Oregon Coast BnB Goes Seriously Green

Published March 2009

(Pacific City, Oregon) - It's now one of those hidden nuggets of the Oregon coast: a B&B that's a bit more like a fancy hotel, and tucked away in a magical forest just a mile from the beach.

But its beginnings are a salty sea tale indeed, and the result is an interesting example of being green - very green - but with a historical twist.

Although the Sandlake Country Inn – near Pacific City – is only about twenty years old, its history goes back over 100 years.

It all began on Christmas morning in 1890, when Ezra Chamberlain received an unusual gift: one million board feet of virgin red fir bridge timbers dumped on his beach by a shipwrecked wooden full rigger, the Struan. By 1894, homesteader W.C. King had lugged enough of the 3x12 bridge timbers to his homestead to build a sturdy farmhouse.

The magnificent Sandlake Recreation area is a quick hop from the Inn - a place known as the "other Oregon Dunes" because of the massive sandunes that inhabit the sprawling park and beach.

In 1989 the house was purchased and turned into Sandlake Country Inn Bed and Breakfast.

Now it’s a historical landmark, and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades - including voted Most Romantic Hideaway and rated four lips by Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest.

Current owners/innkeepers Diane and Ron Emineth have continued the recycling story.

"Sandlake Country Inn is the first B&B on the Oregon coast to be certified as a green lodging property by the Oregon Bed and Breakfast Guild's Green Certification Program," said Diane Emineth.

The Oregon Bed and Breakfast's (OBBG) Green Certification Program has been developed through a partnership with Sustainable Travel International. To learn more about the OBBG Green Lodging Certification Program, click here.

Yet going green doesn't have to mean that you can't enjoy luxury. In fact, most of the B&B guests over the years have no idea that when they stayed at the coastal country charmer they were staying at a green lodging property.

Since the Emineths purchased the inn in 2001, they made a commitment of their business practices to promote the sustainability of the planet's natural resources.

Diane said there are numerous other methods the inn is utilizing to be even more green, beyond the timbers that inhabit this cozy place.

“Composting, recycling bins, we buy locally whenever possible, and we use environmentally friendly cleaning products with all natural ingredients,” she said. “We use durable products instead of throw away items. We even use e-mail for most all business communications.”

Diane said all the bubble baths and lotions used for the romantic elements of the inn are environmentally friendly.

“No chemicals, all natural products and they’re not tested on animals,” she said. “We purchase lotions and bubble bath in bulk, and provide each guest room with reusable glass containers instead of disposable travel bottles.

The list doesn't end there.

Pacific City's wonders are a short drive from the Sandlake Country Inn.

When an appliance breaks, they replace it with an energy efficient appliance. Each of their vehicles has a TerraPass to eliminate their carbon footprints. Light bulbs are replaced with florescent or CFL bulbs whenever possible. They utilize reusable grocery bags when shopping, and they encourage guests to reuse their towels if they feel comfortable doing so.

Emineth said they will soon make green tags available to their guests who want to help mitigate the carbon footprint of their trip. Sustainable Travel International is providing U.S.-based Green Tags from the portfolio of activities managed by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

“BEF is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping stabilize our rapidly changing climate by providing high-quality, green-certified renewable energy certificates they call ‘Green Tags,’ “ Emineth said. “The BEF operates projects that meet strict eligibility and performance criteria based on national standards.”

Sandlake Country Inn is at 8505 Galloway Rd. Pacific City, Oregon. It sits one mile from the beach and is right on the famed Three Capes Tour. www.sandlakecountryinn.com. 877-726-3525. 503-965-6745.

Top of Cape Kiwanda, near Sand Lake Country Inn

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