This blog isn't about my work. .
I love old houses. I love the craftsmanship employed in their construction. And I love to hear people tell the stories about the experiences and choices that made them who they are
.That's part of the reason I love to stay in Bed and Breakfasts. B&B's aren't for the crowd that sticks to chain restaurants or relishes the sight of a Starbucks in a foreign city. If you're a stickler for perfect cleanliness and the expected norms, you should tread carefully when booking a B&B.
But if you want an experience with your bed, search for a B&B in a town with no tourist traffic.
In the roaring 20's, a Long-Bell Lumber Company executive built his dream home on a hillside just outside Longview, Washington. At 13,000 square feet, its sheer size dwarfs the McMansions that are languishing on the real estate market today. And the craftsmanship...
Each bedroom had a different theme. The radiator covers had elaborate scenes cut into lumber panels, and the wrought iron fireplace screens matched.
Apparently the owner was enamored by the James Earle Fraser statue "The End of the Trail". There is a huge image of the statue sandblasted into tight grained fir over the mantle in the library and you can see an additional image in the tilework in the picture at the left.
The gumwood staircase, with its intricate twists and turns spans three floors eventually leading to the third floor ballroom.
While I thoroughly enjoyed staying there (we were they only guests the weekend we visited), my wife, carefully choosing her words, said, "it's wasn't very clean". It is true that there were some dust bunnies and some ceramic tiles were held in place with packaging tape. And I wish that the recent modifications (HVAC placement, restaurant kitchen, and the back porch) were more in keeping with the original character of this grand old dream.
