The Heceta Lighthouse B&B is currently owned by Michelle Korgan, featuring six units that guests can reserve. Antiques, historic photos, and lightkeeper artifacts decorate the interior of the bed and breakfast. Misty, the general manager, says that the establishment has the atmosphere of a "lightkeeper's cottage." This particular aspect of the inn is presumably due to the historical significance of the property as it served as the actual home for the lightkeepers. One of the most unique aspects of the property is the lighthouse that neighbors the bed and breakfast. Patrons are given access to visit and observe the lighthouse throughout the day, as well as after dark. Another notable feature of the establishment is the seven-course breakfast that is served family-style each morning to those who are staying at the inn. Some of the offered courses include an egg course, meat course, seafood course, and dessert, to name a few.
Located in western Oregon, the Heceta Lighthouse B&B is on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The property covers an expanse of approximately two acres and features a total of six guestrooms. In addition to the units, five bathrooms are available. Patrons are given access to two floors of the building during their stay; however, a basement level for housekeeping and an attic level for storage also constitute the structure of the inn. The first floor of the building is an interpretive center, and during the summer, the owner recruits volunteers who come and give visitors a historical tour.
From the words of Misty, the general manager, "The inn is a Queen Anne style home." Further explaining the overall character of the bed and breakfast, she says that they try to focus on "what life was like for the lightkeeper" in historical times. In an effort to create this atmosphere, the interpretive center on the first floor of the building features a fair amount of antique furniture, historical pictures, and artifacts that date back to the time when the lightkeepers worked there. The original stained glass windows and doors are also still a part of the bed and breakfast.
A few communal areas can be found throughout the establishment, one of them being the full-size guest kitchen that includes an oven, stovetop, microwave, and refrigerator. Two parlors that overlook the ocean are common areas where visitors can lounge, and these parlors both contain a fireplace. Patrons may also visit the dining room where the seven-course breakfast is served. A piano and guitar are in the dining room, which people are welcome to utilize at their leisure. Another common area is the wrap-around front porch that looks out over the ocean and lighthouse and provides outdoor seating for guests. An additional feature of the property is the Heceta Lighthouse Gift Shop which sells photographs and gift cards made by local artists. Other products that are sold at the gift shop include lighthouse and maritime-themed items, hand-crafted Christmas ornaments, and a selection of snacks. Picnic baskets with food are also available for purchase, as well as wine and dinner meals.
At the backside of the bed and breakfast, a culinary garden covers a fraction of the yard space. The property's one-acre lawn area additionally features picnic tables. Misty comments that a number of yard games are also available for visitors to use throughout the duration of their stay. Hiking the Oregon coast trail is one particular activity that several previous patrons have engaged in. Some guests may take an interest in wildlife viewing as whales, sea lions, eagles, and deer can be spotted from the property. A few on-site activities can additionally be found inside the home, such as board games and books in the establishment's library, plus the musical instruments in the dining room.
Every morning at 8:30 AM, the Heceta Lighthouse B&B offers a seven-course breakfast that is served family-style, meaning that all guests sit together at one table to eat breakfast. Misty notes that the owner has a cookbook that contains all of the breakfast recipes, which visitors can look through. Some of the items that one can expect to be served at the Heceta Lighthouse B&B are house-made sweet bread, fruit, a seafood course, and an egg course, which is served with a meat dish and dessert. Misty remarks that the "award-winning crab cakes" may be offered as an option for the seafood course, and as a "palette cleanser," guests can have a frappe or another similar drink. As for the egg course, it may potentially be a frittata, strata, or benedict. Misty says that they can make accommodations for visitors with food allergies or dietary restrictions, including vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free, for example. Many of the ingredients that are used to create this seven-course breakfast are obtained either from the property's garden or local farmers' markets. The breakfast aspect of the establishment derives from the original owners of the business, who were chefs and owned restaurants in Portland.
The Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park encompasses a considerable portion of the property's surroundings. Siuslaw National Forest also covers an extensive area to the north and east of the Heceta Lighthouse B&B. Misty reports that Oregon's second largest state park is in close proximity to the inn. A few specific attractions that Misty recommends guest visit are the Sea Lion Caves, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, C&M Stables, which offers horseback rides on the beach, and, finally, the Sand Master Sandboarding on the dunes. To the south of the property, a relatively small town known as Florence can be found about a 20-minute drive away, according to Misty. The Heceta Lighthouse B&B also owns a restaurant that is located to the north of the bed and breakfast. This restaurant is known as Ona Restaurant & Lounge, which serves globally-inspired coastal cuisine. In addition to the property's restaurant, Misty also recommends guests visit Hukilau, a Hawaiin eatery that specializes in sushi.
The Heceta Lighthouse B&B hosts a number of events over the course of the year, as the property frequently serves as an event venue. Concerning guest-driven events, groups of 30 or fewer can be hosted inside the house, while groups of up to 150 can be hosted out on the lawn areas of the premises. Misty, the general manager, says that they hold several weddings year-round, as well as anniversaries and birthday parties. In the past, Michelle Korgan, the owner of the Heceta Lighthouse B&B, has held a few cooking classes for guests. The property has also hosted Mother's Day tea parties, plus community celebrations that are open to the general public. A complimentary "Wine and Cheese Social" is also held in the afternoons for everyone staying at the inn.
One of the most popular events that Michelle hosts takes place during Christmas when the property is open to the public for three hours during four nights in December. During this Christmas celebration, people can meet Santa, watch musicians perform live, and eat free cookies and cocoa. Typically, this Christmas event receives about 300 people per night, as reported by Misty. Furthermore, the Heceta Lighthouse B&B also celebrates National Lighthouse Day in August, where they primarily focus on educating visitors about the history of lighthouses, as well as the lighthouse in close proximity to their property.
A few policies are implemented at the Heceta Lighthouse B&B, which visitors must abide by during their stay. It should be noted that the establishment is a nonsmoking facility, and the use of marijuana is prohibited. With regard to pets, visitors can not bring their pets to stay inside the bed and breakfast; however, guests can keep their dogs on a leash in the yard, or pets can sleep inside the guests' car overnight. Children over the age of 10 are welcome to stay at the Heceta Lighthouse B&B. Finally, quiet hours begin each night at 10:00 PM and last until 7:00 AM.
Misty remarks that she and Michelle want their guests to feel "like they're walking into our house and they're a personal guest." She continues, "We want them to be completely relaxed and have everything taken care of for them." In an attempt to provide this experience for visitors, Misty says that they try to always have someone to greet them and check them in, with the intent to provide a more "personalized experience." Interaction between Misty and patrons occurs often, and she says that occasionally after breakfast, they tell guests about the history of the property and take them into the gift shop. One previous visitor commented in a review saying, "The staff are so warm and inviting and know you by name. You get to know the other guests while enjoying complimentary wine and cheeses and playing board games by the fire."
The Heceta Lighthouse B&B is open year-round. Misty comments that it's difficult to determine a busy season for the property because there is a variety of seasonal draws that many people come to the area for throughout the year. From December to March, many people come due to the fact that it is migrating season for whales. Misty says that "October is one of the nicest months" in terms of weather conditions. "There's something for everyone every time of the year," Misty remarks. Concerning the general demographics for the Heceta Lighthouse B&B, Misty presumes that people over the age of 40 constitute the majority of those who stay at the bed and breakfast. "We've had people of all ages and all walks of life," Misty explains. Additionally, the property tends to receive a fair amount of repeat guests.
Michelle Korgan has owned and operated the Heceta Lighthouse B&B for over 20 years, and the property itself has functioned as a bed and breakfast for over 26 years. Michelle's parents are the original owners of the bed and breakfast part of the business. Her parents were led into the lodging industry when they had an interest in retiring from the cooking industry and moving to the coast. This, in turn, ultimately led them to gain ownership over the Heceta Lighthouse B&B.
The building that is currently known as Heceta Lighthouse B&B formerly served as a place of lodging for lightkeepers. It was a military base during WWII. After the war ended and the last lightkeeper left, Misty, the general manager, says that the "forest service took ownership" over the acreage. Eventually, they leased it to a community college, and after that, it was converted into a bed and breakfast by Michelle's parents.
Michelle and her parents tried to maintain the exterior of the establishment as they made changes and updates. Some of the major renovations that were done include converting closets and storage rooms into bathrooms and adding professional kitchens. The building that the gift shop currently resides in is the old generator room where the water system was added. All things considered, Misty comments that they mainly made the property "guest friendly." As for future plans, the owner has the goal to get the Heceta Lighthouse B&B "back to its original footprints," in a sense. To partner with this, Michelle also says that in the future, they are hoping to add an ADA-accessible bedroom and bathroom for guests, as well as a climate-controlled archive room.
Misty says that "Michelle loves preserving this national gem." Moreover, one of Misty's and Michelle's favorite parts of the job is "meeting people from all over the world." The other staff members have a similar perspective of their job at the bed and breakfast as Misty explains, "the employees take pride in what they do," and they "honor the history of the inn."
92072 US-101 South
Yachats, Oregon 97498
United States
Lightkeeper's Cottage
Michelle Korgan
