Go Green at Eco-Friendly Bed and Breakfasts
Many bed and Breakfasts help preserve history through architecture and decor, providing guests a trip to the past. But now many innkeepers are helping to preserve the planet’s future by running eco-friendly bed and breakfasts. A few bed and breakfasts run completely “off the grid,” and many are located in beautiful natural settings, where the innkeepers are mindful to blend in with the environment. From simple items such as using organic cotton for the bedchambers to planning a hearty breakfast using items grown organically on the property, these bed and breakfasts owners do their best to respect and preserve Mother Nature.
Some of us love nature, but maybe aren’t so keen on camping out. Leave your sleeping bag at home because at Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast, you could hardly stay father away from the grid, yet still enjoy the comfort of a bed and breakfast. Surrounded by 42 acres in Sandpoint, Idaho, guests enjoy total peace and serenity. The innkeepers offer three luxurious tents with wooden floors and real, quilt-topped beds. A full, farm-fresh breakfast is served each morning. Watersports and fishing are nearby or you can just enjoy the nature trails on the property.
The Arbor House, An Environmental Inn in Madison, Wisconsin, was drawn, built and maintained to sustain. The architects planned around the root system of surrounding trees and the contractors used non-toxic lumber cut from sustainable forests. Light shines on the solar-powered roof and through the recycled glass windows, while heat and cold stay out of the well-insulated walls. The beds are made with organic, unbleached cotton linens and washed with biodegradable cleaners. Here a return visit is considered recycling.
The historic Mast Farm Inn is not only a great place for a romantic North Carolina getaway, you’ll also appreciate the innkeepers eco-friendly grounds. The acreage includes a beautifully restored farmhouse and several other outbuildings including a rustic log cabin. Most impressive are the vast organic gardens of flowers and vegetables. The bed and breakfast’s award-winning restaurant features much of the bounty from the organic gardens. You won’t find pesticides or chemicals here, just fresh air and the best of organic foods.
If you suffer from allergies, going away from home can mean days and nights of stuffed noses and scratchy throats. However, guests at Natural Bed & Breakfast Retreat in Tucson, Arizona, can breathe easy during their entire stay. The innkeeper bans smoking, pets, perfume and cologne. Air purifiers remove additional pollens and pollutants. The healthy breakfasts at this Arizona bed and breakfast feature organic foods and the innkeeper is happy to accommodate special diet needs.
Guests enjoy English country charm and green sensibilities at Melitta Station Inn & Spa in Santa Rose, California. This historic inn served as a 19th-century stagecoach stop and has been restored and decorated with antiques. Since 2006, it has run on solar power using a 6-kilowat solar array. The bed and breakfast also uses daylight pipes to reduce the amount of artificial lighting needed. Nearby hiking, biking and swimming will keep guests close to nature, and you can even take a tour of some of the Sonoma Valley’s organic wineries.
All of the eco-friendly inns have a warm atmosphere and a welcoming environment. Innkeepers are available to direct guests to nearby parks and healthy restaurants — but they won’t leave a light on.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
I wanted to comment on just how impressive it is that Wisconsin has made the effort to go green and reward establishments through certification. They have a pretty strict certification process around issues like waste reduction, reuse and recycling; energy efficiency, conservation and management; water conservation and wasterwater management and wildlife and landscape conservation, to name a few. One of my favorite bed and breakfasts in Wisconsin is the Inn at Lonesome Hollow is an environmentally friendly Wisconsin Inn in Soliders Grove. Located in the Kickapoo Valley, they are on 160 acres and have all the amenities to keep you feeling pampered - like whirlpool tubs and wiFi. It is a beautiful and rural area near interesting Amish communities and nice shops to bring home their amazing quilts and furniture. I had a great time at Inn and Lonesome Hollow, and could feel good about staying there, knowing they were doing their part for mother earth.