“Green” Eggs & Ham: An Eco-Friendly Bed & Breakfast Experience

While you’re checking off  “fireplace in room” and “spa services” in your Web search for that perfect bed and breakfast, take time to remember the most important amenities of all: our natural resources.  Many of the inns on iloveinns.com are energy efficient and designed to fit the surrounding landscape.  Their proximity to national parks and wildlife sanctuaries remind us that traveling is neither decadent nor a luxury—it’s a reality check.  A person who has spotted a whale breaching the surface of the ocean or looked at a bird’s nest from the foot of an ancient Redwood tree is more likely to be mindful of other habitats that go unseen from an office window.  

You’ll see it all from the Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast in Sandpoint, Idaho, which has only three tent sites within 42 acres of forest.  This low-maintenance lodging option offers easy access to hiking trails and a view of the stars.  Standing between you and nature is your simple canvas structure built on wooden planks with a Queen size bed and a kitchen with cooking utensils and a wood stove.  The hot breakfast served every morning makes roughing it is a little less rough.

Is that a moose out your window?  Nestled in the Chugach Mountain Foothills in Anchorage, Alaska’s North Country Castle Bed & Breakfast was designed to blend in with the surrounding 1 1/4 acres of natural forest with tiered gardens and decks to enhance the view from the Victorian home. See the glaciers before they disappear along the trails of the nearby Chugach National Forest. 

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.

For another kind of sustenance, try the Mast Farm Inn in Banner Elk, North Carolina, where fresh, organically grown vegetables find their way into the salads and seasonal dishes.  The on-site organic gardens are designed to encourage animal and plant diversity and maintained without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. 

Taking non-toxic to personal level, the Natural Bed & Breakfast Retreat in Tucson, Arizona keeps it simple for guests with allergies by banning smoking, pets, cologne and perfume.  Natural sounds filter through indoor speakers while air purifiers clear out the allergens.  Feng Shui principles guide the layout of the décor and breakfasts are organic and made from whole grains. 

Saving energy is easy in California, where there’s no shortage of sunshine.  The Melitta Station Inn in Santa Rosa, California has run on solar power since 2006 with the aid of a 6-kilowatt solar array and daylight pipes that reduce the need for artificial lighting.   For eco-friendly fun, take an organic wine tram tour through Sonoma Valley wine country or a whale watching day cruise along the Sonoma Coast.  

All of our 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. 

Still undecided? Browse through the 19,000 B&Bs and country inns that specialize in other events and locations that may interest you. Many of the properties listed above are also in the best-selling bed and breakfast guidebook Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns with a Buy-One-Night-Get-One-Night-Free Certificate. ILoveInns also offers Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificates, a perfect solution to help celebrate any occasion.