The B&B is the home of Wray and Cindy Kinard who turned the custom home that Cindy had designed into a B&B in 1994. Cindy retired early from a career with the federal government, and now pursues her passions, hospitality and gardening, in her enterprises, both as an innkeeper and as a landscape architect. Wray continues his work as a parttime human resources director for a non-profit agency, but devotes much of his time to

by Judy Morris
Imagine sitting on a deck watching a gorgeous, late evening Alaskan sky surrounded by bright, blooming flowers and seeing a wandering moose and her calves or maybe even a bear. Life is bright and beautiful in this well designed haven overlooking the Cook Inlet with views of Alaska’s spectacular Chugach Mountains. Alaska’s North Country Castle B&B is a way to enjoy the Alaska experience with a comfortable resting place at the end of a day filled with adventures.

assisting Cindy and doing “what needs to be done” on the house and grounds of the B&B, a “castle” that got its name from their friends who referred to it as “the castle on the hill.” Cindy’s landscape design business, North Country Landscape Strategies, incorporates the B&B name as well.

One is awestruck by the size, beauty and variety of what grows naturally in the far north. The entry gardens are filled with perennials: bleeding hearts, columbine, lady ferns, tulips, daffodils and Asiatic lilies. Woody plants and ever-blooming rosebushes abound. Ground covers include dwarf dogwood, or “bunchberry,” that spreads among the larger plants covering the ground with white flowers, “just like you would see on a dogwood tree.” The house itself is adorned with hanging baskets front and back and window boxes in front of the dormers.

Vegetables and flowers grow in planters on the decks, along with herbs Cindy uses in her delicious breakfast recipes. The natural vegetation of Alaska fills the grounds; one sees towering evergreens everywhere.

The private suite decks and the front and back mainfloor decks are popular places to gather either before breakfast or after a good day of touring.

Breakfast, usually served in the gazebo-style breakfast nook, includes many Alaskan treats along with hot beverages, fresh orange juice and the fresh-cut fruit assortment that is always available. One might have Cindy’s Savory Salmon Spread with chips and veggie dippers as an appetizer. The hot entrée, which could be an original casserole such as Glacier Melt, Peaches 'N Cream Bread Pudding, one of Cindy’s specialty French toasts or Alaskan Blueberry Pancakes with Alaskan Birch Syrup, is served accompanied by smoked salmon or reindeer sausage and a vegetable garnish. As Cindy puts it, “Folks often nearly waddle away from the table and later tell us they didn’t even need lunch, they were so satisfied from breakfast.”

Guests on vacation in Alaska, honeymooners who desire a unique and romantic experience, college age “kids” who are ready for anything Wild Alaska has to offer but want a special place to call home while visiting and business travelers who want to experience local color and get expert advice on leisure-time activities are all comfortable and feel welcome at this unique B&B. The bedroom suites reflect this uniqueness. The Turnagain View Suite has sunny views in three directions right from the queen-sized bed. One can relax in front of the fireplace and listen to the crackle of real wood. There are comfortable chairs for sitting and reading or relaxing. The vaulted ceiling opens up the space overhead, and the ceiling fan over the bed stirs a gentle breeze.

This bedroom and its third story deck in the treetops are secluded from the rest of the house and the cul-de-sac where the B&B sits. The fantastic view includes the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet, the mountains beyond it and the nearby mountains to the east. The bathroom that features a double Jacuzzi and double shower has a private ocean view as well, and there is “practically enough room to have a dance in there!” according to Cindy. The suites both include soft robes, heated floors, spa towels, nightly bed pillow candies, wireless DSL, in-room phones and the concierge service backed by 29 years of Alaska touring. One finds bedrooms “tucked into the large bay windows under the eaves” in the generous Chugach View Suite that contains two rooms and will sleep up to five. The Glacier Room has two twin-sized beds and the Teak and Teal Room has one queen-sized bed. Cindy designed the rooms to have the coziness and feel of a finished attic with dormers, reminding her of the attic rooms in her grandmother’s house in Ocean Springs, Mississippi—“full of treasures from the past.” One can see the golden hues of summer in sunrise views of the mountains, and might even see one of the famous brilliant evening rainbows as one experiences the changes of mood and color. The balconied deck is ideal for watching all manner of birds, from bald eagles to chickadees, flit and warble among the trees and squirrels as they make flying leaps across the gardens. The Suite’s vaulted sitting area, just inside the French doors from the deck, offers quiet glimpses of gardens, mountains and the waters of the Cook Inlet.

The friendly innkeepers believe that every guest is a treasure to be fully appreciated and that all are unique. Cindy relates one such anecdote where the kindness of her guests “saved the day.” At the time, two parties of guests were at the B&B, one a group of ladies who had all gone to boarding school together and were enjoying an extended “slumber party” as well as exploring Alaska. The other was a honeymoon couple, where the young bridegroom might have been having “a fairly tough time keeping his bride happy.” The honeymooners checked out early in the morning before breakfast to catch their flight. “The ladies were languishing around the living room and front deck as I prepared breakfast, when the groom called from the airport in a panic! He couldn’t find their tickets, they had turned in their rental car, and it wasn’t long before they had to board. Our ladies rushed to the rescue…scouring the room and finally finding the tickets hidden under the open 1001 Ways to be Romantic book on the dresser. Off they raced to the airport to deliver the tickets to him as he stood very anxiously at the curb. We were all sure that they had saved that marriage!”

Kind and thoughtful innkeepers and guests, an enchanted garden in the far north, outstanding breakfasts and great adventures await you at Alaska’s North Country Castle B&B.

Alaska’s North Country Castle B&B
(907) 345-7296
www.castlealaska.com