If you’ve ever traveled you know that accommodations can make or break your vacation so when I find a place that goes above and beyond to make sure that their guest experience is a memorable one I like to sing their praises. I’ve always preferred a Bed & Breakfast over a hotel and my recent trip and experience with a Kodiak Bed and Breakfast was beyond expectations. My stay with Marty and Marion Owen at the Cliff House on Kodiak Island was first class all the way.
You can expect to stay in a clean, recently renovated and tastefully decorated room. A fully stocked fridge with fruit, yogurt, milk and fresh muffins greets you every morning and Marion’s home made granola is to die for. Oh yes, the view of the ocean is also a nice touch.
Your hosts Marty and Marion are beyond pleasant, accommodating and knowledgeable. Marion picked up us two crazy Canadians at the airport complete with bilingual signage and when our luggage was lost even provided us transportation back to the airport that night to claim it. Marion even took us hiking along an ocean side Pacific trail for a few hours of photography which was way beyond anything I expected.
Marion is an accomplished and frequently published photographer, botanist and author of one of the Chicken Soup For The Soul books and man can she cook. We had dinner with Marion and Marty most evenings which was not an expectation but certainly a lovely addition to our stay as it made us feel at home in Kodiak Alaska from day one. Marion has a garden that I am sure is the envy of all Alaskan’s.
Marty is the Harbor Master in Kodiak so is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to anything to do with the ocean, weather, boats, fishing, etc. Whale watching in Alaska is a must do activity and my friend and I went on a whale watching tour with Marty and Marion and it was spectacular despite the rainy conditions. We saw hump back whales, fin whales, puffins, sea lions, eagles and sea otters all in one day. If you’re short on time they also offer a dinner cruise that lasts a few hours in the evening. The food is fantastic, all from Marion’s garden.
You could stay in a Kodiak hotel but why you’d want to is beyond me when you can treat yourself to some good old fashioned down home Alaskan hospitality.
