Bordering on insanity
My friend Bob Boule crosses an international border (illegally, if you want to be technical) several times when he mows his lawn. Bob owns Smuggler's Inn, a spectacular Bed and Breakfast in Blaine. Blaine, as you geographically literate readers know, is right on the US/Canadian border and is famous as the home of the International Peace Arch. This monument sits astride the border and proclaims that we are children of a common mother. Well, yes. Mama was pretty common when you get right down to it.
The idea, however, is that Canada and the US are political children of the British Empire. Rowdy rebels that we are, we broke away in 1776, while our neighbors to the north took a bit longer to declare their independence from the British throne. Canadians believe in moderation, so while they are independent, they still belong to the British Commonwealth. They believe in having their cake and eating it too. Admirable.
Regular readers of this blog will remember that Reiko and I celebrate certain occasions in style. So it was with our sixth anniversary. Since we have one Canadian and one American among us, we decided to honor our commitment by balancing on the border.
The Smuggler's Inn, while accessible only on the US side of the border, has a front lawn which infringes onto Canadian territory. Perhaps a photo will make the situation more understandable. Or not.
Reiko is standing on the deck outside the Captain's Suite at the Smuggler's Inn. She in is the United States. The road you see behind her is Zero Avenue in British Columbia, Canada. Only the Canadians would have a street named Zero Avenue. A self-esteem problem, perhaps. As you can see, the lawn of the B & B goes right down to the road.
The sign is in Canada. The deer is in the US. What a difference a few inches can make.
Bob and Reiko are discussing border issues. Bob is in Canada, illegally. Reiko is in the US, legally. Bob is a US citizen, Reiko is a Canadian citizen. Now, do you understand why I think this whole thing with borders is nutzo? Apart from that, we had a wonderful anniversary at Bob's B & B. One of the best things about it is the incredible hanging baskets. They are designed by a blind man who lives just across the border from Bob.
The Smuggler's Inn was undoubtedly used to import liquor during prohibition. So Bob has named the rooms after famous smugglers. One is the Joseph. P. Kennedy room. One is the Dirty Dan Harris room. Dirty Dan was a local smuggler who invented the town of Fairhaven. That town, along with Sehome and New Whatcom amalgamated in 1904 to form the city of Bellingham. Yes, we are celebrating the centennial of the City of Subdued Excitement.
In addition to our evening on the border, we were treated to dinner at La Bonne Maison. Now, anyone who knows anything about Blaine, knows that it can't possibly have a French restaurant that is the equal of anything in Vancouver or Seattle. One would be wrong.
Kent Gillespie and Mario Medina, two internationally experienced chefs, have joined forces to create La Bonne Maison, a modest little restaurant on Peace Portal Drive in (yes!) Blaine. It looks just like someone's small house by the road, but Kent and Mario have combined their expertise to create a very traditional small French restaurant that reflects the best of the European tradition. Kent cooks. Mario runs the front of the house and waits tables.
As part of the package deal we made with Smuggler's Inn, we were transported to La Bonne Maison in a chauffered limo. Mario greeted us and ushered us to our reserved table. You need reservations here. The restaurant, like the best in the south of France, seats only 15. After an agonizing time wrestling with the menu, we agreed enough to order wine. That was a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay. K-J is a rather popular winery and I didn't expect their wines to be something special. The Chardonnay was. Fruity and oaky, it had a marvelous nose and a delightful aftertaste.
Bob insisted I order the chicken breast stuffed with lobster. So I did. It was marvelous. You can judge a restaurant by its attention to detail. Before our appetizer, Mario brought us fresh baked sourdough rolls with whipped lemon/garlic/rosemary/oregano butter. These were so good that we nearly forgot about dinner. Appetizer was baked oysters with a tomato/basil salsa. Oy.
Mario insisted we try the spinach salad with pearl onions and pine nuts in a blackberry vinaigrette. The blackberries were picked from their backyard and the salad was superb. Just the right blend of flavors, nothing too heavy. Then the entrees came and we got down to business. You may be familiar with French restaurants that serve entrees the size of postage stamps. Not so here. These were healthy portions. Reiko had Pork Medallions with Seafood. Kent and Mario are noted for their unusual combinations.
There was no possible way we could have managed dessert, but, of course, we did. Reiko had Creme Brulee and I had a fudge cake that was devastating. Mario treated us to an after dinner port that was not on the menu and Bob arrived just in time to wheel us out to the limo for the ride home.
Once home, we luxuriated in the Captain's Suite.
The Captain's Suite features two full bedrooms, in case you want to bring family along. Right. There's a Jacuzzi tub and a shower big enough for about a dozen people, if you're so inclined. We indulged in the Jacuzzi tub, which comes complete with bubble bath and some fun toys like an rubber fish you can fill with water and squirt at your partner. I loved the fish. Reiko did not, since she was on the receiving end.
I can't remember when we've had more fun or been more pampered. The best part about it was that we didn't have to pay for it. The management of the magazine, acutely aware that I am underpaid and overworked, traded advertising for the whole B & B/restaurant package. Bob, gracious host that he is, is also very aware of the advantages of advertising in my magazine. Is everybody happy?
I don't recommend B&Bs very often, but Smuggler's Inn is a unique experience. If you're lucky, the Border Patrol will catch some one trying to sneak drugs across the border and you'll be on the evening news in two countries. That has happened to Bob more than once. He knows that there is no such thing as bad publicity.
Just in case you want to schedule a special weekend: www.smugglersinnblaine.com.
Tell Bob I sent you. That and a couple of bucks will get you a cup of coffee.
8:15:50 PM 
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