April 22, 2005

Escape to the Gardens

Pine Meadow Inn in Southern Oregon specializes in great breakfasts, hospitality and tranquility

By DAN SHRYOCK
Oregon.com

The drive through tiny Merlin was the first clue that this could be a getaway to remember. Merlin was peaceful on this Friday and I was quickly heading back into the countryside in no time.

I headed north on Crow Road for about a mile when I came upon this charming house with its long front porch. The front yard flowers had yet to arrive in spring but my imagination pictured what a summer's evening might be like here.

That sense of awe is made possible by Nancy and Maloy Murdock, who dreamed of owning and operating a bed & breakfast and then went about making it happen.

I was simply the latest in a long line of guests who found their way to this warm and welcoming inn tucked away on nine quiet acres in Southern Oregon. This peaceful refuge is just as the Murdocks planned it.

"We studied for 10 years to learn what works and what doesn't," Nancy says. "Then we built the inn from the ground up."

They opened the bed & breakfast in 1993, catering to vacationers looking to enjoy the nearby wild Rogue River. They've enjoyed a steady stream of rafters, kayakers and fishing enthusiasts. They've also welcomes guests who wanted nothing more than a place to get away.

"We see people from all over the world who want to use the Rogue," Maloy says. "But a high percentage of our return guests just come to hang out."

Take Linda and Richard Luce, for example. On this day, Linda and Richard are committed to a challenging jigsaw puzzle spread across a table by a front window. Linda says they first tried the Pine Meadow Inn back in 1997. Now they are self-described regulars on their fifth visit.

The English gardens (above) help create the inn's charm. Four attractive rooms - each with its own private bath - are available, including the Laurel Room (below). Photos courtesy Pine Meadow Inn

"Now it's Maloy and Nancy who bring us back," Linda says.

"Linda looks for soft towels and I look for the breakfasts," Richard adds.

They've come to the right place. Nancy and Maloy take pride in their three-course breakfasts. As they talk about the daily meal, terms such as gourmet, healthy, vegetarian and organic sprinkle into the conversation.

Many of the ingredients for these meals come from the inn's private garden. "We grow our own organic fruits and vegetables," Nancy says.

Near the vegetable garden is a larger English garden and wooded area. Singing birds and the sounds of the inn's Koi pond create the soundtrack. The garden draws praise from guests as well as the travel media. Arrington's Bed & Breakfast Journal recognized Pine Meadow Inn for its garden in 2003. The inn also has received recognition from several other travel writers and publications.

The garden, in a way, symbolizes the nature of a stay at Pine Meadow Inn. The four rooms have views of the garden, not a TV. Each room receives fresh flowers (bedside cookies) every day.

The garden also reflects the environment Nancy and Maloy offer their guests each day.

"We created what we wanted in an inn and it's worked really well for us," Nancy says. "The setting is important. Our guests like being here."

Linda Luce thinks it's a good lifestyle for everyone.

"We're comfortable here. I just like being here," she says. "This inn has become nurturing for us."

"And hospitable," Richard adds.

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