Beautiful B&B's of Wine Country

Let's start our journey in the midst of a cherry orchard in Yakima where you awake to the smell of coffee and freshly prepared breakfast. Hosts Henner and Karen Krueger await your arrival in their very own German/Italian style. Yes, she's Italian and he's German! They even have separate dining rooms for each nationality!

The drive into the Orchard Inn Bed and Breakfast provides a wonderful view of the cherry trees. A delight to see in any season, but when the trees are in bloom in the spring, it truly is a vision! The common living room offers all of the comforts of home and each bedroom is newly decorated to represent a wine varietal and of course the cherry room. Each room has a private bath with jetted tubs, a small dining table with coffee and tea service and comfortable queen size beds. 
     

In order to avoid sounding like an Expedia ad, I must say that the most delightful part of my stay at this establishment has been the warm hospitality of this delightful couple. They greet you each morning with a smile and the delicious breakfasts they prepare are not to be ignored. During my week long stay I was served anything from corned beef hash to fresh baked cherry clafoutis, pronounced  Klah-foo-tee. 

Final word, The Orchard Inn Bed & Breakfast serves as my home away from home for a week out of each year. While my days are busy with work it is so nice to have such a warm haven to come back to each evening and fresh breakfast prepared with TLC to start my day. Visit the Orchard Inn Web site for more details at www.orchardinnbb.com.

During my recent jaunt over to Red Wine and Chocolate, hotel rooms were few and far between. I was eventually steered towards the Quilted Country Inn in Prosser, formerly The Wine Country Inn. Now owned by Marilyn and Ben Dalstra, the 100 year old home is next door to Marilyn's quilting store, The Sewing Basket. The Inn often serves as lodging during the many quilting retreats that Marilyn holds each year. At other times, it's a great place to stay for a wine tasting weekend, especially for a group. We were three couples and ended up having the whole house to ourselves.


Each of the six guest rooms is furnished with antique iron beds and of course, quilts of all colors and designs. This isn't a luxurious stay. Built in 1896, the home is quite old after all, but cozy, roomy and comfortable it is. Situated on the Yakima River, the vast outdoor deck offers plenty of room for sunning, picnicing and wine sipping.

Contact the Quilted Country Inn, 1106 Wine Country Rd. Prosser WA 99350, call (509) 786-7367 or e-mail Marilyn at prossersewingbasket@earthlink.net.

The Inn at Blackberry Creek in Walla Walla is surrounded by shade trees, a spring feed creek, rolling lawns and of course now more than 70 wineries in Walla Walla. Once a Victorian Farmhouse built in 1906, the Inn has been carefully restored to its original beauty. Each of the three spacious rooms, named uniquely for the great impressionist painters, have private baths, king sized beds with plush bedding, flat screen TV's (a bit of contemporary luxury in the midst of old fashioned surroundings) and decorative antique furnishings. Renoir's studio even has a private hot tub for two!

Mornings consists of a fresh made breakfast, menu style either in the dining room, your own room or on the patio. There is a downstairs parlor where guests can relax or an upstairs sun-lit alcove with a library of books, games and cards. A natural spring forms a creek just behind the Inn, which plays home to a number of animals. It is not uncommon to sit on the patio and spot pheasant, quail, raccoons, owls, rabbits, squirrels, gold finches or blue jays. Whether you want to explore the creek area, pick wild blackberries in season or bird watch, The Inn at Blackberry Creek provides a quiet retreat for you to relax. For more information, go to www.innatblackberrycreek.com.

Keep in mind, all three of these beautiful establishments have only three to six rooms each which means space is fairly limited. If you are traveling on an event weekend, you will want to call early to get reservations. The choice is yours. As for me, I'll take the gentle hospitality and quaint surroundings of a wine country B&B over a hotel room any day.
 

From JUICE, The Latest on Washington Wine Country, April-May 2006

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