, and axial tilt. Still time for me to send your Christmas wishes with a Craftsman B&B Gift Certificate.

Miseltoe and Christmas Sweaters

2009-12-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

So Mickey and Minni Mouse are getting into the Christmas spirit under the mistletoe. According to a custom of Christmas cheer, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom is of Scandinavian origin.

Mickey is all embarrassed, 'cause he just got kissed or that he is wearing a Christmas sweater and a Santa hat.

We have all seen crazy Christmas sweaters, what's their origin? I'm guessing it's from grandmas wanting to be cruel to their grand kids once a year. They're always nice, so this gesture may seem nice, but it's not. Just go to a Goodwill store. They have a section just for Christmas sweaters, no joke! Here is a blog about the ugly sweater style. There is even an online store that's all about the ugly sweater.

As you have seen in the past posts, I have a salt and pepper collection and have been blogging about it, just like this blog. I photographed the collection in one day to have a consistent look to the photos. Someone else had the same idea, but for his Christmas Sweater Collection. His collection includes sweatshirts, vests and turtlenecks too. More sweater choices for your closet are here.

Have you been to a sweater party? We have, that's how we found out about the Goodwill aisle.

We know you have a crazy Christmas Sweater, let's make it pay. From now until December 30th, The Craftsman B&B will give you a 20% discount on a nights stay. All you have to do is mention this blog and show up for breakfast wearing, you guessed it, a Christmas Sweater! Just like our S&P collection, the uglier, the better.

How's your list?

2009-12-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Santa must be pretty close to getting his list together. He has time to play with the reindeer, well this kind of looks like a moose.

If you have your holiday lists mostly checked off, you should reward yourself with a visit to Pacific City and The Craftsman B&B.

Our cold snap seems to be over and a nice little storm blew in during the night. Storm watching season is on. The surf has been pretty good as well.

So before the crazy of the season take you into its grasp, take a break and revive your spirits for the next round of the family get together and holiday parties. If Santa can play around, you can too.

Enough cold stories, almost.

2009-12-12T09:48:00.000-08:00

It's been cold here on the Oregon coast beaches. You are tired of hearing about it, I know, but it's rare for it to be this cold this long. Every year we've been running The Craftsman B&B, this winters have had unusual weather, colder for longer periods of time. I remember we used to get about 2 nights of below freezing. That was enough for the plants to die off to rejuvinate in the spring. The dahlias would stay green all year unless there was a frost. No time for them to build up energy to bloom in the Summer. The fuchia bushes hold flowers until a frost. I cut them to the ground every other year and they do great on the North side of our house.

We have has snow here every year, but until last year, it melted by Noon. Last year it stayed around a few days. We saw ice in the Nestucca river this year. The banks held ice all day and the surface would freeze at night. We had no rain during this cold snap so the water levels remained fairly even. When the tide came in is when the ice broke up. Thin layers of ice flowing down stream was interesting to see.

OK the story of the week is of the frozen squid that washed up onto the beaches this past week. I saw this story on Oregon Coast Beach Connection: Dozens of really large Humboldt Squid are stranding on the north coast – and they’re making a rather spectacular sight by freezing immediately on the beaches and staying intact.
What makes this incident unusual is the cold temperatures of the beaches are freezing these creatures where they land, and the rather spectacular size of many of them. The squid were 4 to 5 feet in length and weighed a little over 25 pounds. One was as tall as aquarium employee Tiffany Boothe, seen in the photo below.

Because they’ve frozen on the sand, each has been remarkably preserved. Usually, shore birds go after the eyes – but they’ve left them alone so far. They’ve also left interesting prints frozen in the sand, with icy sea water all around them.

“These squid typically reside in warmer waters off of California and Mexico, but every once in a while they will follow an offshore warm water current,” Boothe said. “When these currents dissipate, the squid get caught in water far too cold for them to handle and they get hypothermic and die."

This summer we had very warm water on the beaches here in Pacific City. Mid 60's, when the normal temps are in the low 40's.

Baby, it's cold out there!

2009-12-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Well the cold snap continues here at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City. I still haven't got the down vest out, but I am wearing gloves when I go outside. I knew it was going to be another cold morning, so I slept in a little bit and when I got up with the sun just peeking over the coast range, it was 25º. That's the lowest I've seen here.

The snow men are still safe in this weather. The high yesterday was below freezing! This is one of the reasons I didn't open the B&B in Bend or Sisters, Oregon. I really like our mild temperatures we have at the beach. The bright spot is we haven't had rain, or in this weather, freezing rain.

This Salt & Pepper snowman is in two parts, I like the two part kind. They take up less shelf space and are creative.

As most of you know, I rarely drive in a car now that I live in our, still tiny town. Yesterday I needed to get black oil sunflower seeds from the farm store in Cloverdale, the next town up Highway 101. Because I don't drive, the battery doesn't get recharged often enough so starting is a slow process, but it starts. The cold has taken its toll and the car required a charge for about a half hour. I'm so glad I have the tools to get this kind of stuff done, so are the birds. I also unhooked the hoses and put the foam covers on the spigots. I'm glad I did, a few friends had some frozen pipes this morning.

So the East, off shore, winds that are rare here in Pacific City are partly to blame for our cold spell, but they do bring good surfing waves. 6 footers predicted for Friday, come on down and get your surf on!

Snowman Saftey, sort of!

2009-12-04T09:58:00.001-08:00

We have had a few clear skied nights in Pacific City over the last few days. With the moon around it's full stage, the nights have been bright. One thing I learned growing up in Denver is that clear skies equal cold temperatures. Our first freeze was a few days ago and the dahlias are the first to show it. I cut the grass the other day and parts still had the morning frost.

As we are in for a cold snap around the Northwest, it's a warmer cold snap at the beach. I'm still only wearing a hoodie, last time I wore a "winter" coat was 1983, when I moved away from Denver.

Santa and the Snowman must have the same tailor, or stylist, as they are in similar outfits with this set of Salt & Peppers.

That's not the only good news for travelers wanting to visit Pacific City and stay at The Craftsman B&B. With the air temperature as low as it's been, it makes the water that much warmer. It's not often that the air temps are lower than the water temps. So all you surfers need to get out here, catch a wave and warm up in the water. The downside, as always, is putting on a wet wetsuit is still one of the worse experiences ever, so I'll dry your suits in our heated garage.

So come on out this weekend, surf or just watch the sunset, it's awesome when it's this clear. Watch the crab boats at night from the beach and attend our town's Christmas Tree lighting tonight at 6:30 PM.

Christmas Season

2009-12-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is here. Mot people like to start the day after Thanksgiving. That's OK, but I like to wait 'til December. The Christmas tree is up at The Craftsman B&B and the house is nearly all decorated.

Here is the first of the S&P's for the season. All the holiday S&P's are out, normally they are not part of the collection during the year. They are hanging out with the snowmen Laura has been collecting on the banquette in the dining room.

I will add the garlands to the house when: A) we get a good wind storm that blows branches out of trees, or B) before Laura returns from a week in Hong Kong.

So if you don't feel like decorating your house but want to spend some time in one that is, come pay us a visit this holiday season. Still no lace, no doilies.

Black Friday?

2009-11-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

The day after. Another fantastic Thanksgiving dinner here at The Craftsman B&B. This year was no different, in that the food was fantastic. We brine'd the turkey for days, it was awesome. Laura baked many pies and tarts.

So yesterday, I posted turkey S&P's, today we can't forget the Native Americans that made Thanksgiving possible, so here they are.

We had a crew of Black Friday Shoppers leave early this morning. If you, like me, avoided it at all costs, great. It cost me cleaning up the roasting pan and getting the house back to normal. So now that the Christmas shopping season is upon us, we'd like to remind you of our gift certificates. You can purchase them from us for The Craftsman B&B, click here, and we also sell BedandBreakfast.com gift certificates you can use all over the country, great for giving to people who don't live near the Oregon Coast. Call me and I'll set you up, you family and friends will love them. They are also good for corporate gift giving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

Here at The Craftsman B&B we are doing the normal, traditional Thanksgiving. We have family and guests as well as turkey Salt & Pepper Shakers.

My parents are here from Highlands Ranch, Colorado. My Brother and his wife from Santa Barbara, California and guests from Salem and Eugene, Oregon. The friends from Pacific City include, our neighbors and the local set of twins.

We will entertain ourselves with wii boxing and bowling, Laura is a great boxer and has beaten our friend Sean, a Kung Fu Black Belt. The Detroit Lions game may end up good. Last weeks game was pretty darn good with the quarterback dislocating his shoulder on the final drive, coming back for one play to pass for a touchdown, amazing.

After dinner we will watch our favorite team, the Denver Broncos, try to win.

We hope you have a great day with family and friends, we plan to. Christopher, if your reading this, call your mother!

Salt and Pepper Collection

2009-11-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

As many of you already know, I collect Salt & Pepper shakers. I had a few that I liked and when the collection grew out of reasonable cupboard space, I started placing them in a curio case. Friends would see them when they came over and after a while, they were giving me theirs. The other reason I started collecting them was that I'm the youngest of five kids. As anyone who knows me knows I have "particular taste," meaning: I like what I like. When Christmas presents were opened and I got things I didn't really need or not likely to use, I got the idea: In your travels and everyday life, keep an eye out for the ugliest Salt and Peppers you can find. As you will see in future blogs, there are some ugly ones, cute ones too. You decide.

OK, so the collection has grown. It outgrew the curio and we were planning the design of The Craftsman B&B. So I decided to add a shelf to the wainscoting in the Dining Room. It worked out perfectly as I unpacked the boxes of S&P's, they all fit on the shelves with no room to spare. So as the collection grew, new ones ended up on the window sill, then the sorting began. Christmas ones come out at Christmas. Bunnies and Easter S&P's are also seasonal. Poultry is next to be stored. The collection grows, but the shelf is limited.

Here is where it all started. I was planing on making dining room chairs about 15 years ago. I was thinking about Shaker chairs. So I did some research and found this place that is all Shaker. I got the catalog, pre-Internet, and saw these S&P's. They are Shaker, shakers.

OK, they are not ugly, but remember that wasn't the plan from the start. They were clever and I appreciate anyone that can be clever. So post your comments on the shakers you like. If you have some ugly ones hiding in a cupboard, send them to me where they are enjoyed by my guests and of course, me.

B&B's, a guy thing?

2009-11-23T13:35:00.001-08:00

Those of you who have stayed with us at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City already know what I am about to write. Those of you that haven't my be in for a surprise, we think it a good surprise.

Our original plan to get out of the rat race was to buy an existing B&B business. We are so glad we didn't. There are many reasons, the main one was we could operate the kind of B&B we wanted to run. The down side to this is starting a business from scratch, read: no customers, versus buying an existing business that already has had many guests and return guests, read: steady business from the start.

Most B&B's in the United States are in Victorian style homes. Ornate machine made trim, large multi-profile crown moldings, gaudy floral wall papers, I think you got the picture. Our idea was to be a lace and doilie free zone. The restoration of our 1921 Craftsman style home spoke to us about the way things were, plain and simple. We wanted to have a B&B that guys wouldn't be embarrassed to tell their buddies about the weekend with the "better half."

Well five years later and the New York Times has caught onto our idea. So have a few B&B's around the country. The article is here. Now we don't have a pub on site like Forty Putney Road, but we do have an award winning brew pub a short walk up the beach. We do have a fish cleaning sink and can also arrange for guided fishing in the ocean or river. Do we offer scrap booking weekends? Yes, but we also offer chair building weekends. A great guy activity, power tools! I'll teach you how to use them safely and how hand tools are also important and a real time and money saver too. This is great for couples too. You end the weekend with two chairs for your deck or yard. I think they are nice enough to be in the house too.

So people out there not wanting to experience a stuffy, overly decorated, lacy, frilly B&B or a no frills no customer service motel now have a place to spend their vacation, The Craftsman B&B.

Music Video shot here in Pacific City

2009-11-12T08:40:00.000-08:00

MIKESCHAIR officially released their first-ever music video, Let The Waters Rise. From Mike Curb records, who signed a young Lyle Lovett, MIKESCHAIR is climbing the Christian rock charts.

Their unique video was shot on the Pacific Ocean coast among the beautiful scenery of Cape Kiwanda, right here in Pacific City, Oregon. Shot on the North side of the Cape, rarely seen by folks that think the only beach in town is the one in front of the brew pub, MIKESCHAIR - Mike Grayson, Sam Tinnesz, Jesse Hale and Jon Haire - immensely enjoyed their first video experience. Although, during the one-day shoot the filming became more than expected due to the intensity of the blaring sun, long treks up and down the vertical sand dunes, as well as the sandstone cliffs and gusty winds of sand. The guys laugh about it now, even more so as they continue to find sand creviced in their clothes and bags, a few weeks after the video shoot.

There is no question that filming on the coast, with the dunes, a gorge, and the amazing sunset as the backdrop made the whole shoot worthwhile. The beach town of Pacific City has been known for over a hundred years as a quaint fishing village and vacation destination, a unique geographical and geological area located between Tillamook and Lincoln City, found on the south end of beautiful Three Capes Scenic Loop.

"The Oregon coast has some of the most breathtaking scenery and definitely displays some of God's most beautiful creations," commented MIKESCHAIR guitarist Sam Tinnesz. "We had a great time making the video...especially climbing up and down mountains to get to different locations you see in the video."

Lead vocalist, Mike Grayson agreed stating, "The location where we shot the video was so overwhelmingly beautiful."

If you too like the setting, come stay at The Craftsman B&B and we'll tell you how to access this sceret beach.

The video was helmed by Eric Welch, founder and director for Broken Poet Productions. Welch has also directed videos for Brandon Heath, MercyMe, Jars of Clay, Toby Mac, and many more. Aristo Media is set to head up the video's distribution.

"Let The Waters Rise" is quickly climbing the CHR, Christian (Overall), AC Monitored and AC Indicator charts, proving to be a powerful record touching both programmers and their listeners. This is the group's second single off their self-titled debut project, released on Curb Records July 14th.

MIKESCHAIR is managed by Creative Trust, Inc. and booked by Jeff Roberts & Associates, both located in the Nashville, TN area.

Fishing from a Kayak

2009-11-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular activities here in Pacific City, Oregon is fishing. Here at The Craftsman B&B, we have an outdoor, stainless steel sink for cleaning you catch of the day. Most people fish out of a dory boat during the summer. Fall brings the Salmon up the river, so you can fish from the bank or drift boat.

I ran across this video of a guy fishing in the ocean from a Kayak. He looks pretty well set up and has mounted a video camera to his rigging. Watch him paddle out and land a Halibut. If you've ever been in a Kayak, you know trying to pull something that big up without tipping over can be a challenge. Oh, and a warning, if you get sea sick, watch this video with caution.

Thanks to pacifickayaking.com for posting and showing the world fishing in Pacific City.

Bird Feeder

2009-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and time once again to fill the bird feeders. We are just a bit inland, so we don't get shorebirds at the house, nor do they eat seeds, but you see them flying all over. When we clean crabs at our fish cleaning sink, the gulls find out pretty quickly. They hang out on the roof next door and wait until we are done. Then its a mad dash and the crab parts are gone in a few minutes. Our fuchsia bushes attract many hummingbirds during the summer, Anna's are here year round but we get the Rufous here too. It also attracts the neighborhood cats, so I have put a fence around the fuchsia to slow them down.

So the tube feeders went out a few weeks ago. I wait until I see the first of the migrating birds, the Brown Pelican. I've already had some interesting visitors that I never see during the summer. Our range is quite unique as we are close to the ocean, riparian and woodlands. There are tons of birds here, but they are all specific to their natural habitats. Adding a feeder brings the marginal birds to our yard. I have a feeder less than 10 feet from my desk, so I get quite a show all day long.

The Steller's Jay has been here the most. Never see them until the feeders go out. Scores of Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees jump from the apple tree to the feeder, grab a seed, back to the tree to open it and eat it, then back to the feeder. This goes on until the Steller's Jay comes and scares them all off. Yesterday was the first appearance of the Red-winged Blackbird, a group of about 5 were feeding for a while. I also saw a Starling, I know, I hate them too, but this was the first time I saw one in it's Fall plumage. Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows won't feed close to the house, they like the feeder out by the fence. A Northern Flicker will stop by too, sitting on the fence to see all the action.

The best bird activity I've seen so far has been the confused Oregon Junco. These birds are ground feeders. You see them hoping around under the feeder picking up the seed that drop from the feeder. So the chickadees were all over the feeder and apple tree. There is a lot of lichen on the apple tree, so a few chickadees were storing seeds in the lichen. The Junco hopped into the tree and was just watching the chickadees eating the seeds out of the lichen. It started to hop around the tree looking for seeds too, knowing genetically that this could not be. It did figure out that the seeds were stored and started eating them.

I have another feeder on the north side of the house, out the dining room window that has yet to be discovered. The birds will find it when the south blowing winter winds pick up as it's protected from the wind.

So get a feeder out at your house. Make sure you put it where you can see the birds when you're inside, isn't that why you feed the birds in the first place?

If you want to see the migrating sea and shore birds, now is the time in Pacific City. The Brown Pelicans are on the surf line all day and rest in the river at night. Lots of grebes in the river too. The sunsets are rush hour for the geese, very noisy as they fly from feeding to resting areas.

Come on down to Pacific City and visit all our birding areas. It will take a few days, so rest here at The Craftsman B&B and update your life list of all the birds you saw during the day.

Recipe Sharing

2009-10-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

We serve really good breakfasts here at The Craftsman B&B. Well, our guests keep telling us that and they are writing great reviews about it on-line too. We get asked to share recipes, well we really don't do that. We are half a food business, so just like a restaurant, our business is food based. We prepare good food we have tested recipes, modified and tweaked them until we think it's good enough. Then we try it out on friends and returning guests to get their opinion before an item makes our menu.

I have done a lot of experimenting with various food allergies as well. We want to serve all our guests the same meal. If we have a guest with a dietary restriction at the table, we don't want to serve them something entirely different than the rest of the guests. We don't want to make them feel isolated. We make sure all the plates look pretty much the same. That means, we have to adapt "regular" recipes to not include ingredients that a person can't have while making it look and taste like the original version. Sometimes it's easy, a lot of times it's not. So why would I want to just give out all my hard work when that's half my business?

I know it can be a challenge for someone who has come upon an allergy later in life and has a complete change in their diet. Gluten and or wheat allergies ring a bell? Baking gluten free can be a huge challenge. We have figured out quite a few muffins and cookies that are gluten or wheat free. I know oats have gluten, but most people are allergic to wheat, and other long grains, like rice and barley, yes, no beer! Oat flour can be a good substitute, but not if they are gluten free.

I have shared some of our secret recipes for our diet restricted guests. But like any restaurant, we don't share every dish to the entire world. We want you coming back for more. That said, we also try not to serve a returning guest the same dish they have had before. We do get requests and we do accommodate them, just like the reason you return to your favorite restaurant.

So over time, we have shared a few recipes with the world. Our famous Bananas Foster French Toast is very popular and the talk around our still tiny town of Pacific City. Waiters, when finding out our guests are staying with us, have asked if they had the Bananas Foster French Toast, we call it BFFT.

So another guest has been asking for our coffee cake recipe. He has started a blog that is food based and I thought this would be a good post for him, us and his morning breakfast. We've been e-mailing back and forth because we have 3 coffee cakes we make on a regular basis and didn't know which one he wanted. So after a few questions, I know the one. We call it Craftsman Coffee Cake.

If you have had it, I'm sure you'll agree, it's pretty darn good. If you haven't, book a room and ask for it for breakfast.

Pacific City, Sunset Set-up Package

2009-10-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

We have had wine packages to include with your stay here at The Craftsman B&B from the begening. We are changing the Pacific City Package to suit the wants of our guests. We created a Sunset package. Grab a back pack including a bottle of our Bin #50, Basket Case Syrah. Inside will be 2 keepsake wine glasses and a beach blanket. Just $20.00

Head out to the beach and watch the sunset while sipping on Syrah from Pacific City's own winery, Basket Case. Not just an Oregon Coast experience, and Pacific City experience.

If you don't finish your wine before it gets dark, no worries, you can wait for the stars to come out.

Best of the West!

2009-10-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

THE CRAFTSMAN BED & BREAKFAST CHOSEN AS Best in the West IN THE BEST OF BEDANDBREAKFAST.COM AWARDS

The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast of Pacific City, Oregon, was selected as Best in the West in the annual Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards, 2009-2010. The Best of BedandBreakfast.com Awards are based upon a qualitative and quantitative review of the nearly 50,000 independent reviews submitted to BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online B&B directory and reservation network worldwide.

"BedandBreakfast.com surveys show that independent reviews are the most important factor when choosing a B&B. In fact, according to BedandBreakfast.com's most recent survey, 96% of consumers consider reviews to be somewhere between important and essential when selecting a place to stay, and 12% will not make a reservation at a property without them. We're delighted that inn goers concur that The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast is deserving of its accolades from travelers," explained BedandBreakfast.com's Sandy Soule, one of the most highly recognized authors and a spokeswoman for the B&B industry. "Clearly, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast earned its stellar reviews from inn goers for its quality accommodations, breakfasts, amenities, and wonderful hospitality and service," commented Soule.

"It's an honor to be chosen for a Best of BedandBreakfast.com award, and we thank our guests for the positive reviews that resulted in this award,” stated Michael Rech, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast’s innkeeper. "It is gratifying that our guests took the time to share their comments about our hospitality, accommodations, breakfasts and attention to the details which set The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast apart," commented Rech. Here's an excerpt from one of our reviews: The room was tasteful and the bed was so comfy. No frilly doilies or wallpaper! The private bath is great, and the service was great. Breakfast was really tasty and the coffee was FABULOUS!

For a complete list of all winners, including regional and international Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award winners, please visit www.BedandBreakfast.com and click Winners 2009-2010.

Founded in 1995, BedandBreakfast.com is highly recommended by The New York Times, Real Simple, Forbes, Travel & Leisure, USA TODAY and many others. To learn about more nearly 9,000 other perfect choices for your next B&B getaway, visit BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online bed and breakfast directory and reservation network worldwide. A variety of search functions and extensive maps enable inn goers to find the perfect B&B. Travelers can make reservations online, purchase The Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com, welcomed at over 4,000 B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada, read up-to-date trip reports on The BedandBreakfast.com Blog, read and write independent reviews, and post questions on expert-hosted message boards.

Aurora, A Relaxing Movie Night “Inn” Update

2009-10-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

This is an update to our Aurora, A Relaxing Movie Night “Inn” package. I have mad a visit to Aurora, NY as well as Buffalo where I saw some Frank Lloyd Wright houses and we stayed at The Roycroft Inn and I visited the Roycroft Campus. I also changed the bubbles that go with this package.

I heard about this pairing and was skeptical about it. Popcorn and Champagne? That's crazy! It really is a great pairing. Aurora, A Relaxing Movie Night “Inn” adds to that pairing with another classic, popcorn and a movie. The package is just $20.00 and is a great addition to your stay at The Craftsman B&B. A bottle of our Bin #06 Cristalino Brut Cava N.V. with a bowl of fresh made popcorn. You'll be sipping in 2 Keepsake Craftsman B&B Flutes while you enjoy snuggling and watching a DVD from our collection. Most people travel with a laptop computer and they can watch a movie, but if you left it all behind for a relaxing weekend, we have DVD players for you.

Cristalino comes in a 375ml bottle, perfect for a few glasses. This wine was rated #3 in wine.com's top 100 wines on 2007. Not the #3 bubbles, the #3 wine overall.

Aurora, more exact, East Aurora, New York is the home of Roycrofters. I mentioned them in the Asheville package as they furnished the Grove Park Inn. This guild of craftsmanship and philosophy lead to the rise of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States. Elbert Hubbard was inspired by William Morris. Morris had his own press, Kelmscott Press. Hubbard's was called the "Roycroft Press" by latter-day collectors and print historians, the organization called itself "The Roycrofters" and "The Roycroft Shops."
The name comes from the printers, Samuel and Thomas Roycroft, who made books in London from about 1650-1690. And beyond this, the word roycroft had a special significance to Elbert Hubbard, meaning King's Craft.

Hubbard edited and published two magazines, The Philistine and The Fra. The Philistine was bound in brown butcher paper and full of satire and whimsy. The Roycrofters produced handsome, if sometimes eccentric, books printed on handmade paper, and operated a fine bindery. The guild also included a furniture shop, and shops producing modeled leather and hammered copper goods. They were a leading producer of Mission Style products.

A quotation from John Ruskin formed the Roycroft "creed": "A belief in working with the head, hand and heart and mixing enough play with the work so that every task is pleasurable and makes for health and happiness".

The Roycroft Campus, a National Historic Landmark and was placed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation on its 11 Most Endangered Places. The Roycroft Campus Corporation (RCC) was established to preserve and restore the Campus. They successfully rehabilitated The Roycroft Inn. The RCC now plans to embark on a $50 million acquisition and restoration of the remainder of the campus. Its ultimate goal is to preserve the unique architectural setting of the Campus, but moreover, to bring back to life the Roycroft community and ideals by re-introducing working artisans on the campus; developing comprehensive, compelling, and multi-faceted interpretative and educational programming; and encouraging the development of a center for creativity and innovation in the decorative arts, fine arts and literature.

In 1915 Hubbard and his wife, noted suffragette Alice Moore Hubbard, died in the sinking of RMS Lusitania.

So what did I learn after my visit? We'll the buildings of the Campus are all intact and being used. The city of East Aurora has their offices and police station in 2 of the buildings. One building is now a gallery for Roycroft craftsmen. Another building is used as an antique store and furniture repair shop. The RCC really needs some money to restore this place, think about that the next time your at a silent auction and are bidding on something you don't really need or want. Send a check to the RCC.

So the strangest thing I noticed at The Roycroft Inn was all the furniture was from Stickley. Now I'm not saying Stickley is wrong, but Roycrofters made furniture and have many furniture makers currently in the guild. I think as time went by, the Roycroft pieces were sold off and when they opened the Inn, they needed a commercially made line to fill all the rooms. Travel tip: Stay on the top floor at The Roycroft Inn, squeaky floors everywhere.

We survived the Tsunami!

2009-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

An 8.3 magnitude earthquake that caused a tsunami in Samoa has resulted in a tsunami advisory for the Oregon coast. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued the advisory, saying a mild tsunami – up to two feet – could arrive on the coast about 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

“A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is imminent or expected,” the NWS said in a bulletin. “Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.”

The tsunami does not pose a threat to homes or structures along the shoreline, and no evacuations are planned. Officials are stressing this will result in only larger than normal waves, many of which may not be noticeable.

Here in Pacific City, high tide was happening during the expected wave, it was also raining pretty hard, so lot of water. The wave would be a tsunami, but hardly noticeable as any storm surge produces much bigger waves. The following surge up the coastal rivers would hardly register.

The Tsunami might take the sand from some beaches and on some steeper beaches, there may be some erosion.

Here at The Craftsman B&B, Laura was reading her book and Mike was watching a movie. Not wanting to stand in the rain to watch a 3 foot wave, in the dark. I guess we lived at the beach long enough to know not to worry about a tsunami that was triggered on the other side of the world.

Take our Survey

2009-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

We want to know what you think. Take our quick survey/ questionnaire. We want to know what you think of The Craftsman B&B and as we finish our 5th busy season, we want you thought on a few items that have come up.

We have 2 reviews on TripAdvisor that were not Excellent or Very Good. Both wanted a TV. Our goal was for our guests to open the door to 1921, so we decided not to have TV's. What's your thought?

The other big question is about a 2-night minimum. Currently we do not have one. We wanted to grow our business and get as many people in the door, having them spread the word. A lot if innkeepers require a 2-night stay to make sure the rooms are filled on the most popular nights, Friday and Saturday. We want to be able to have rooms for people touring the coast and only staying one night along their route. Do we charge more for single night stays? Tell us what you think.

If you are a past guest, we sent you an invitation for the survey. Friends on facebook also got a wall post. So if you haven't done it, please do, our business is providing you great service during your vacation and we want to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Take our quick survey/ questionnaire.

Back to School Special

2009-09-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were a kid and during the summer you didn’t know what day it was? Well, when school started you got back into the groove of counting down 'till Friday. If your kids are back in the groove, it's time for a parents vacation. Leave the kids with grandma and enjoy some alone time strolling the beach in Pacific City.

The Craftsman B&B would like to help you take a vacation from Summer Vacation.

We will give you 25% off a 2-night stay!

Book online and mention the Back to School Special.

Stay 2 nights, save 25% off lodging.

The fine print:
Online bookings only.
Valid for stays until October 8th.
Cannot be combined with any other discount or special rate.
Not valid on gift certificate orders.
Prairie Room $20.00 additional.

Oktoberfest, Year 2

2009-09-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Its Oktoberfest!

The Pacific City Association (PCA) would like to invite you to our 2^nd annual Oktoberfest: Root • Beer • Float. This is a Black Beer and Root Beer Festival, held Saturday, September19th in Pacific City, Oregon. The title is a play on words, as we will have root beer, black beer and the floats are for glass floats. The trophy for the people’s choice is a large glass float and we will raffle off traditional and modern art glass floats to voters at the Festival. This event promotes Pacific City. Money raised is used to buy advertising and marketing materials to promote the businesses of the PCA. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local charity, Tillamook County Habitat for Humanity.

Our first year hosting this event, we kept it small, five root beers and nine black beers were available for tasting. This year we are able to expand the Black Beer Garden and our only rule: If it’s clear, it ain’t beer!

A souvenir mug, with tickets, is purchased and the tickets are used for 4 oz tastes and 12 oz pours of the Black Beer and Root Beer. We will also be selling event t-shirts.

The Root Beer Kindergarten is a kid friendly part of the celebration. Kids of all ages can test their taster at the Root Beer Tasting Contest, where they try to identify a national brand root beer. The prize for the winner of each heat is a handful of root beer barrel candy.

We will be having live German music and dancing with the High Fives Band from The Dalles, Oregon and Accordionist Lauri Neumann-Grable from Hillsboro, Oregon.

We will be serving German food. Bratwurst and Sauerkraut is the staple of any Oktoberfest.

It all takes place on Pacific Avenue, just West of the 4-way stop in downtown Pacific City, Oregon.

Please contact me at The Craftsman B&B. 503-965-4574 or at innkeeper@craftsmanbb.com

3 states

2009-09-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

Here at The Craftsman B&B we get visitors form all over. They come to explore the beautiful Oregon Coast. Many other things bring them here as well; biking the coast, hiking, fishing, beer tasting, you name it. A lot of visitors choose our B&B because of our strict no lace, no doilies policy.

To show us and other guests where our guests come from, we have a map in the landing upstairs. We welcome our guests to put a pin in the map from where they currently live. If they visited Alaska, we're not interested in that. If they were born in Ohio, not important. We want to know where they live now.

So goes the challenge with any project, our map pins are always growing, but we are missing 3 states. We want to show the diversity of our country and we are missing: North Dakota, Mississippi and South Carolina.

If you know someone from these states, tell them to stay with us. If you are from one of these states, get yourself in here. This is a social media experiment, spread the word. To make things more interesting, we will make a deal. If you have a valid drivers license or ID from one of the 3 missing states and stay at The Craftsman B&B for 2 nights, we'll take 50% off your second night. But to make sure our experiment works, we need the help of our friends and past guests, so if you refer a guest from the missing states, we will take 25% off your second night the next time you come for a visit. Make sure you let your friends and family know when they make a reservation.

Good enough reason to get your family and friends to visit the Oregon Coast and our tiny town of Pacific City? I think so.

Parking

2009-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Craftsman B&B is located in a neighborhood of Pacific City. One of the challenges of this setting is providing parking for our guests. Usually 4 cars, so no big deal. When our guests arrive in a giant SUV or 4 door truck, we have them park in front of the boxwood hedge, plenty of room.

Last week, we had several guests with giant trucks, so I parked at our neighbors house to accommodate a truck in our drive way. This is the first time we have had that happen.

So, much to my delight, our guests arrived in a Mini last night and parked where the big trucks park, sideways.

Games, pre Nintento style

2009-08-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here at The Craftsman B&B in the tiny town of Pacific City, we enjoy the slower paced life. Now that doesn't mean we aren't connected to the latest trends, we just choose what we want to follow, not what our neighbors are doing. So when it comes to games, we enjoy the board game to a video game, hands down.

We encourage our guest to relax and unplug from their everyday modern lives. One way to do that is offer up classic board and card games. I grew up playing cut-throat Scrabble. 3 letter words were laughed at. We even figured out that my grandma cheated at Scrabble, she has played so long with the same set, that when she came to play at our house, her words were lame. She had memorized the wood grain of each tile, to know what letters she would choose. I my life, I have always been competitive, I'm the youngest of five kids, so I needed every advantage I could come up with.

Later in my auto racing days, I could always appreciate the "clever interpretation" of a rule book. Not that I ever took advantage, ahem.

So the house rule here for Scrabble, is you have to use our dictionary, which was published the year I graduated from high school. No new-fangled, trendy words here.

Come to Pacific City, enjoy the Oregon Coast and settle in with a glass of wine and some old time fun.

It's all about the Dory

2009-08-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

In Pacific City, Oregon, it's all about the dory. The town is full of them and a visit to Cape Kiwanda at sunrise, you're bound to see the launching into the surf. The best time is around 11:00 AM, when the wind picks up and the dory's return to the beach. Gliding through the waves and sliding up onto the beach.

This article is a few years old but showed up in my "web radar" the other day. It's a real good story about the dory fishing here in Pacific City.

You can find out more about the Dorymens Association from their website.

Learned's Boat Shop, mentioned in the article, is on facebook and so is The Craftsman B&B.

So Dory's have a long history in Pacific City, they celebrated the 50th year of the Dorymens Association this year. The Craftsman B&B's house was built in 1921. Come and live in the history or our still tiny beach town.

Tillamook County Quilt Trail

2009-08-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Looking for a way to see inland Tillamook County? More than just looking at all the cows? We all know the main draw around here is the beach. We suggest you also adventure out on the Tillamook County Quilt Trail.

So here is how the trail got started: identify historic barns and other buildings in Tillamook County, enhance with a large painted wooden quilt block, share the history of the dairy farms and quilts through a self-guided tour for visitors and celebrate our Rural Heritage.

This idea, first voiced by Marti Rhea, has become a reality through a coalition of local citizens and organizations: the Farm Bureau, Tillamook County Dairy Women, Latimer Quilt & Textile Center, Tillamook Area Chamber of Commerce, the 4-H Leaders Association, the Fair Board and the Tillamook County Historical Society. Together, they put the plan into action.

The first Quilt Block Trail on the West Coast, Phase I was central Tillamook County. For Phases II and III the hope is to expand the Quilt Trail to North and South Tillamook County, that's where The Craftsman B&B is located. Phase I of the project began on January 4, 2009 and the goal was to have quilt blocks in place by the opening day of the Tillamook County Fair in August of 2009. Well they pulled it off! Twelve blocks are in place. Stop by the Chamber of Commerce, next to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, for a copy of the Quilt Trail brochure, which provides not only the route, but a history of the farms showcasing a quilt block. I'll be taking this tour soon and will post some pictures of the adventure.

This project captures a unique heritage, by combining the art of quilting and the rich history of the dairy and agricultural presence in this community. Most of the quilt block patterns come from “Patterns for an Oregon Quilt,” a book available at the Latimer Quilt & Textile Center and itself derived from a book by Eula M. Long. Many of the patterns were designed exclusively for Oregon.

When you're done with the tour, stop in at The Latimer Quilt and Textile Center is located at 2105 Wilson River Loop Road, Tillamook, OR 97141, also close to the Cheese Factory. www.latimerquiltandtextile.com

Better than S'mores

2009-08-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of S'mores. I know, an innkeeper that doesn't like coffee and now this? I don't mind chocolate, I have never had a craving for it and don't seek it out, yet another nontraditional trait of an innkeeper. Oh, and marshmallows, don't get me started. Besides the game "fuzzy bunny" I don't go near them. Graham crackers, not a staple of my pantry.

My guests last night at The Craftsman B&B had a great, alternative beach snack. They got Tillamook Cheese, a loaf of crusty bread, a beer and a tin can. They made a fire on the beach, melted the cheese in the can, with a little splash of beer to get it nice and creamy, and dipped with the bread. Mmmm, tasty, I'll call it Hobo Fondue.

Now cheese fondue, that's a great snack, appetizer or meal. Made the French or Bavarian style, it's soooo good. A trip to Portland, for me, usually includes a meal at Gustav's and Fondue for a start of a great meal. I used to work near Gustav's and ate there at least once a month, it's all about the cheese.

Now you may know that I'm a little bit competitive, so of course there are rules to fondue. The one rule I have always lived with is the first person who drops their bread in the fondue pot has to pay the tip on the dinner bill. But a little research truned up a few more rules via Martha Stewart:

Rule 1: If a woman drops her bread in the fondue pot, she has to kiss every man at the table.

Rule 2: If a man drops his bread in the fondue pot, he has to buy a bottle of wine for everyone at the table.

Rule 3: If someone drops two pieces of bread in the pot, they have to plan the next fondue party.

Martha's Tip: Make sure you invite men you want to kiss to your fondue party.

Next time your in Pacific City, without the kids, yearning for a beach fire, but not the "usual campfire snack" try the Hobo Fondue, then back to your cozy room at the B&B.

Watercraft Freeriders come to Pacific City

2009-08-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Pacific City Oregon to Host second round of 2009 IFWA Freeride World Tour and IJSBA Motosurf Western Championship on September 11-13th 2009. Click Here to sign up.

The world's greatest Watercraft Freeriders and racers will descend on Tierra Del Mar Beach located just north of Pacific City and is free to the public on this wide expanse of beach. This event marks a return to IFWA and IJSBA co-sanctioning events in order to bring the very best PWC athletes together at one venue.

If you would like to see them in action, come on down to Pacific City and stay at The Craftsman B&B, just minutes from the venue.

The Blowsion Surf Slam will bring freeriders from around the world competing for a cash purse and points towards the IFWA World title and competing for the first IJSBA Freeride World Cup. The infamous Pacific Coast surf will boost riders over 20 feet in the air while performing tricks like backflips, barrel rolls and no handed landings. Joining them will be some of the best PWC racers in the world who will display high speed turns through a grueling buoy course all while challenging the unpredictable waves.

Current IFWA points leader and last year's World-Title holder is American Ross Champion. When asked about his thoughts on the 2009 US location he said, "We are really looking forward to the Blowsion Surf Slam this year. We riders have been coming to Pacific City for the last 10 years for a private event. We are happy to be expanding the event this year and looking forward to the general public being exposed to the sport of Freeride."

Spectators will also witness exciting personal watercraft racing with the IJSBA MotoSurf Western Championship. The top racers in the country will battle it out in the challenging Pacific City surf.

Freeriders will compete in a head to head double elimination format. A panel of profession judges will score them using 50% for their wave surfing and 50% for their aerial maneuvers. Racers will compete, in a multi-lap format; through a challenging buoy course that requires split second navigation while maintain speeds exceeding 70 MPH.

The Tillamook County Fair

2009-08-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

This year it's August 5th - 8th. That's this weekend! This years theme is "WHERE PIGS FLY." The fair board chose this theme because the Tillamook County Pig-N-Ford Association will be celebrating the 85th Anniversary of performing their World Famous Pig-N-Ford Races during the fair.

The 2009 Tillamook County Fair is said to be one of the best County Fairs in the state, if not in the nation because it is so unique and offers so much for visitors to enjoy. See all of the 4-H/FFA exhibits that Tillamook County residents have prepared for the fair. The dairy cow judging is a lot of fun. They describe the animaals in dairymens terms that are a hoot. Pari-Mutuel Horse Racing for you gambling types and what is a fair without a Demolition Derby.

Here at The Craftsman B&B, we love motorsports, we think the highlight of the fair is experiencing the excitement of the Pig-N-Ford Races, that pigs really can fly. This is something everyone will need to watch the Pig-N-Ford Races themselves to see "WHERE PIGS FLY". Come on down this weekend a see for yourselves.

Surf's Up

2009-07-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Long Boards invade Pacific City this weekend. I'm not one to get in the water, but many of our friends in town are, and do. Come "hang ten" with the long board legends.

Friday night, the Delicate Palate Bistro will host the registration party. Fish Tacos and cheap Mexican beer are on the menu. Get your hoodie for the season too, that way you'll fit in while on the beach, we don't want you looking like a tourist.

The Craftsman B&B has co-sponsored this event for a few years. We do it to support our local surf shop owner and board builder, Brian Bates of Seven Surf Boards.

The Dory Fleet will also be busy this weekend, so spend some time on the beach.

End of an Era

2009-07-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow my blog and those of you you check in on occasion, I thank you. This is my last blog entry. I will be handing over the keyboard to Mike and Laura and a replacement blogger to be named later.

As most of you know, I have been surviving bone cancer in my back leg for the last six months. The past week, I didn't feel like doing anything, not even surfing the Internet or blogging. So I saved up enough energy to write this last post. Mike promised he will keep on blogging for me and maybe Laura will add some posts too. After all, we all want you to know what's happening around The Craftsman B&B and our tiny beach town of Pacific City.

Looking back, I had it pretty good. I was born in January 1998 to Kobe and Pearl, their human parents are great friends to my human parents. I was the second biggest of the litter and stole Mike's heart the day he came "just to look at the puppies." I went home with them that day. I got crate trained and with Mike and Laura's schedule, I was only in it to sleep overnight and nap a few hours a day for most of the time I lived in Lake Oswego. When we moved to Pacific City, I was free of the crate, but had my own secret space to chill, it was under the espresso machine. I never really liked the beach, I don't like getting wet. The smells were pretty good though and I got to mark my territory all over town. I learned my way to the hardware store and the bank in town and always got a cookie. I love to greet the guests and make sure they got checked in OK.

I'll keep this short. I am a good dog, had a good life, but my body just gave up one me. I got really good at hopping on 3 legs, but at 100 pounds, it took a toll and wore me out. For all those friends and guests I've met, I will always remember your scent.

1/17/1998 - 7/30/2009
Oscar Meier

Replicator at The Craftsman B&B

2009-07-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Do we have a replicator at The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast? Well, as close to one as I have ever seen. Yesterday, Mike was clearing off his desk and ran across a note. It was a wine book one of our guests recommended we read and thought our other wine geek guests would like to read. So Mike went on the Internet and found the book, Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine. He ordered it at 12:23 PM. The book arrived at our post office today and was in the house before 11:00 AM. Inconceivable!

So when the Internet first started big with on-line shopping and EBAY, Mike thought about the replicator. Every house should have one. You order a snorkel, mask and flippers and out they come, like paper out of a printer.

For us, living in the tiny beach town of Pacific City, Internet shopping is a great deal for us. We don't have to drive to Salem or Portland to get things. We order on-line and it shows up at our doorstep, or the post office a block away. This has saved so many car trips, fuel and time. Our coffee for the espresso maker comes 2nd day air from Switzerland.

That's not the only instant gratification that happens here at The Craftsman B&B. We always tell our guests to let us know if they need anything, and we deliver. So if you want to be pampered, have your wishes come true, come stay with me at the B&B. If Mike can't get you what you need, just whisper your wish in my ear, dogs have special connections too.

Solo Travel at a Bed & Breakfast

2009-07-08T16:57:00.000-07:00

Here at The Craftsman B&B, we have had quite a few solo travelers. A few have been on business trips, but most are single ladies that want to get away. B&B's are for couples, honeymooners and anniversaries you may think. Well, we do get those here too, but don't let that bother you. If fact, if you are bothered by seeing other people having a good time while on vacation, then any kind of travel probably isn't for you.

Some of you my dread eating alone in restaurants and that has prevented you from trying to travel solo. There are solutions to this challenge. First, at a Bed & Breakfast, one meal is already taken care of, breakfast. Find restaurants where you can eat in the bar. Your alone, but with a group of people. And if you just want to read while eating, you can do that too. I'm sure you single ladies know the "fake wedding ring" trick, hey, it works. Eat early, before the crowds if you are uncomfortable.

Here are some reasons that would make you want to travel solo:

Sick and tired of trying to arrange trips with friends and fit every ones schedules.
Altering what you want to do versus what your friends want to do.
Waiting for friends to get moving in the morning or between any activity.
Adjusting your activities based on the budgets of your friends.
Altering your sleep, nap and chill time when traveling with others.

Here are some advantages to solo travel:

Freedom.
Choice of sights.
Solo travel is stress free.
Sitting in front of a special art piece or view for for as long as you want.
Visiting sites or taking tours you want to see at your own pace.
Eating at your pace and what, where and when you want.
A road trip where you can jam out to your favorite music, sing along with out the groans of your friends.
Ability to alter your plans as you see fit.

Here are advantages of solo travel and B&B's:

Innkeepers look after their guests. There job is to make sure you have a great stay.
Innkeepers know the area. They can help you plan a day out, can recommend sights and restaurants.
A B&B is safe, usually in a neighborhood, not a row of hotels, they are family homes and friendly people stay in B&B's.
Most B&B's have free wi-fi, you can keep up with your social media as you would at home, but post pictures and update your status of your great adventure.

Here are the advantages of staying at The Craftsman B&B during your solo travels:

We feed you pretty good and you could skip lunch or have a light lunch on a bench overlooking the ocean.
There are several great restaurants here in Pacific City where you can eat in the bar.
If you prefer to order to-go from a restaurant, we will provide you all the dishes you may need and clean up for you afterwards.
Enjoy your dinner on the deck or dining room.
We have 187ml bottles of champagne, the perfect glass and 375ml bottles of wine, good for 2 glasses.

So if you are considering solo travel, try a night at a B&B. Make your first solo trip a short, quick one. Maybe overnight, within a tank of gas of your home. I know, if you try it, you will like it. The added bonus of solo travel at The Craftsman B&B is we discount the room rate. And I'm always here to greet you when you return, you can rub my belly as long as you want. I also like to sit with you while you read in the living room, making sure your safe and happy.

Fireworks at the Beach

2009-07-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Fireworks at the beach? Why is that a question you may ask. Well, in the past, I haven't done very well with fireworks. The booms are too much for me. So a few years ago, I started to take doggie downers on the Fourth, to mellow me out.

Well this year, it was all wrong. First of all, I am older and don't eat as much as I used to. I am not as active as I used to be, on 3 legs and all. So I got my pill in peanut butter stuffed into a bone. I ate it. I fall for that trick every time. Then the plan was for me to eat my dinner. More food, more better. Well, as I am stubburn, I didn't eat my dinner and then, Wham! The drugs kicked in. I paniced and made a run to my safe spot by the front door. I didn't make it, those floors are slick. Mike and Laura moved me to my spot and I stayed there until after breakfast this morning, 17 hours later.

I decided to go outside and let the sun set me right. Mike brought out my breakfast, last night dinner, and some water. I was hungry, so I ate it and I even got another scoop of food. I'll save that for later.

I will recover today, but that was a real knock out. Next time, how about half a pill.

So what did I miss? Nothing! It was a hot day in the Willamette Valley, that draws the fog inland. So about 9:00 p.m. last night, we were in pea soup fog. We could hear the booms, but not see the fireworks in the sky. Laura even stayed up past her normal bedtime to watch.

Oh well, we had a full house here at The Craftsman B&B and every enjoyed their stay. Out on the beach, they were able to see the show, our deck, not so much.

Just say no to Plastic Water Bottles

2009-07-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

I love plastic water bottles. I like to chew on them until the top comes off and then I'm told to leave it. Well now at The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast, Innkeeper Mike hates plastic bottles. We have always had bottled water for our guests, it's a nice amenity we provided for free, unlike hotels that charge $10.00 for a bottle of water.

We are trying to be as green as possible, so we have always recycled the used bottles. Then, Oregon amended the bottle bill to include water bottles along with the soda bottles and cans it has had for years. So now, you pay a bottle deposit for a water. We think that's a good thing, but we can do better.

Introducing the Craftsman B&B's sturdy and durable 16 oz. stainless steel bottle w/ carabiner. BPA free, environmental and recyclable.

While you stay at the B&B, we will have these bottles filled with filtered water and chilled in the guest 'fridge. Use the bottle while you are here, leave it, we'll clean it and refill it for our next guest. If you like it, you can buy one too. Show all your friends that you have done something good for the planet and how you know to vacation in style, at The Craftsman B&B, in the, still small town of Pacific City, Oregon.

If you can't wait until your next visit, e-mail me at oscar@craftsmanbb.com and for $15.00, I'll ship one to you.

A Twist in the story

2009-07-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

I have blogged in the past about our local (and loco) winemakers, Sean and Chenin. They take care of me when Mike and Laura leave me for a vacation. I'm not taking it personal, but if I had to live with me, I'd need a vacation too. So back to the winemakers. Their tasting room, Twist, is right here in Pacific City! I don't go over there much, because the bamboo floors are a little too slick for my 3 legs that still work. But I drop in to say hi.

Well, they had another drop in, the guys from BREWPUBLIC.com. They wrote a great story about Twist, the wine, the beer, the winemakers and Pacific City, read it here.

Not much else to say it's a great story. OK, I do have something to say. When you come to Pacific City for the beer and wine, I think you should stay with me, at The Craftsman B&B.

Overnight Guest

2009-06-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Pacific City had an unusual overnight guest last night. Here at The Craftsman B&B, our guests were very normal. The unusual guest was the Coast Guard helicopter. Now we see the Coast Guard every day. They fly over, along the beach, fly over the runway in town and about once a week, they land at one end of the airstrip and taxi down to the other end, clearing the debris and sand off the runway. It's gets a little noisy when they do this, but it sounds pretty cool, it is a jet after all.

So yesterday, I hear them land and taxi, but they were here for 15 minutes, a little long. Mike and I went to investigate. The crew was looking at the tail section, and if you know anything about how a helicopter flies, you know that the tail rotor is pretty darn important. So later on in the day, another crew flew in and, I guess picked up the stranded crew. This morning, the crew arrived in style and they have been working on the broken 'copter all morning.

I sure hope they get it fixed soon. It will be a busy weekend, when crazy people come to the beach for the 4th, crazy things happen. The Coast Guard is always at the ready to help. Fisherman in trouble, hikers off the trail, they got us covered and we thank them for it.

So how much do we like the Coast Guard? Here is a part, over the front door, of our mural we painted in the living room.

And now for a close-up.

I'm glad we have a safe place for them to land when, I assume, their dashboard lit up with the warnings. Nothing more embarrassing than rescuers needing rescue. Of course, not as funny as a tow truck getting stuck, and we come to the rescue, but that's another story.

Tres Guitarras Cabaret in Pacific City

2009-06-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Tres Guitarras Cabaret — A Master Guitarist Performance

Saturday, July 11th, 7:00 PM.

Location: Kiawanda Community Center, Kiwanda Dr., Pacific City

Tickets: $10 advance, $12 at-the-door. Reservations: 503-965-2204

Contact: José Solano

José Solano presents a concert of three master guitarists playing everything from bossa nova, to jazz, classical, flamenco, blues, samba and original compositions. Entitled the Tres Guitarras Cabaret it features Brazilian guitarist Marco de Carvalho, Jazz Guitarist Chris Mosley and Flamenco Guitarist/Oud player Nat Hulskamp.

This is a concert not to be missed by any lover of the guitar as you are unlikely to find a more fabulous guitar ensemble playing at the master level such a wide range of guitar styles. Solano presents this performance in the intimacy of a cabaret ambiance with theater lighting and an excellent sound system. The Pelican Pub will set up the bar serving its internationally acclaimed beers.

Marco de Carvalho graduated from the prestigious Conservatory of Rio de Janeiro where he studied composition and harmony under Luis Eca and Ronaldo Miranda. He has performed widely and is now living and performing in Seattle. His repertoire extends from Villa Lobos to Antonio Carlos Jobim and much more. You may remember some of Jobim's songs made famous by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, The Girl From Ipanema, etc. Marco also sings bossa nova in, of course, Portuguese.

Nat Hulskamp is a master flamenco guitarist and oud player. He creates with other guitarist and musicians fascinating fusions of jazz, bossa nova, Middle Eastern music and flamenco. He has traveled widely and holds a degree in ethnomusicology. As a special treat he will also perform on the oud, a lute-like instrument dating back thousands of years to Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. It's the predecessor of the guitar.

Chris Mosley is a brilliant Portland jazz guitarist. Portland's Willamette Week has said. "Mosley possesses rapid-fire dexterity and a fluidity that is as jazz as jazz gets . . . as bold as it is beautiful." He performs regularly with his jazz company, the Chris Mosley Quartet. We may be bringing in his quartet for a future engagement.

So if you didn't want to challenge to coast during the 4th of July weekend, here is your chance to hang out at the beach, grab some dinner and see a show. Still a few rooms available at The Craftsman B&B, I'll even get the tickets for you at the advanced price, just let me know you want to see the show when you book your reservation.

Ghost Forest

2009-06-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

The winter storm on Dec 3, 2007 eroded a lot of sand off the beach in Neskowin. It uncovered a "ghost forest." Trees preserved in the sand. Now home to barnacles, mussels and star fish.

You can only see the trees during low tide and these pictures were taken during the one of the lowest tides of the year. You will have another chance to see the tide this low next month, July 20-24.

Just a short drive from The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City is the town of Neskowin. The beach there is famous for it's Proposal Rock, here it is during that low tide.

Be prepared to get your feet wet as a creek runs through the center of this beach. Named for a turn-of-the-century marriage proposal here, this tall, near-shore monolith. Be smart out here on Neskowin Beach, sneaker waves and the incoming tide have claimed many lives at this beach!

The Salmon are coming!

2009-06-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

Right here in Pacific City, the Spring Salmon are running. Last fall, I wrote about the Fall Run. The ocean Coho season will open Saturday for ports south of Cape Falcon (Manzanita). Signs point to a productive season with a rare opportunity for anglers to harvest three Coho per day.

Coho Salmon

Fair catches of spring Chinook in Tillamook Bay are coming from the jetty on the soft tide series this week. Stronger tides should make the upper bay a better option by the weekend. Some sturgeon have been caught in the bay recently too.

Chinook Salmon

A good shot of Chinook salmon came through Pacific City on the Nestucca River this week. Tidewater anglers caught fair numbers. Three Rivers is also producing Chinook and should be fair through the month.

You can walk from The Craftsman B&B to the river to fish or watch the fisherman. Several popular spots where you can fish from the bank. Antoher great site is to hike Winema Beach, I wrote about it here. Here, you can watch the salmon swim from the ocean into the Nestucca Bay. Low tide is best, because they are taller than the water. You will see the seals and sea lions feasting. Just stay out of the water here, this is a very dangerous bar.

Ride to Work, TODAY!

2009-06-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

The annual Ride To Work Day moves to the ‘third Monday in June.’ That's Today. It is the 18th annual Ride to Work Day. Reasons for an earlier annual Ride to Work Day include:

The new day is not as hot in most northern hemisphere areas, and not as cold in most southern hemisphere areas. June weather is more favorable worldwide.
The new day provides an increased opportunity for more riders to Ride to Work. Many workplaces close for summer holiday in July - especially in Europe.
A Monday event encourages motorcycle and scooter commuting to continue during the entire week.
Positive media exposure will increase. Sundays are slower ‘news days’ so there will be more coverage like this: “Look for more motorcycles on your commute tomorrow, as Monday is the annual Ride to Work day...”
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has endorsed this day, and is promoting the ‘Third Monday in June’ worldwide as the annual Ride to Work Day.

So here at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City, Oregon, Mike and Laura like to ride. Mike does not ride to work, when he wakes up, he is at work. Laura's office is a block away, so she walks to work. They do like to ride on Sunday afternoons. Mike rides a Ducati Monster and Laura ride a Stella scooter.

Did you know the we offer discounts to guests that ride their motorcycle, scooter or bicycle to the B&B. Stay 2 nights and get 10% off. It is one of our Green Discounts. We also discount for Ducati Monster Forum users and Oregon Scooter Club members, riding or not.

So when you are out on the roads today, keep an eye out for the 2 wheeled travelers, I hope you see a lot!

Radio Show

2009-06-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

This morning, Mike was up and out of the house early. That's rare as he is usally making me hungry by preparing breakfast for his guests, it smells so good. I hang out in the hall between the kitchen and pantry peeking in through the gate and smelling all the good smells, you know, like bacon. The gate is there because dogs are not allowed in the kitchen.

Anyway, back to Mike leaving the house. He was off to be interviewed for a radio show that takes place in town every Friday. Held at the Bank in town, I like that place because I get cookies when I visit. When I still was able to, I would stand up and put my front feet on the counter so I could see who was going to take care of me while Mike was doing his banking.

The radio show is hosted by Jacie Voegeli, a local real estate agent and friend, she's always nice to me when she stops in for a visit. They talked about the B&B, Pacific City and the Oktoberfest event coming up this fall. You can listen to the show in 2 parts. Part #1 and Part #2, each about 10 minutes. Aired on KCUP News/Talk 1230 AM and 100.7-2 HD FM. Their sister station, BOSS Radio 100.7 FM, helps us out with events for the Pacific City Association too.

So check it out, download it to your iPod and enjoy the voice of my master. Yeah, like I have a master.

Summer Planning

2009-06-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, the phone has been very busy the last couple of days and the Internet has been buzzing too here at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City, Oregon. Here on the coast, Summer doesn't really start until July 4th weekend and we have been getting a lot of bookings for the upcoming season. Have you made your reservations?

Here are some Summertime events here in my neighborhood:

July 4th this year is on a Saturday and is also Clover's Day in the next town up the road, Cloverdale. This years theme is "Red White and Moo!" Don't miss the parade in downtown Cloverdale.

Next event for the day, cruise in for an Old Fashioned Strawberry Social. Held at the Kiawanda Community Center in Pacific City there will be a classic car show and strawberry shortcake.

Afterwords, head to the Cape for the Kiwanda Music Festival, bands playing all afternoon and into the evening.

To top it off, after the sun goes down, which around here in closer to 9:00 p.m. head for the beach to watch the fireworks show. Better yet, watch it from the deck of the B&B. That way you can avoid the smoke off campfires and "amateur" pyrotechnics.

Yes, the beach seems to attract fireworks from all over. As a lot of visitors live in wooded suburbia of the Willamette Valley, they think the beach is the best place to set off all the illegal fireworks they have collected. As a dog with sensitive ears, I hate that, so again this year, I will be on doggie downers for the show. When I hear a lot of fireworks, I just want to sit in the same chair as you, get as close to you as possible and being nearly 100 pounds, Mike and Laura don't want me sitting on their head.

So please come to Pacific City and enjoy the day's celebrations, parade, car show, strawberries and fireworks done by the pros. If you feel the need to set of your own fireworks, go to Sand Lake, Seaside or Lincoln City, then plan your next trip to stay with me at The Craftsman B&B. This way you can see what a crazy beach town is like compared to our mellow, still tiny beach town.

The photo is by rcampoamor on Flicker.com.

New Addition to the Family

2009-06-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

What? It's not what you think. Here at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City, Oregon, we are all about Craftsman style. Traditional, original, reproductions and modern interpretations of the style, ideas of the period and movement away from the frilly Victorian design. Our goal was to have our guests open the door to 1921, the year this house was built. While this piece wasn't around in 1921, it very well could have been. This is the latest member to the family, a Stickley Dining Room table.

Here is the pie sliced cherry veneer top. It also has 2 leaves so we can seat the whole house.

This table is not an original piece from the era, but an updated take. Made by Stickley, loved by us. We got a phone call from my human parents, the original Mike and Laura. They had a baby 2 years ago and as he is getting more mobile, they were afraid of him crashing his toys into the table and scratching, denting, you know, boy stuff. So they asked us if we wanted to have it in our house. We jumped at the idea and they drove it down just in time for the May Party. That was a good thing, as we had a lot of help getting it into the house and putting it back together. During the party the tables shared the Dining Room, the last event for the old table for years to come.
We have made our versions of Stickley furniture, purchased some too. Mike made the chairs, based on period details, fumed white oak and finished with a danish oil. Next coat will get a darker tint to blend better with the new table.

So for those of you that like our old table, original to the house and the finish on the top of the pedestal worn off from 80 years of feet rubbing on them, don't worry it's still part of the family, just not in the center of the Dinning Room.

So come and stay with us at the B&B to see our new addition. You may find me laying at the base of a table leg, there is an image, in the brushed nickle feet, of a very good looking dog.

National Scrapbooking Day

2009-05-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

If you are not scrapbooking today, what's wrong with you? Yeah, I know, your busy, so let this day remind you that you should be scrapbooking. It's hard to get everything you need out, sort you photos, start cropping and then have to clean it up so the family can sit at the table for dinner.

Here at The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast. We feature weekend retreats for cropping, scrapping and stamping in our historic B&B. Gather a group of 8 and head to the beautiful Oregon coast for a weekend you won’t forget. Each person will have 3 feet of table space, with personal lighting and we have another table for common tools and supplies. No need to pack up at bed or meal time. This is a perfect opportunity to learn something new from your friends. Start and finish your projects!

We welcome you to experience the beautiful Oregon Coast in style, grace and comfort. We are perfect for a simple escape from the chaos of the city, kids and husbands. We will make your stay memorable. Everything in town is within walking distance. Park your car, relax and unplug.

We have 4 spacious rooms with queen-sized beds and attached private baths. All located upstairs with views of Cape Kiwanda, Haystack Rock and Pacific City. Also enjoy the hot tub in the garden.

The Weekend Retreat rate includes:
Lodging Friday and Saturday nights checking out about 3:00 p.m. on Sunday.
2 Breakfasts Saturday and Sunday.
2 Dinners, Friday and Saturday
1 Lunch, Saturday
1 Tea, Sunday

Ask about our great rates for the Summer and better rates during the Winter. Additional nights are available too, with breakfast and lunch included. For dinner, we suggest you experience one of the many fine restaurants in town on your own.

We think our B&B would be the perfect spot to gather with your friends. If you can’t wait for your next trip to the Oregon Coast, visit our web site and take a virtual tour.

Make sure you have all the supplies you need, visit Cut & Paste in Portland. They have everything. If you are having trouble gathering 8 friends, we suggest you check out their retreat package here. Pick a date and they will try to fill it up with other scrappers.

Earth Day is today

2009-04-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

What are you doing for Earth Day 2009?

How about plan your next vacation and do it green. Here at The Craftsman B&B, you can purchase Green-e certified renewable energy certificates, Green Tags, to help offset the carbon footprint of your travel. A $1.00 Green Tag equals 24 Kilowatt/hours of wind energy and prevents 33.6 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Travel International is providing U.S.-based Green Tags from the portfolio of activities managed by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

As I mentioned a few blogs ago, for Earth Day try to do something. A walk in a park, whatever. Make a decision to think about our impact on this planet. Me, I plan on hanging out in the yard and watch Mike doing his chores and keep watch on the neighbor hood. Maybe I'll eat some grass, it's really good this time of year.

The house finches are back in Pacific City, so I'll watch them flying around the yard. They are too fast for me to catch, but are real busy this year. As most of you know, the NW and the Oregon Coast is prime ground for moss and lichen. The window in the pantry is across from an apple tree. Mike has a great views from his desk. Anyway, the finches come up to the window, land on the sill and tap on the glass. They are eating what ever is growing at the base of the window. It's very entertaining to watch. I lay on my rug and they are only a few feet away from me. Hey that's a good reason to not clean the windows, we are feeding the birds.

Mothers Day Fundraiser

2009-04-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

I came up with a great idea today. I was watching Mike read a story in our local paper about the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. They are raising money to build a house in South Tillamook County. So I nudged Mike into raising funds for Tillamook Habitat for Humanity.

The Craftsman B&B thinks you should treat your Mother to a stay at the B&B. Any gift certificate purchase made today through Mothers Day, we will donate 20% of the gift certificate amount to Tillamook Habitat for Humanity. The money raised will be directed toward the building of a house in South Tillamook County.

Mike and Laura know about how construction costs go after restoring this house and feel they will need money more than anything.

The Craftsman B&B suggests you hug your mom, or "mother of your children," as they say in the Soaps, and give her a gift certificate and help them build a strong community. You can purchase online at their secure website page, or call the B&B at 503-965-4574.

Earth Day 2009

2009-04-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Every year, Earth Day is on April 22nd. This year it is on a Wednesday, so there is a lot going on, events the weekend before and after, let's call it Earth Week.

So most of you know, my home, The Craftsman B&B is a certified green lodging property. So we do our best to be green every day, not just Earth Day.

So I'm not going to tell you what you should do on Earth Day, I just ask that you do something. If it's planting a tree, picking up litter or just learning more about a green practice. Google composting, or wind power. Find out if your utility has a home energy audit and sign up for it.

Green is a choice, all we ask is you decide to make that choice. Staying with us on the Oregon Coast or choosing lodging that is green when you travel is a good step. We don't charge more because we are green. We don't cut back on the service you get either. We think it's a smarter way to run our business and we get back what we put into it.

So with that, do something for Earth Day, anything!

It's all about me!

2009-04-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been asked a lot lately on how I have been doing. I'm glad to report that I'm doing great! I have reduced my pain pills to one dose a day and have become an expert hopper. I don't like the taste of the pills, so Mike puts them in peanut butter inside a bone. I am getting pretty good and finding the pills and will spit them out about 10% of the time. I don't get to go on many walks because I can't go too far. So the bank is about as far as I go. I don't go to Twist because the floors there are too slick for me. I also have a hard time turning right, as it's my left rear leg that I don't use.

Playing in the yard has become the latest activity for me, just like when I was a puppy. Mike takes me out every day and I fetch a found tennis ball for a few minutes. I still go around and mark everything in sight, or should I say, smell. I have to patrol the yard counter clockwise as I can only lift the left leg to do my thing.

I am no longer allowed to help the guests check into their rooms. The main staircase is all wood and too many steps. I have had a few failed attempts, and I had a successful trip up the stairs last week. Mike got mad at me, so now I just wait at the bottom on the stairs, laying on the rose inlay in the floor.

So don't feel too sorry for me, I did catch a cat last week. I was out on patrol in the yard and spotted a cat, I chased it up on to the deck and it was on the railing. I just want to be friends, but I don't think the cats around here understand that. This cat was hissing at me when I tried to smell it. Then Mike came out and sent me off the deck to chill by the greenhouse. He went over to rescue the cat, but it ran into the corner of the fence, thinking it could squeeze out, probably the way it got in to the yard. Well the stress the cat was in clouded it's judgement and I had to find out what all the fuss was, so I ran up to the cat and pinned it to the ground with my front foot. I have done this before and I must say, I am getting quite good at it. I only got a few whiffs in before Mike told me to leave it and this time the cat had enough adrenaline to hop to the top of the fence. I haven't seen it again!

So life here at The Craftsman B&B in Pacific City is pretty good for me. I have slowed down a bit, but still able to get to roam the yard and hop up onto the couch.

Birding & Blues

2009-03-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

We invite you to attend this years Birding and Blues Festival. Held April 3, 4 and 5, this years version is later than in the past. This will give you a greater chance at seeing more birds. The songbirds weren't around all the t much in February, when the festival was held before.

The days are filled with lectures, field trips and boat tours. The music will also be fantastic with headliners, Ty Curtis Band playing Friday night and Lloyd Jones Quartet on Saturday. Live Slide Guitar by Rob Richter at the Delicate Palate Bistro Friday and Twist wine on Saturday.

Part of our sponsorship of this event, we are hosting one of the speakers here at The Craftsman B&B. So come on down and join us, for birding, for blues or both. We are within walking distance to the events. Park your car and enjoy the sounds of nature and the blues.

Grant is back!

2009-03-20T13:41:00.001-07:00

Long time outdoor reporter Grant McOmie is back. If you ever lived in Oregon, you would recognize his unique voice. Well now you can hear and see him on KGW as he starts doing outdoor reports on Fridays.

Today, Grant reported on fishing the Nestucca River. That runs right through the center of Pacific City on it's journey to the Pacific Ocean. Check out his video by clicking here. He is catching a Steel head for the Cedar Creek Hatchery.

Grant is also writing for Travel Oregon, you can read his stories here.

So if you want to catch a big fish like Winter Steel head, stay with us at The Craftsman B&B, we can set you up with a guide or save a spot for your drift boat.

Green Lodging News

2009-03-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let everyone know, the word is out. We are GREEN! We have always believed in saving the planet and making as small of an impact as we could. Green is in, so we decided instead of quietly being green, we would promote our green practices.

Green Lodging News even did a story about us, click here to read it.

We have partnered with Carbonfund.org and are also part if the Oregon Bed & Breakfast Guild's Green Inspection Program. Another Green Lodging site is istaygreen.org where we rate 3 leafs.

We created a page on our newly redesigned website stating our Green Philosophy.

In an effort for our already green inspired guests, we offer discounts for green practices they already 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.

So we welcome you to experience Pacific City and the beautiful Oregon Coast in style, grace and comfort.

Update on my knee

2009-02-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

I was going to have surgery today to repair my Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture. Well, that didn't happen and I am back at home.

This was my diagnosis from my local vet and he suggested we see a surgical specialist. We did and she look at me but didn't really study my x-rays until this morning when she was planning her day. When I was examined last week, she thought the ligament was ruptured by the way I was walking, sitting and laying down, so we proceeded with the surgery plan. She looked at the x-ray I had taken here in a bright room and she didn't notice the area of my bone that was a little off. I took a new x-ray today and she doesn't think my pain is the ligament, but osteosarcoma, which is a bone tumor. The tumor is at the top of my bone in my knee joint, that's why I was limping and showing signs of a very common dog problem.

It is very likely it will spread, if it hasn't already to my lungs. I will be taking some pills to help with the pain but with all the options on the table, I think the best choice for me is to manage the pain as long as I can.

Please think about me during the next couple of weeks. Don't call, I can't talk on the phone, but I can answer you e-mails.

Oscar Meier

Taking Green Lodging One-Step Farther.

2009-02-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast Partners with Carbonfund.org To Go CarbonFree®
Taking Green Lodging One-Step Farther.

Pacific City, Oregon – 19 February 2009 – The Craftsman Bed and Breakfast today announced that it is offsetting its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org; the country’s leading nonprofit carbon offset organization. By joining Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Partner program, The Craftsman B&B has joined a national movement of businesses and organizations that are leading the fight against global warming.

Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Partner program supports renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects in the U.S. and abroad to reduce CO2 pollution and help hasten our transition to a clean energy future.

Here at The Craftsman B&B, we are committed to greener business practices and encourage our guests to experience our green ideas. We choose our vendors and spending to reflect that commitment, and network with other organizations that share our commitment. We have set achievable goals and a realistic framework for achievement of green practices, but we are flexible to evolve our goals as the business at our Bed and Breakfast increases and changes. One of our ideas to promote our green and CarbonFree business is to discount our rates for guests that use public transportation, bike, or drive an alternative fueled vehicle to our B&B.

“We are proud to have found this house and rescued it from possible demolition,” said Mike Rech, owner of The Craftsman B&B. “We had the vision to restore one of Pacific City’s oldest buildings. With our loving restoration, we were able to breathe new life in this family home. We took care, respecting what was here and returned the style that had been removed. Our plan was to do it with the smallest impact possible. This didn’t come without some challenges during the restoration and challenges we face today to become greener and have a smaller impact on our planet.”

Carbonfund.org President Eric Carlson said, “We applaud The Craftsman B&B’s initiative in helping the fight on global warming and hastening the change to a clean energy future by becoming a CarbonFree Partner. The Craftsman B&B is supporting Carbonfund.org’s verified carbon offsetting projects that are helping to reduce or sequester emissions of greenhouse gases.”

One challenge the Pacific City bed & breakfast faces today is that living in a remote area increases driving to get the basic supplies for the business. They are too small for food companies to deliver to them, so they must go shopping for food weekly, always combining errands to one shopping day. Mike rarely gets in a car, but when he does, his car is 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. The Craftsman B&B is also working on our guests’ ability to purchase “green tags” to offset their stay at our B&B. How much more green is a small B&B in a small town on the Oregon Coast?

About The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast:
Located in Pacific City, The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast welcomes you to experience the beautiful Oregon Coast in style, grace and comfort. Your stay begins as you enter the front door and are taken back to a time of simple elegance. Built in 1921 and renovated in 2005 to include the comforts and conveniences of today. You will marvel at all the details of the Craftsman era that went into the renovation of one of Pacific City’s oldest homes. Whether for a simple escape from the chaos of "the city" or to celebrate a special or romantic event, we will make your stay memorable. Everything in town is within walking distance. Park your car, relax and unplug. No lace, no doilies!

About Carbonfund.org:
Carbonfund.org is the country’s leading nonprofit climate solutions organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects where they are most cost effective. Carbonfund.org works with over 1,000 corporate and nonprofit partners including Discovery, Volkswagen, Amtrak, Dell, Orbitz, Staples, and JetBlue.

It's Official

2009-02-17T08:14:00.000-08:00

Well after a few weeks of trying to recover from my Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture, I'm going to have surgery. For you humans, this is like a torn ACL you hear about so much in athletes. I will go in next Monday and be staying with the vet until Wednesday. I know this will be tough, but I would love to be on all fours again.

I have learned to hop pretty good in the last few weeks and on the grass, I am a master. As far as the steps go, still not good. I can get up and down the stairs off the back porch, only four steps and I need a good run at them. Any more than that and I go down to my belly and slide back; thud, thud, thud.

I like to be with Mike at all times, so when he cleans the rooms I usually lay at the top of the stairs and keep an eye on him. Now, he blocks off the stairs with dining room chairs, so I lay at the bottom of the stairs until he is done with the rooms. The worst thing now is I can't show our guests to their rooms, so I make sure I get some good sniffs in before they go up the stairs to their room.

So we went to a vet in Keizer yesterday, about an hour away. She looked at my x-rays and blood work-ups I had already done. She took a long look at my knee and made me sit, stand, walk and lay down. She had several options on what she could do to fix my knee. We watched some videos on the different choices we had and they chose to do Tibial Tuberosity Advancement, TTA is what everyone calls it and I thought dogs were lazy, humans have a short cut for everything. Read more about the procedure here.

We also found about another option called TPLO. This requires the surgeon to go to expensive classes and use expensive tools and the guy who developed it, patented the procedure so they have to pay royalties to perform the operation, what a scam. The vets who do it, push that procedure because they have so much invested in learning it.

My local vet only does the lateral imbrication technique. He did not recommend that for me as I am too big and too active. The vet we talked to yesterday said she would be happy doing this for me and had great success with larger dogs, but Mike and Laura decided that the a bone plate would be better the a mono filament line.

I sure hope I can get through this and get back to my job as meeter and greeter here at The Craftsman B&B. I hope to be able to go on walks again as I miss all the smells of Pacific City and the cookies I get at the bank and hardware store. So wish me luck and think about me next Monday. You can come visit me too, I like visitors and all the new smells you bring with you.

Harts Cove

2009-02-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

Because it's Valentines Day today, I thought I would tell you about a hike to Harts Cove. The previous hikes I wrote about were just a warm up for the hike on Nature Conservancy land at Cascade Head. We suggest the most rewarding of the hikes to Hearts Cove. This trail from the summit is a Forest Service trailhead and is closed from January to mid-July to protect wildlife.

Head out to highway 101 and south. You will drive through the town of Neskowin and head up the hill to the summit of Cascade Head. At the summit, pull off into the parking area on the right for Cascade Head Road 1861. After 3.3 miles, a guardrail on the left marks the easy, upper trailhead to the Nature Conservancy preserve on Cascade Head. Pass that by and drive an extra 0.8-mile to a parking lot at road's end.

Harts Cove is a 5.4-mile hike down 900 feet of elevation, one-way. They say it’s a moderate hike, it is going down hill. The return trip is a little more difficult. You will hike down a switch-backing trail through a hemlock forest and a footbridge over Cliff Creek. Then it’s Sitka spruce and hemlock giants to a bench that offers a glimpse ahead to Harts Cove's headland. Continue on the main trail, cross a bridge over Chitwood Creek to the headland's fabulously scenic meadow. Take the leftmost of several paths down the grassy bluff to find a cliff-edge viewpoint overlooking Harts Cove and Chitwood Creek's waterfall. To reach the shore, climb back up from this viewpoint 50 yards to a junction and head seaward. A scramble trail descends to the lava rock edge of the headland, where deep water gently rises and falls, exposing a bathtub ring of barnacles, starfish, and sea palms.  

Cascade Head information:
Cascade Head is the tip of a 300-mile-long Columbia River basalt lava flow that erupted near Idaho about 15 million years ago and puddled up at the seashore here. The panoramic bluff-top wildflower meadows were threatened by commercial development in the 1960s, but fans of the wild headland rallied to purchase the fragile area and donate it to the non-profit Nature Conservancy for preservation. Ironically, the impact of up to 10,000 nature-loving visitors a year now threatens the meadows' ecology. As a result, two of the trailheads are closed for six months of each year, pets are banned, and hikers are urged to stay on existing trails. Flower picking, hunting, camping, fires, bicycles, and dogs are banned at Cascade Head. The easy, upper trailhead to the headland meadows is closed six months of the year to protect threatened Oregon silver spot butterfly caterpillars. Even if you hike here from the lower trailhead (open all year), please stay on the trail. Even spreading out a picnic may inadvertently trample the meadow's rare checker mallows, 5-petaled pink wildflowers, or the violets that serve as food for the rare caterpillars. In summer expect white yarrow, plumes of goldenrod, tall pink foxglove, and Indian paintbrush.

Head back to 101 north to Pacific City and The Craftsman B&B. The hot tub will be ready for your weary body. I'll peek over the edge to make sure you are doing OK in the tub, don't worry, I won't jump in, I don't like water.

Ocean view hikes

2009-02-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

The other day I wrote about what to do while staying at The Craftsman B&B, it was mostly driving and a little hiking, unless you ventured out to the end of Cape Lookout. Today will be more hiking and less driving as we point you south of Pacific City towards bluffs overlooking the ocean. Then to a short beach adventure.

Head out to highway 101 and turn right toward Lincoln City. About 2 miles down, turn in to the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The road leads you to the first, overflow parking lot and a gate. Go through the gate and follow the narrow road up the hill to the second lot. Here you can park and take the short hike on the trail up to the viewing platform near the top of the hill. Watch for songbirds in the grasses as you work your way up to the platform. Binoculars are good to have, but you will still see birds. Watch the tree groves as well for hawks resting on the outer branches. On the platform you get great views of Cape Kiwanda, Haystack Rock and the Nestucca Bay.

The next hike to the Nature Conservancy Trail in the headland meadows is further south on 101. You will drive through Neskowin and over the summit of Cascade Head. Then at the base of the hill, turn right on Three Rocks Road for 2.2 miles and turn left to the parking lot of the Savage Park boat ramp.

The lower Nature Conservancy Trail is a moderate 4.2-mile hike, gaining 1200 feet of elevation. Let’s head out, the trail crosses Three Rocks Road and traverses the woods above Savage Road. Just into the hike, ignore a side path to the left that leads to an old trail head. The main trail climbs through a forest of large, gnarled spruce to a meadow with a breathtaking view across the Salmon River estuary. In the distance are Cape Foulweather and Lincoln City's Devils Lake. Then the path steepens and climbs to an upper viewpoint, the recommended turnaround spot.

Cascade Head information:
Cascade Head is the tip of a 300-mile-long Columbia River basalt lava flow that erupted near Idaho about 15 million years ago and puddled up at the seashore here. The panoramic bluff-top wildflower meadows were threatened by commercial development in the 1960s, but fans of the wild headland rallied to purchase the fragile area and donate it to the non-profit Nature Conservancy for preservation. Ironically, the impact of up to 10,000 nature-loving visitors a year now threatens the meadows' ecology. As a result, two of the trailheads are closed for six months of each year, pets are banned, and hikers are urged to stay on existing trails. Flower picking, hunting, camping, fires, bicycles, and dogs are banned at Cascade Head. The easy, upper trailhead to the headland meadows is closed six months of the year to protect threatened Oregon silver spot butterfly caterpillars. Even if you hike here from the lower trailhead (open all year), please stay on the trail. Even spreading out a picnic may inadvertently trample the meadow's rare checker mallows, 5-petaled pink wildflowers, or the violets that serve as food for the rare caterpillars. In summer expect white yarrow, plumes of goldenrod, tall pink foxglove, and Indian paintbrush.

Back in the car to highway 101 and head north to Neskowin Beach and Proposal Rock. Turn left into this tiny village and work your way west and south on the roads to the beach. Proposal Rock is where you are headed, be prepared to get your feet wet as a creek runs through the center of this beach. Named for a turn-of-the-century marriage proposal here, this tall, near-shore monolith at Neskowin Beach is a great place for a short walk to and around, if tide permits. Walking to the south at low tide and you will see the remains of the ghost forest. Buried until the December Storm of 2008 when unusually high winds and surf eroded the beach to uncover the long lost forest. Be smart out here, sneaker waves and the incoming tide have claimed many lives at this beach!

Head back to 101 north to Pacific City, I'll will be waiting for your return. Will you need a bottle of bubbles to celebrate a proposal? I look forward to your recap of the hikes, being an upland bird dog, I'm not allowed on preserve land.

Oregon's 150th birthday

2009-02-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

You may think February 14th is a national holiday, or at least in most women's minds. It's Valentines Day, and if you didn't know that by now, you may be in some trouble. Here at The Craftsman B&B, we are already sold out. Well here is a good excuse, tell her you got too excited about celebrating Oregon's 150th birthday.

So if you really blew it, I have an idea for a year of redemption. The Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild is launching a year-long program to encourage travelers to visit all regions within our state. A birthday present for our state, if you will. It will be a sesquicentennial-tastic year!

Under the program, travelers who stay at OBBG member inns in at least 5 of the 7 regions will qualify for $150 in Lodging Gift Vouchers. Prizes will go to the first 10 travelers submitting copies of receipts for stays around the state between February 14, 2009, and February 14, 2010.

The regions include: Portland Metro, Mt. Hood/the Gorge, The Coast, Willamette Valley, Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon.

"Oregon is a beautiful state, and the Guild wants to encourage those living in our state, as well as those from other states, to take advantage of Oregon 150 to visit from north to south and east to west," says Mary Pellegrini, OBBG President. "You can't really call yourself an Oregonian until you've been to Joseph, Astoria, Ashland, Hood River, Fossil, and Coos Bay . . . and, of course, Portland, Eugene, and Salem."

Visit this website to start your celebration today and be sure to ask the OBBG innkeepers about the "Explore Oregon and Win!" program. Start saving your receipts today! For more information on the sesquicentennial celebration visit www.Oregon150.org. For even more events, click here.

I love parties, year long ones are the best, so visit me here at The Craftsman B&B while you travel around the state.

Tillamook Cheese is 100 years old

2009-02-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I am not allowed in the kitchen here at The Craftsman B&B. We have 2 entries into the kitchen, a solid swinging door that leads into the dinning room and a swinging gate Mike built that leads to the back hall and pantry. This gate has copper pipes, kind of like a jail door. I like to lay in the back hall and watch what is going on in the kitchen. I especially hang out there when I smell cheese. Mike and Laura cook with a lot of cheese. We live in the best place for cheese in the country, so if I'm lucky, a piece of cheese will come flying in my direction.

Well, if you love cheese as much as I do, willing to beg for it, you should come visit me, stay the night and go to the first of many celebrations slated for 2009 as The Tillamook County Creamery Association is finally kicking off its 100th Anniversary this Friday, Feb. 6. This particular party gets started at 10 a.m., and runs through 4 p.m., at the Visitors Center in Tillamook, Oregon. Activities will include cheese sampling, photo opportunities with Tillie the Cow and other activities throughout the day.

The main attraction will be the unveiling of the new historical display and the release of limited-edition products, including the 100th Anniversary Wheel, a traditional, wax-dripped two-pound round of 3-year naturally aged vintage white cheddar nestled beautifully inside a wooden crate.

Speaking of the anniversary, the Creamery announced the winner of their first consumer ice cream naming contest. Nathan Rytting of Emporia, Kansas came up with the scrumptious suggestion of “Sweet Centennial,” and beat out hundreds of entrants to win a gift basket filled with an array of Tillamook goodies. Sweet Centennial will hit Northwest grocery store freezer aisles in Spring 2009. The anniversary ice cream flavor consists of rich vanilla ice cream swirled with brownie batter and peanut butter-filled chocolate cows. Attend Friday's kick-off event for the opportunity to sample the new flavor in addition to other Tillamook products.

To find out more about Tillamook Cheese, read my post here.

So if you do attend any of the events at The Creamery this year, I expect, out of the kindness of your heart, a sample of the cheese, I love cheese!

Three Capes Scenic Loop

2009-02-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

When you come to Pacific City on the Oregon Coast and stay at The Craftsman B&B and are looking for a good day trip, we suggest a drive on the Three Capes Scenic Loop. Start right here at Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area. The dorymen launch the boats into the surf at sunrise. Most are back around 11:00 a.m. when the wind starts to pick up. Climb to the top of the dune and watch the boats landing and the surfers surfing.

Head north out of the parking lot and follow the signs to Cape Lookout State Park. At the summit, park and take the 2.4 mile hike out to the end. You will be walking through the center of a rain forest, so make sure you have another pair of shoes, this trail does get muddy and they have placed boardwalks in the bad spots. The views are amazing, so don’t forget the camera. During whale migration, this is a great spot to watch. The beach trail from the summit is for the fittest. A switchback down to a secluded beach, getting back is the hard part.

Head north again out of the lot and follow the road around Netarts Bay. The Schooner, on the north side of the bay is a good spot for lunch, so is Rosanne’s in Oceanside, the next town on the route. In Oceanside, stop at Three Arch Rocks National Bird and Sea Lion Refuge, park and walk out on the beach, bring you binoculars to view the Tufted Puffins and Common Mures nesting on the rocks. At low tide, you can walk through a tunnel to a private beach to the north.

Out of Oceanside and left again to the last cape on the tour, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, home to Cape Meares Lighthouse and Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge. If you only get out of the car once, do it here. An easy, wheelchair accessible path guides you down to the lighthouse that is open for tours April through October, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We like to walk along the fence line on the south side on the way back up. Don’t forget to see the Octopus Tree. As with the other capes, this is great for whales, birds and photos. If you get a good one, enter it in their annual contest, click here to see past winners. The forests around the Refuge include massive Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock.

After taking all this classic Oregon Coast experience take a left on the road, down the hill to the stop sign. The scenic loop says to turn right, but we suggest you turn left into the town of Cape Meares. Follow the road until it ends. Hop out and carefully walk over all the rocks to this hidden gem. The Tillamook Bay Spit is to the North and the ocean side collects a ton of debris after the strong costal storms. The bay side is great for bird watching. During Salmon season, you will see boat after boat trying their luck to catch that 45-pound salmon.

Back track your way back on the scenic drive and follow along the edge of Tillamook Bay into the town of Tillamook. Once on Highway 101, go north if you need an ice cream cone at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. If you need more cheese, stop at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company.

Head south back on Highway 101, passing dairy farms and pastures. Look for the herd of Elk, a few fields past the Air Museum on the east side of the road. Follow 101 all the way back to Pacific City and if you timed it right, there will be cookies waiting for you here at The Craftsman B&B, Oh and I'll be waiting too.

So you want to see the Three Capes but don’t want to drive. You can hike them all. Here’s how.

Local Brew Pub makes top 25 in the world

2009-01-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Draft Magazine's list of the world's 25 best beers of 2008 includes Kiwanda Cream Ale from Pelican Pub and Brewery in Pacific City.

A tasting panel chose three other beers from Oregon. The Abyss from Deschutes Brewery in Bend; Adam from Hair of the Dog Brewing in Southeast Portland and Apricot Ale from Cascade Brewing in Raleigh Hills.

That's a nice cross section of Oregon's 70-odd brewing companies: Deschutes is Oregon's second-largest brewery; its annual production of 5.6 million gallons. Hair of the Dog is one of Oregon's smaller specialty breweries at about 15,500 gallons a year. Cascade Brewing (Raccoon Lodge Brew Pub) and Pelican are brewpubs.

Kiwanda Cream Ale is easily one of the best light-bodied beers in the country and is bright, flavorful, and wonderfully easy to drink.

The Abyss, a Russian imperial stout is rich with roasted malts, chocolate notes and fruity fermentation qualities, all made more complex by its time on wood. Oak kisses the profile for an all-around rich experience. Deschutes celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008 and put out several commemorative brews, including this oak-aged imperial stout.

Adam, an Old ale drinks from first taste to swallow, the flavors magically work in unison, with chocolate and toffee beginning the show before giving way to subtle notes of pepper and citrus. It has an assertive hop bitterness that lasts into the aftertaste, along with toffee notes.

Apricot Ale is a Fruit beer, an intense apricot aroma races out of the glass. The flavor is sweet but not syrupy, with apricot flavors from beginning to end. This is everything a masterfully crafted fruit beer should be.

Not a local brew, but with ties to Pacific City is Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing Company. This Imperial IPA is crafted by Vinnie Cilurzo in Santa Rosa, California. Vinnie is Chenin Carlton's brother. Both kids choose careers in the booze business as Chenin and her husband Sean run Twist Wine Company, a tasting room in Pacific City where they pour their varieties of wine they make in Dundee, Oregon. They also pour this beer and other fine micros they find interesting. Pliny the Elder is a compelling hop story, from the name (a nod to the first-century philosopher who gave hops their Latin name) to the aroma and flavor profile. It begins with a light, bready taste that quickly gives way to citrusy, peppery hops, stiff bitterness, and an aftertaste filled with grapefruit, pineapple, and pepper. Vinnie also had a hand in the making of Isabelle Proximus by Lost Abbey Brewing, a Wood-aged beer, This is a collaborative effort brewed at Lost Abbey with help from Avery’s, Vinnie's Russian River, Allagash’s, and Dogfish Head’s brewers. This beer displays an incredible level of acidity, though it’s still able to exhibit complex flavors that range from lemon juice to leather. It is dry throughout, sour and highly effervescent. We expected nothing less from a collaborative project by five of the most talented brewers in the country.

See the entire Top 25 here.

Here at The Craftsman B&B, we do like beer, we always have Guinness Stout, Red Stripe and other local micro brews available for our guests. We do specialize in our Eola-Amity Hills and Yamhill-Carlton District AVA wine list.

So what ever you like, wine, beer or both, come to Pacific City and enjoy them. Remember, we are the only B&B within walking distance to all the restaurants, pubs and dive bars in Pacific City.

Facebook

2009-01-26T13:04:00.002-08:00

Are you a member of facebook? Have you heard about it? Are your kids are on it but not you? What am I talking about?

Facebook is a social networking site, it is the most popular, passing MySpace this past year. It has over 150 million users worldwide. Your friends became members, so should you. This is a good way to keep up with your extended family living where ever, your school friends, you neighborhood. You can post your status any time you think it's interesting, even when it's not. Your friends can comment on items you post, like pictures, links you like, video, or other pages on facebook. See if the items you like have fan pages.

The Oregonian wrote a story about it last week. This can be an addiction, causing you to spend hours looking at what your friends are up to and you posting your status.

Cell phones even have facebook applications, so you can update on the go. Upload pictures from a trip or a funny sign you saw.

Hey, The Craftsman B&B even has a facebook page! If you are a member of facebook, you can become a fan and I think you should. It will let all your friends know you liked your stay at our B&B. That is what we like, our industry is based on word of mouth referrals. We don't ask for, or expect tips like other lodging and service based businesses, we just ask you tell a friend about your stay.

So become a fan of us on facebook, we may run fan only specials in the future and you will be kept up to date on what's going on here and in Pacific City. If you prefer Myspace, see our page here and become a friend. Either way, you are networking and sharing about your stay in our little beach town on the Oregon Coast. And as always, I encourage you to upload pictures of me, Oscar Meier, the official meeter and greeter.

Hidden Costs

2009-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Most people that travel stay in hotels at some point. I, of course, like the travelers that stay in B&B's as much as they can. Small business vs big business? Many people think about that when booking their lodging.

I think most of you have stayed in a hotel with a mini-bar. You know, a fridge where they charge you $5.00 for a bottle of water, $4.00 for a candy bar, you see where I am going with this? It is nice when you check into your room and see all the wonderful amenities. Hotels are cutting back their amenities or charging for them at outrageous rates, 300 to 400 percent higher than retail. How about $20.00 a day for Internet access? Pay-per-View TV channels? One mini-bar unit I found on the Internet has an infrared system built in. You move an item for more than 10 seconds and it automatically adds it onto your room bill. Some require a room key to open. Are they trying to collect more from the add-ons than the cost of the room?

Here at The Craftsman B&B, we provide free wi-fi, DVD movies, water, soda and fresh baked cookies every day, and at no extra charge. While big hotels are glad to have you business, they charge you for every item you may want. We like to provide you with items you want and need during your stay. Do we have a mini fridge? Yes we do, it's for our guests to put the items they brought with them to enjoy during their stay here in Pacific City.

Some hotels now offer a breakfast with your room. Well, they call it a breakfast. Mike and Laura stayed one place where they had a waffle iron and batter, you made your own waffles! Some have been coffee and doughnuts. More of a snack than a breakfast.

We provide a filling breakfast every morning for our guests. We always start off with muffins, scones or a variety of other baked items. Then its on to the full breakfast, sweet or savoury. Most of the time, you won't be looking for a lunch spot during the day.

Ever ask the front desk person for directions, restaurant ideas? We have heard a lot of stories about that. People don't live where the hotel is and know nothing about the area. Ask a clerk where the nearest grocery store is the next time your in a hotel, you will see what I mean. We know this area, we know all the shop owners and chef's at the restaurants. We make these relationships for you, our guest, to provide the best service we can.

The lodging industry isn't the only one adding on. Ever buy a color printer? It's under $200, they get their money with the ink. Have a bank account?

Hey, we provide all the amenities for the cost of the room, and less than big hotels? Our rates include no hidden fees, we even have included the lodging tax. Book me a room at The Craftsman B&B!

News Cycle

2009-01-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

Now that the hype of Obama has calmed down a bit, I have decided to support my President and "WOOF For Change." I promise to be a good citizen and do what I can for this country. I may have to make some sacrifices, as long is it doesn't cut into my nap times. Not that life at The Craftsman B&B is ever that rough.

I walk, don't drive. That saves the planet by not burning fossil fuels and saves the country my lessening my dependence on foreign oil.

I eat sustainable foods, duck and potato. All my food is local, I eat in out of my dish twice a day, I don't go anywhere for food.

So if you want to Obama yourself, visit this website.

One of the rarest wild goose populations has a new wintering ground.

2009-01-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here is an update on a blog I wrote last fall, you can read that here.

Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge has been selected to receive $800,000 from a federal land conservation fund to acquire 80 acres of pasture land that is one of just two wintering sites used by the entire world population of the Semidi Islands Aleutian cackling goose, which numbers only about 140 birds. The parcel is located just north of Pacific City.

The Nature Conservancy's initial purchase of the property, the Martella Farm just a mile North of The Craftsman B&B, was done in a timely manner while the US Fish & Wildlife Service worked to secure funding to purchase it from the Conservancy, without profit, and add it to the refuge.

“Acquiring this land for inclusion in the refuge is essential to the long-term protection of the Semidi birds, as it will permanently protect one of their most important wintering sites,” said Roy Lowe, project leader of the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes the Nestucca Bay Refuge. “Providing long-term secure wintering habitat for Aleutian cackling geese was one of the main reasons the refuge was established.”

“This property was a top national priority for addition to a refuge because its habitat is so critical for the remaining Aleutian cackling geese,” said Russell Hoeflich, Oregon director for The Nature Conservancy. “We congratulate the Fish and Wildlife Service for this refuge addition and thank them for doing an excellent job of protecting the incredible natural diversity of the Oregon coast for future generations.”

Addition of the parcel to the refuge will also help secure high-value habitat for thousands of other migratory birds that spend time around Nestucca Bay, where as many as 4,000 geese have been observed using pasture land. As refuge land, the newly acquired tract will be grazed to maintain the short grass pasture habitat that is essential for the geese, thus contributing to the local dairy farming economy and at the same time, helping to address depredation by the geese on nearby farm lands, Lowe said. The community of Pacific City is rapidly growing toward the site and a new housing development is being built just above it, increasing the need for protecting this important open space, he added.

I'm not allowed on Refuge land, being a bird dog, but I can tell you where to go to see the birds hanging out in the greatest town on the Oregon coast. Come visit me this winter while the rare geese are munching in the fields.

You know your getting old when...

2009-01-22T13:48:00.001-08:00

You know you are getting old when your casual conversations are about your health. Well I just turned 11 and as I am over 90 pounds, that is like 86 human years. So here is an update on how I've been doing.

As you may know, I tore a ligament in my knee a few weeks ago. Well, it hasn't healed, so I'm taking Rimadyl again in hopes it will. Mike and Laura were on vacation a few days after my accident so there was really nothing I was doing around the house, Sean and Chenin came over to feed me and keep me entertained, but I didn't heal like I should have. I kept a watchful eye on the street and barked and ran out side every time someone walked by. That is one of my jobs here at The Craftsman B&B.

Now that Mike is back, he is not letting me do much and makes me lay down all the time. We haven't been for a walk either. I am still hobbling around and can't put much weight on my leg. Jumping up on the couch and bed are a challenge, if I don't get a good start at it.

So I'm going to wait another week to see if I get any better. If I don't, it looks like I'm going to get surgery to repair the problem.

My mom, Pearl, is also on the same drugs I am. She, of course is much older than I am and had two litters. Plus living with my dad, Kobe, he's nuts and way too active with the ball fetching, put's a strain on her joints.

Think of me as an active dog with an injury, not an old man getting older.

Wish me luck in my recovery. I don't like getting knocked out at the vet.

My 100th Post

2009-01-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

Hey all, welcome to my 100th post. Life here at The Craftsman Bed & Breakfast sure is interesting and filled with all kinds of stories I get to share with you, my readers. I do love my job as a spoiled innkeepers dog as well as official meeter and greeter. People in Pacific City holler and wave to me when I venture around town. I'm famous. I won't let that get to my head, too much and will continue to tell you about life on the Oregon coast.

Now for an update. Today, I feel like a new dog. Yesterday was not so good, I was knocked out or groggy all day. Now I'm taking some sweet medication called Rimadyl. It's good for old dogs. I felt so good that I've been up the stairs a few times. Sean came over and as usual, I got excited and started dragging my toys out to play with him. He made me lay down and be still. Good thing, because after he left, my knee started bothering me again. I need to cut down on the rough-housing for a while.

So thanks to all that have read all my posts. I like to hear guests that read a few, just to get to know me a little before their visit. I will have a lot more information of what to do and see in and around Pacific City, so stay tuned.

I had to go to the vet.

2009-01-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

I'm back from the vet and feeling a little groggy. I wasn't able to put any weight on my left hind leg. It turns out I tore a tendon in my knee. This should heal on it's own, but the doctor also found some bone spurs in the joint as well, scaring from previous injuries.

I know, I can be clumsy and have been known to lose my footing and fall down stairs in the past. The wood floors and wood steps are shiny and a little slick, I don't get good traction. I don't know how I did it but I really hurt myself.

It's a bummer, but laying low is what I need right now.

I have to take some pills with each meal for a week. After that, one pill a day with my breakfast, for another week.

Like I mentioned, taking it easy, so no rough-housing and if I do take a walk, just around Pacific City so I can pee on my favorite spots. I wouldn't mind a long belly rub and some spooning on the couch too. Chewing on my toys will be a good pass of time while I recuperate.

Mike is going to block off the stairs while he is out, and I should go down the back stairs unless I think I'm felling good enough for the front.

So just like a professional athlete, I'm on the DL. With the shorter days and slower season here at The Craftsman B&B, I hope to be back on my feet, meeting and greeting at 100% if a few weeks.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

Well, I survived the New Years Eve celebrations. Mike and Laura went to Twist for the champagne tasting and came back here for a quick dinner. Yeah, my dinner was 2 hours late, I hate when that happens. But I ate it in a matter of seconds as usual. Mike and Laura then left again, was I going to spend the holiday alone? Our guests came back and I was happy to see them, but not the same as my family.

Then I heard the VW pull up in the driveway, Mike was back. He got my leash and collar, were we going to go for a late night walk? No, just a quick ride over to the Inkens. We watch Carson count down to the new year and Sean sabered some more bottles of champagne. BTW, he is way better at it then the video in yesterdays blog. No splurg of champagne on the floor, just the "smoke" of the gas pressure in the bottle. I watched the kids running around, it tired me out so I hopped up on the couch to get out of the way.

I was really worried that there would be a lot of fireworks. I hate fireworks. There were a few, but it wasn't that bad, I thank the rain for that. The kids did have confetti guns, and they made a pop, I was pretty tired by midnight, so I just played along. I did get a shot in the face by one of those confetti guns, oh well, we were ringing in the New Year.

Wishing you the best in 2009 and hope to see you here in Pacific City at The Craftsman B&B.

New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T11:01:00.000-08:00

As you know, today is the last day of 2008. With guests staying with us here at The Craftsman B&B, we won't get to crazy. We will go over to Twist Wine for their champagne tasting. In addition to the regular wines they pour visitors, Chenin has selected a few bottles of bubbles for tastings. She has worked in champagne houses before so she knows a thing or two about the sparkling wine.

Chenin is also an expert in opening a bottle so the pressure just barely releases, known as a nun's fart. If you pop the cork, you loose the bubbles, who wants that?

On the total opposite of the "fart," Sean is an expert of sabering a bottle. He uses a special knife, runs it up to the neck of the bottle and breaks the bottle open. The cork goes flying with the ring of the bottle attached. Quite a show.

So come on down to our sleepy beach town of Pacific City and ring in the new year. You can learn about sparkling wine too.

Santa was here!

2008-12-25T15:16:00.000-08:00

Santa came again this year to The Craftsman B&B, I must be a good boy. I, like most dogs, love to have a project. My mission in life is to destroy things I am allowed to destroy. Of course, I like to try to destroy just about anything, but I am well trained and only destroy my toys. This happens to all my toys.

So this year, Santa found an "indestructable" toy made from a fire hose. Those thinks are pretty tough, yeah right. In less than 10 minutes this is the condition. I don't eat the stuffing, no unnecery visits to the vet for me. Mike rescued the squeeker and I was back at it.

I don't chew rawhide bones much anymore, my teeth, like me are getting on in years, so the softer toys are more to my liking.

I must admit, I do have a Kong toy that gets filled with a cookie and that is still in good working order. Why would I destroy that, I get cookies.

I also got this bandana, it's a hard candy print! I'm being a good boy on my spot.

What else to do

2008-12-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

People visit The Craftsman B&B for a lot of reasons. But the most important reason I can think of to to unplug and relax.

Here we see Mike's dad, Jack doing just that.

Slippers, check.

Comfy chair, check.

Afternoon sunshine, check.

Nap time, check.

A man after my own heart, naps are good!

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas time. Here at The Craftsman B&B on the Oregon Coast in Pacific City, we do the normal Christmas decorations. I decorated the tree the best I could without having thumbs. Mikes parents helped too and Laura directed us all. This is her favorite holiday and she likes to get the tree up. The picture also shows a corner of the fantastic mural painted in the living room, that's Haystack Rock, one mile off shore of Cape Kiawanda. The reindeer were made by Laura's uncle, I jingle the bells when ever I sniff them.

They have this down, Mike moves furniture around the house, gets the tree in the house, and in the stand within 5 minutes. Then he is off to the cellar and boxes and boxes come up. Everything comes out of them and has a place to go. The usual cursing of the lights celebration is next, it didn't last too long. The ornaments are all hung pretty quickly with all of us helping, I cant reach to far up, so Mike and Jack hang the ones up top. The best part is Jack and Mary come with presents, so we already have things under the tree.

Thanksgiving recap

2008-12-15T14:05:00.000-08:00

Again, it has been a long time from my last post.

Thanksgiving dinner here at The Craftsman B&B was a great success. We had 19 people for dinner. Mikes parents were here, as I mention in my last blog and my human parents were here too. The original Mike and Laura. They don't have any new weimaraner pups but they did bring their human puppy, Matthew. He was a lot of fun, until he grabbed me a little to hard and I quickly turned around and let him know that was to much. A few tears and all was fine again. Too much excitement in my old age. Matthew also discovered my secret passage, that's him in the picture, coming into the dining room.

Laura's family all made the trek and her brother-in-law deep fried a few turkeys and Laura put one in the oven too. Laura had complete control of the cooking and her sister helped before serving with mashing the spuds.

Dinner started with champagne and the traditional mushroom soup. The usual Thanksgiving fare and dessert too.

After dinner, all gathered around to play on the wii. I don't like that too much. You see, I like to be with Mike at all times, and when he is jumping around in front of the TV, I try to watch, but I get in the way. That's OK, they know I'm there and someone will pay attention to me. Mike lost his boxing match even though he knocked down Sean twice. Mike's bowling was a little off as well, but as a gracious host, he "let" the others win.

Laura made a cake!

2008-11-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Laura made a cake yesterday to celebrate Mike's parents birthdays and arriving at The Craftsman B&B. They are visiting for Thanksgiving, 11 days total.

So back to the cake. She saw it on the cover of Sunset magazine last fall and wanted to make it ever scence. She thought it would be too rich for dessert for Thanksgiving, so any fall celebration would work, just when could she do it? She finally found the chance to make it and pulled it off wonderfully!

The Spice cake with Toffee Crunch recipie is here.

It took a few days. Day one, she made the toffee. She left out the espresso as Mike hates the flavor of coffee, and the smell, yeah I know, he runs a B&B and doesn't like coffee. Day two was cake day. Three cakes and after they cooled, Mike sliced each in half to get the six layers. Day three was frosting and assembly. Oh yeah, they also started eating it. Day four, they ate some more of it.

Our guests took pictures of it on there way out to dinner, so we cut them slices when they returned. Pretty darn good is what I heard. I didn't get any but that's OK, I like a cookie stuffed in my Kong, I need a project and that's a tasty one for me. Mike, the baker of the family was impressed, so try it yourself, a perfect Fall cake.

Working on the B&B

2008-11-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging, I was busy watching Mike work on The Craftsman B&B. With the start of our slow season, he applied a coat of oil the woodwork upstairs. It's amazing how the blond wood, Hemlock, turns a gorgeous shade of red with the oil. He uses Watco Danish oil. Laura doesn't like the smell, but Mike and I do. Wait, there is no smell I don't like.

The Mackintosh Room got it's stencil work done too. This is the first time Mike has ever stenciled anything, but like everything he does, he figured it out on his own. He has seen it done on TV, so how hard could it be. He borrowed a design from Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the icon on our brochure. Mike used flat white ceiling paint for the bedroom and the bedroom green for the bathroom, the bathroom walls are a light shade of green. It really livens up that room, the dark green walls really pop now.

Mike's parents, Jack and Mary are arriving today from Denver. They are here for Thanksgiving and will stay for a 11 days. They like to help around the house during their visits, so Mike has a list going. Not a lot of stuff, but Jack like to paint, so there are some touch-ups that are needed. Suitcases and painted walls don't mix very well. Mary like to walk on the beach, so now that I am "mature," maybe she'll take me out with her, not likely, but it's worth a shot.

We plan on wine tasting this weekend at the wineries around Salem. They are not open Thanksgiving weekend, so we will hit them and do our other Salem errands too. Got to stay green and combine our trips to "the city."

We will be wine tasting on Thanksgiving weekend too. Laura will work a day for Basket Case Wine at their custom crush facility, 12th and Maple in Dundee. With the Tasting room, Twist, Portland Farmers Market and wine tasting weekend, they will need and appreciate the help.

Another busy weekend here at the B&B, so back to watching the work.