The State of Washington has legalized marijuana and is working on administrative guidelines for distribution and sales. The legalization of marijuana has marketing implications for the Bed and Breakfast industry, of that we’re sure. B&B’s certainly are known for “Winemaker’s Weekends” and wine-tasting afternoons…but wait a minute! The rules have changed!
Nobody we know of has had the nerve yet to market a “lost weekend” theme for pot smokers and “green butter” eaters. Our fantasies have left us giggling and wondering about what could, in reality, be a huge marketing advantage in the B&B business. Cooking with “green butter” could leave willing participants wondering what happened to their weekend. Having pot sampling reminiscent of the cafes in Amsterdam has many of us wondering how that might be done. Smoking is not allowed inside commercial buildings, but 25 feet from the inn, it is legal. But foods made with “green butter” certainly do not pollute the air!
In our “Lost Weekend at Boreas” fantasy, we can imagine guests ruminating, “We do remember checking into Boreas Inn, having a blissful nights’ sleep in their amazing beds, eating their legendary breakfasts, dining out at The Depot, Pelicano, the 42nd Street Cafe, all on Saturday night, but more than that, we can’t remember a thing!” Well–that’s probably not going to happen, but then again, it could. Would that be different than guests being intoxicated with alcohol? Yes, it would be very different. We do not have experience with super intoxicated guests so we don’t imagine that our pot-smoking, “green butter eating” guests would have inappropriate behavior. Stoned guests would be peaceful and definitely more food-oriented and we certainly can cater to that! Would we have to transport guests to and from their culinary adventures if they are high? Yes, we would! Is there potential for B&B’s to attract more guests? Yes, there is. So the question is raised since we have a complimentary beer and wine license, meaning we can buy wine and beer and serve it to our guests at no extra charge, would that translate to marijuana too? I suppose we will soon have answers! Until then, we can continue to dream up our “Lost Weekend at Boreas” themes. And giggle.
It has never happened before. A guest merely emerges from their bedroom for breakfast and the innkeepers are speechless and their eyes fill with tears. These tears were of surprise and joy. With almost a child-like wonder–our eyes must have been huge–two adults became children once again. On December 25, 2011, our only guests at Boreas Inn for Christmas morning were Lindley and Charlotte Mixon from Raymond, WA. When they came in the front door, it did occur to us that he was a lovely older gentleman with a white beard and how ironic that it wasChristmas Eve. Being polite, we said not a word about the resemblance. We were sure he’d heard it before.
But only when he emerged from his room on Christmas morning for breakfast, did we truly hold our breath and respond with actual childhood glee that we were in the presence of Santa and Mrs. Claus. Lindley was dressed in a red shirt, with suspenders holding up his trousers, and had a red hat on his head trimmed with white fur. My first words to him were, “My goodness, Santa, you must be exhausted and very hungry! Did you have a busy night?” Yes, this Jewish girl did say that…couldn’t help it. Lindley responded that yes, it was a tiring night but he had a good rest and was very hungry indeed. We posed in front of the Boreas Inn tree with Mrs. Claus, Charlotte, and I couldn’t resist a shot giving Santa a kiss. Lindley has never played Santa professionally! Bill and I were truly moved by Lindley and Charlotte. Lindley is an artist, a warm, loving man with phenomenal talent for throwing big pots and painting. He is currently recovering nicely from open heart surgery. So, sadly, Santa and Mrs. Claus won’t be with us this Christmas. We will miss them and keep in touch on Facebook. We will forever remember the wonderful holiday gift they gave to us a year ago. The richness of life in our 16 years as innkeepers never fails to reward, surprise and enrich us. Thank you, Lindley and Charlotte, for your friendship. Take it easy this Christmas, Lindley! Get healthy and come back soon.
On Christmas morning, 2011, Lindley Mixon and his wife Charlotte, emerged from The Dunes Suite at Boreas Inn and really, truly Susie and Bill were with Santa and Mrs. Claus!
Is it because of our (wonderful) warm dry spell on the Long Beach Peninsula that lasted almost 100 days without much moisture? Or is it because we are having our Wild Mushroom Celebration this weekend at Boreas that the higher power has halted the handsome King Boletus (porcini) mushroom from peaking up from the soil? Even last year, a very dry summer into fall, we had porcini’s and matsu’s. Veronica Williams, our friendly forager and queen of the woods, has been unable to find any mushrooms in her favorite productive spots. We are sad. Maybe today will be the day, after a week of some moisture, that the beauties will show their domes and emerge from hiding. We can only hope! So it’s out with the dehydrated porcini’s and perhaps at Pelicano Restaurant tonight, we will dine on five courses of mushrooms–they just might not be WILD ONES!
We normally worship the King Boletus this weekend. Alas, the King is in hiding!
This weekend looks to be lovely with sunshine! The Long Beach Peninsula has early morning clam tides Saturday and Sunday so you can limit and be back in time for a warm hot tub and our signature breakfast by the fireplace at 9:30. All of our friends have reported limiting quickly during the last clam dig–so maybe you can too! Of course, you don’t have to dig clams –or else send the sweetheart out to dig clams while you sleep in could be a plan too! Simply languishing in Boreas Inn’s fluffy feather beds in our oceanside Long Beach, WA lodging will make your weekend divine. We will set up dinners out in our favorite haunts. Whether you clam or not, you will dig it at Boreas!
The gray whale is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds every year passing by the Long Beach, Washington Peninsula during the southern and northern migrations. Gray whales can reach a length of 52 ft and can weigh about 35 tons and live a very long time, 50–70 years! They are called “Gray” because they have gray patches and white mottling on dark skin and descend from filter-feeding whales that developed over 30 million years ago.
When the arctic ice starts to form, the grays whales start a two- to three-month trip south to the Baja Peninsula and Gulf of Mexico. Around 19,000 whales migrate by the Long Beach Peninsula on their way to warmer waters and then a couple of months later, they cruise by again heading back north. So they really don’t have a lot of vacation time for all that traveling, they say it’s the longest migration of any mammal up to .
The gray whale is a baleen whale that migrates between feeding and breeding grounds every year passing by the Long Beach, Washington Peninsula during the southern and northern migrations. Gray whales can reach a length of 52 ft and can weigh about 35 tons and live a very long time, 50–70 years! They are called “Gray” because they have gray patches and white mottling on dark skin and descend from filter-feeding whales that developed over 30 million years ago.
When the arctic ice starts to form, the grays whales start a two- to three-month trip south to the Baja Peninsula and Gulf of Mexico. Around 19,000 whales migrate by the Long Beach Peninsula on their way to warmer waters and then a couple of months later, they cruise by again heading back north. So they really don’t have a lot of vacation time for all that traveling.
This extensive gray whale migration all the way to Baja for such a brief stay reminds me of our several family trips during spring vacation when we would drive from Lake Oswego, near Portland all the way to Ensenada, in Baja California. It’s a long drive in a station wagon with parents and two domineering older brothers for a very brief stay in Baja. Of course, stopping at Disneyland and in San Diego were nice distractions away from the back seat of a Plymouth station wagon. We’d spend a few days in Baja and then turn around and drive back to Portland. Our family migration from Portland to Baja does have a vague but humorous similarity to the gray whales’. The gray whales tend to breed and nurse their youngsters while in the warmer waters which certainly was not our goal while in Baja.
Our favorite place to watch for the gray whales is in Cape Disappointment State Park at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the North Head Lighthouse. From December until early February, we have seen the grays migrating south and then again in March, April and May when they return to the arctic. That being said, we have seen gray whales in September just off the surf line from the stunning turnout on the Loop 100 in Cape D State Park. There are some “permanent” gray whales living off the Washington Coast. Just over a month ago a half dozen gigantic blue whales were spotted not far off the Long Beach Peninsula, perhaps 30 miles. They were over 100 feet long! Fishermen report in one day of summer fishing, seeing three or four varieties of whales including sperm whales and humpbacks or “humpies” off our coast.
Grays feed mostly on crustaceans which it eats by turning on its side (usually the right, resulting in loss of eyesight in the right eye for many older animals) and it scoops up sediments from the sea floor. They eat by using their baleens which act like a sieve, to capture small sea animals, taken in along with sand, water and other materials they scoop up. They feed in arctic waters during the summer and sometimes feed during its migration but mostly, when heading south, they rely on their fat reserves. We have seen them seemingly rubbing themselves on the North Jetty near our favorite spot in the Cape D State Park. They were feeding by scraping the rocks on the jetty. So cool!
During migration, these giant cruisers average around 75 miles per day at an average speed of 5 mph. The round trip of 9,900–14,000 miles is supposedly the longest annual migration of any mammal. By late December to early January, they begin to arrive in the calving lagoons of Baja. Gestation for grays is 13.5 months so often mothers give birth in the safer waters of Baja and single females are seeking mates. By mid-February to mid-March the whales have arrived in the lagoons and are nursing, calving and mating.
Throughout February and March, the first to leave the lagoons are males and females without new calves. Pregnant females and nursing mothers with their newborns are the last to depart, leaving only when their calves are ready for the journey, which is usually from late March to mid-April. Sometimes the mothers with new calves linger in warm waters into May.
A population of about 200 gray whales stay along the eastern Pacific coast from Canada to California throughout the summer which is why we occasionally see them in non-migration months. They never leave to go to Alaskan waters. This summer resident group is known as the Pacific Coast Feeding Group.
Now that you know all about gray whales, drive to the Long Beach, Washington Peninsula to try to get a glimpse. Right now you might see a few stragglers heading south and in a month or so you will see the gray whales returning from their brief stay in the warmer waters off the Baja Peninsula. At Boreas Inn, we always have binoculars for you to borrow and helpful hints (Bill is great at spotting whales). During the busier times of migration, there are experts at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Cape D. State Park, just 10 minutes from Boreas Inn.
This is a perfect time of year to take your Valentine to the beach to watch for whales and sleep in the Boreas Inn’s lovely beds, dine by the fire on the best three-course B&B breakfast you’ve ever had, breathe the cool ocean breezes, be lulled by the gentle sound of the Pacific Ocean lapping on the beach and to relax. Let your innkeepers, Susie Goldsmith and Bill Verner design your time away with great dinners at The Depot, Pelicano, the 42nd Street Cafe, The Lost Roo and Shelburne’s dining room and maybe an in-room massage! Check our online specials or give us a call at 888-642-8069. We hope to see you soon!
Bill and I just returned from our brief weekly disappearing act to eat Serious Pizza at Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco on the Long Beach, Washington Peninsula. First of all, this park is NOT a disappointment–it is our favorite Washington State Park. It was named “Cape Disappointment” because in 1788, Captain John Meares, a fur trader, was disappointed because this was not the opening to the river–and is, in fact, is located just north of the infamous Mouth of the Columbia River! Cape Disappointment is also home to the National Park housing Maya Lin’s “Confluence Project” honoring the Indian tribes Lewis and Clark encountered at the confluences of the rivers on their journey west. Captain Clark and 11 of the “Corps of Discovery” hiked all over the land that is now Cape Disappointment State Park and from McKenzie Head, saw their first panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean! Then they proceeded to hike north up the Peninsula, right across the property that is now Boreas Inn, located on the 1805 high water mark. So you get to sleep right on the Lewis and Clark Trail!
Of course, one of the most scenic parts of the Park are the two lighthouses, The North Head Lighthouse and the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The North Head is easily explored by parking in the lot and walking down to the lighthouse on a road alongside the rock face overlooking the Pacific Ocean and just north of Benson Beach. This is a place to linger. All day. The waves, huge in the winter but omnipresent, are hypnotic. The color of the water seems to change from blue to green to gray in a storm, but always a stunning contrast with the white tips of the peaks of the waves. Whale watching from the North Head is often rewarding. We look for the clumps of kelp offshore and occasionally see the spouts. The pelicans, eagles, many varieties of gulls, terns and a huge array of seabirds make this spot make for some of the best birdwatching in the West. Cape D lighthouse is a hike from the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (in winter and anytime, the best view of the Mouth of the Columbia and the jetties), around Dead Man’s Cove. Our guests come from around the world to see these two lighthouses, within miles of Boreas!
I mentioned Serious Pizza! Well–seriously now, take the combination of a wood-fired pizza oven, burning cherry and apple, the “00 fino” flour imported from Italy, imported cheeses, meats from a great Seattle butcher chop and a location at Waikiki Beach at Cape D (as we call it), and you have not only the recipe for the best wood-fired pizza in Southwest Washington, but a spectacular setting near the amphitheater at Cape D State Park. With eagles flying overhead (perhaps looking hungrily at your pizza-or maybe at your dog) and osprey circling around with crows and gulls harrassing them, you have an experience you will never forget. Our favorite pizza is, you guessed it, “The Boreas”–the vegetarian pizza with garlic olive oil base, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives and pepperoni. How special is it to have a pizza named after Boreas Inn? State Parks built Jim and Chi, the purveyors of this fine pizza, a permanent structure so that visitors to the park, including campers staying in the 240 campsites, can have pizza! We call ahead to avoid waiting perhaps an hour for the most memorable pizza. It’s truly Neopolitano–a thin delectable crust and just the right amount of cheese for a non-guilt producing light meal. They also have wood-fired oysters and mouth-watering wood-fired wings. Homemade ice cream and brownies….oh my! Watch for Jim and Chi’s Serious Pizza to come soon to the town of Long Beach!
I have attached a very fine video about Cape Disappointment State Park to this blog! It stars a few of our favorite State Park employees and some of the best scenery this area has to offer. The Park is located 10 minutes from Boreas Inn. We are soooo lucky to have Cape D State Park in our backyard. So come to Boreas Inn and we will direct you to our favorite park, Cape Disappointment! Enjoy the YouTube about Cape D.!
We’re almost out of the woods on the Pacific Ocean having spent the entire night up and high on adrenaline. No big waves seem to be coming and we have survived (we hope!) the aftermath of the most devastating earthquake Japan can remember. Our Tsunami Tspecial is a once in a lifetime (hopefully) event–$125 per night for all the goodies and we will supply the complementary Tsunami Tsauce (Mimosa’s)–or you can have your champagne straight up! Come celebrate the ocean, from a distance, and please say prayers for our Japanese friends who have endured and are continuing to endure the worst disaster in recent history. Take advantage of your exhausted innkeepers–come cheer us up!
We promise you a beautiful, lazy weekend at Boreas if you decide to visit us. We have room for you and would love to cook up a storm in the morning if it’s not stormy enough outside–and even if it is. Don’ t listen to the weather guys–they are usually wrong, unless they tell you it’s going to be wonderful–because sunshine, rain, wind…it’s always wonderful here. The fireplaces beckon and we’re offering our Walk-in Special at our romantic getaway by the sea. $150 a night including our “perfectly plated” 3 course or more breakfast (plus tax of course). We don’t want to be lonely–so come to Long Beach and we will fix you up with two fabulous dinners out at our fine dinner houses and promise you the most relaxing weekend with fireplaces blazing and our new hot tub beckoning. We hope to see you soon!
Where else can you behold such open space on a beach anywhere in the country with a glorious winter sunset as the highlight of your day? Tonight the full moon will glisten off the water…with clear skies and a winter nip in the air… Come to a place where you will find beautiful surroundings, a beach that goes on forever, culminating in headlands with lighthouses, walking trails and bicycle paths along the ocean and through the wooded parklands. There is always something to entertain you whether visually, physically or spiritually–or all three at once. When you tire of that, you can sleep like a baby in the most comfortable beds with down over you and under you, dine on a breakfast that will last all day long, and perhaps just do nothing…until dinner of course, when you again DINE at the finest restaurants on Oregon/Washington coast. You work so that you can play! So play in Long Beach, Washington….a seriously perfect place to escape from the rest of the world. Boreas Inn is here for you! Come enjoy the sunsets. (Or when those aren’t available, enjoy the sound of the rain and the cozy fireplaces!)
Odell Hathaway, one of our most devoted friends and fans of Boreas Inn took this video of our brand new spa at dawn on the 3rd of September! So this is truly the Dawn of Boreas Inn’s New Hot Tub. Odell is so clever! The Space Odyssey music just fits!
Our Brand New Spa--Come Bubble Your Troubles Away!
The tub new spa is a bit smaller than our older one and very roomy for our “couples” only soaking. There are three seats, including two side-by-side recliners, 36 jets (!) and beautiful revolving underwater colors, if you like a little light. It’s hard to get a good picture of the new spa unless you dangled from the gazebo ceiling! The tub is made by Cal Spa’s division “OC Hot Tubs”. I thought Orange County motorcycles were gorgeous, but this spa is pretty lush! Bill and I tried it out on Thursday night and it was just perfect. The operations and materials are quite “green” and so far, our guests say they love the new spa. So in addition to fine regional cuisine, the most comfortable beds, and extra special whatever we can think of for our guests, we now have a new spa with a beautiful view. The ex-spa works fine–and we’re looking for a home for it. It sprung a leak around a seal (we think) but other than that, it works fine. So if one of our former guests would like it, we can arrange for that to happen. You will have to haul it away! It was very sad to see it leave the gazebo (and quite a project to get it out of there!)
remember checking into Boreas Inn, having a blissful nights’ sleep in their amazing beds, eating their legendary breakfasts, dining out at The Depot, Pelicano, the 42nd Street Cafe, all on Saturday night, but more than that, we can’t remember a thing!” Well–that’s probably not going to happen, but then again, it could. Would that be different than guests being intoxicated with alcohol? Yes, it would be very different. We do not have experience with super intoxicated guests so we don’t imagine that our pot-smoking, “green butter eating” guests would have inappropriate behavior. Stoned guests would be peaceful and definitely more food-oriented and we certainly can cater to that! Would we have to transport guests to and from their culinary adventures if they are high? Yes, we would! Is there potential for B&B’s to attract more guests? Yes, there is. So the question is raised since we have a complimentary beer and wine license, meaning we can buy wine and beer and serve it to our guests at no extra charge, would that translate to marijuana too? I suppose we will soon have answers! Until then, we can continue to dream up our “Lost Weekend at Boreas” themes. And giggle.
