Serene Serendipity Seclusion Is Yours At Country Inn Near Sandpoint

Although Sandpoint is busy and bustling in summertime, just 12 miles away is a stylish bed and breakfast that provides serenity with a capital “S”.

Nestled in a country setting, the Serendipity Country Inn offers a romantic, secluded getaway. Deer nibble in the orchards and a moose may wander up the driveway.

Hosts Pam Dalby and Maureen Peace have skillfully converted a custom-built private house into a B&B catering to adults (in fact, guests under 16 are discouraged).

Featuring two unique guest rooms and a grand suite, this 5,700-square-foot building offers both elegance and comfort.

“It has a lodge feel, a southwest kind of flair that’s comfortable,” explains Peace.

The Crystal Blue Mountain Room, which sleeps six, offers a 4-poster kingsize bed, couch, separate room with Murphy bed, fireplace, wet bar, dressing room and whirlpool in a spacious blue suite.

Miss Kitty’s Room, in a Victorian/ country setting, features a queen-size bed, clawfoot tub in private bath, and antique lamps.

The Gold Rush Room has a queen-size bed, private bath, and southwestern decor that includes hand-hewn log furniture and a wagon wheel lamp. Delightful.

The rest of the house features a “great room,” with a fireplace, burgundy and forest green leather furniture with natural wood accents, and antiques. The library/game room has a 35-inch TV, fireplace, books and games.

An outdoor hot tub is 20 feet from the house, next to orchards of ripening fruit and a path through the home’s 12 acres of land.

The personalized touches are more than appreciated: muffins, juice and coffee at 5 p.m. (we savored huckleberry and orange cranberry muffins and fruit-flavored iced tea), an evening snack (soda and fat-free caramel corn and cookies), and a mouth-watering breakfast (French toast topped with berry syrup, sausage with apricots, a melon tray, juice and coffee).

Guests can even opt for a dinner package fixed by Dalby and Peace. Be prepared for Dalby’s decadent chocolate cake.

At night, Dalby and Peace disappear to their private residences in another building. You can wander down into the cedar-scented living room, your toes sinking into plush carpet. The house is yours and you don’t even have to do dishes.

According to Webster’s dictionary, serendipity is “the gift of finding valuables or riches not sought.” At Serendipity Country Inn, you’ll drive away with a piece of country tucked away in your heart. It’s an unexpected gift you can’t find just anywhere.

Prices: $85 for Miss Kitty’s Room or the Gold Rush Room; $150 per night for Crystal Blue Mountain Room. Prices include breakfast. With advance notice, a dinner meal can be prepared for $40. Credit cards accepted.

For information: Serendipity Country Inn, 2400 Selkirk Road, Sandpoint, ID 83864; (800) 988-9284 or (208)265-9049.

MEMO: Do you have a favorite hideaway around the Inland Northwest, a secluded retreat that you would recommend to others? We’d like to hear about it. Write to: Travel Editor, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Or fax (509) 459-5098.