Seaview’s Shelburne Inn provides friendly, comfortable stay

As soon as you walk into The Shelburne Inn, you feel right at home. The front desk clerk greets you like you’re an old friend. After a few days at the Seaview (Washington) bed and breakfast, you feel a kinship to everyone there.

We spent a wonderful three-day weekend at the Long Beach peninsula in southwest Washington, along with our daughter Mallory. It was part of a weeklong trip to the Seattle area to visit her.

The Shelburne Inn is a quaint building, home to 15 guest rooms. It sits along the main strip that takes visitors off the Pacific Highway (US 101) to the peninsula. Seaview flows nondescriptly into the larger community of Long Beach. My morning walks started in front of the inn and usually reached midway through Long Beach.

The inn was originally about half its current size. It stood across the street when it was first built. Owners used a team of horses to relocate it to its current spot. The Shelburne Inn is celebrating its 120th birthday this year. Owners David Campiche and Laurie Anderson have owned the B&B for 40 years. Can you imagine that this beautiful property has belonged to the couple for a third of its lifetime?

David and Laurie have made many improvements and enhancements over the years. David believes they’ve spent about $2 million during that time on improvements. They installed bathrooms in each guest room, as well as having to move walls, etc. Not being an electrician or plumber by nature, David relied on a local Boeing retiree to teach him the trades.

David was a potter by trade. His works, including beautiful vases, can be seen throughout The Shelburne Inn. Laurie was studying Sanskrit at the University of Washington when the couple met. “She was a very excellent student,” David gushed about his wife.

What would make an artist and potential archaeologist trade those careers for one running an inn? “I was a young kid,” David laughed. “I thought I could write poetry and visit with guests.”

David and Laurie do visit with guests, as well as work to keep the inn running spic and span. David does a lot of the cooking, as he’s an excellent chef. Laurie does a lot of the baking. Her baked goods are delicious. The duo work well as a team.

In addition to baking, Laurie is an accomplished photographer and weaver. Her work is displayed throughout The Shelburne Inn.

The rooms are well-designed. They each feature antiques and stained glass windows. Our room, which had two beds, has its stained glass window above the main bed. It illuminated when the bathroom light was on.

Our room also had a view of the back garden. It was a little early in the season, so some of the plants were just taking sprout.

Other guest rooms were just as beautiful as ours. We took a self-guided tour after other guests had finished their weekend stays.

The hallways feature sitting areas, including antique furniture and lighting. The entire bed and breakfast was a gorgeous spot.

Each morning before breakfast, I took a walk about town. The morning clouds gave way to a nice sunrise. It was fairly cool during our visit, so the walks were a bit brisk. Along the way, I encountered beautiful flowers sprouting along the main street. It was also common to see artwork painted on buildings.

Having worked up an appetite for breakfast, the selections at the Restaurant were difficult to choose, as they offer some great dishes. Breakfast is complimentary with the room.

The three of us each tried something different our first day. Lisa had an omelet that featured mushrooms, and was served with sausage and fruit. Mallory went with French toast, which came with a side meat and country potatoes. I went with a sausage gravy and biscuit dish. The sausage was elk. The meal featured a poached duck egg. All three of us enjoyed our selections.

Dinner is just as good. We were in a casual mood at dinner time, so we decided to eat in the Pub, rather than the Restaurant. I love the names they gave to both restaurants – the Pub and the Restaurant. The Restaurant offers a more formal menu, while the Pub offers more casual food. Some menu options overlap.

Lisa had fish and chips. After all, we were staying in an Oceanside community. Since Mal nor I care for fish, Lisa was the logical one to try it. She liked it a lot. Mallory and I opted for a bowl of homemade chili and a Caesar salad. Both were good choices. I have to say the chili rivaled any I have ever had (my apologies to my late mother, who could make some outstanding chili).

The pub features northwestern Native American artwork. I truly believe the northwestern and southwestern Native Americans create the most beautiful art of all Native Americans.

David does a lot of the cooking. Laurie, as I mentioned previously, is the main baker. These two folks are really talented at what they do. In fact, they’ve cooked meals for James Beard. Beard was a noted author and cooking mentor who developed some of the best chefs in the world. Chefs and restaurants strive to be winners of the James Beard Award.

Beard lived in a nearby community and knew David and Laurie through David’s mom. She ran a bookstore that Beard would visit. As their friendship developed, the couple had opportunities to cook for him. Can you imagine having one of the best-known culinary experts as a friend, as well as cooking for him?

The Shelburne Inn is a promoter of the area. We got a kick out of a Monopoly game that featured the Long Beach area – Peninsulopoly. It featured landmarks and attractions of the Long Beach peninsula.

We enjoyed our stay at The Shelburne Inn. The bed and breakfast is a value to stay at. It has a great reputation, supported by a guest who told us that he’s stayed there annually for the past two decades. His parents joined him for this trip.

We look forward to returning to the area and hope to stay at The Shelburne Inn again. Long Beach hosts the annual International Kite Festival every August. We would love to return to see that in the next couple of years.

We recommend checking out The Shelburne Inn when you visit the Long Beach peninsula. You’re minutes from every attraction in the area, including the world’s longest beach. We loved our stay and are confident you will, too.

For more information on The Shelburne Inn, please visit https://shelburnehotelwa.com or www.funbeach.com.

Disclaimer: Thank you to The Shelburne Inn for our complimentary visit. However, all views and opinions are ours.