AGNEW — Cindy and Chip walked into a dream, to make a living at it.
This was May, so above the couple were a nesting pair of bald eagles, nuzzling on a treetop, and around them hummingbirds, whirring among the 300 rhododendrons in a 10-acre garden sanctuary.
Cindy Curnan and her husband, Chip Zitz, were the new innkeepers at Colette’s, a bed and breakfast adored by couples from around the world.
They made it their mission to preserve the place’s romantic-hideaway atmosphere, with simple touches to complement North Olympic Peninsula grandeur: a little pouch of chocolate truffles on the pillow, for example, to go with each room’s sweeping view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Cindy and Chip, as they like to be called, take pride and pleasure in working behind the scenes, and in romancing their guests’ senses.
Since arriving at Colette’s last spring to succeed the retiring previous innkeepers, they’ve enjoyed rapturous reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor.com.
Then, at the start of this year, Colette’s appeared at the top of the nation’s “10 most romantic bed and breakfasts” list on www.ILoveInns.com.
And yes, Chip and Cindy say, this business is about love.
This weekend, their guests include a couple who are eloping — a choice Cindy said is growing more popular since the economic downturn.
On several recent weekends, Colette’s has been the destination for brides- and grooms-to-be who want to slip away alone, together, instead of staging the big production.
They can walk among the tall cedars, listen to the wind, and maybe have a couple’s massage from Sequim therapists Joe and Lisa Bridge.
Then there’s the “babymoon,” the romantic weekend away for the couple expecting a child. People also come here, Cindy said, to renew their vows, mark an anniversary or both.
So what’s it like being surrounded by happiness?
“That’s why we do this. Otherwise, it’s just a job,” said Cindy. “People are on a high note; they’re reconnecting.”
“That’s the best part of it,” Chip added.
An inspiration
A couple’s time at Colette’s may well inspire them to re-create at least a taste of it after they return to reality.
Take the whirlpool bathtub for two in each guest room: It’s not uncommon for guests to say, “We have a tub at home, but we never use it.”
The standard tub will of course be more snug, but that’s not necessarily a negative.
And, Cindy said, you might think about using bath salts like the Sequim lavender-scented ones she leaves in each room. A jasmine candle is another easy touch.
Chip added that on any given weekend day, lingering over breakfast together is a good thing, especially if you fix something other than cereal.
At Colette’s, he and Cindy prepare multifaceted morning meals, with local delicacies such as smoked salmon, Dungeness crab and berries picked and frozen last summer.
Among Cindy’s specialties are a ginger pear trifle with organic honey and stuffed French toast with raspberries and a slim layer of dark chocolate.
Therein lies a hint, however, of how much work it is to create this dreamy setting.
Chip and Cindy got here at the start of the busy season, and last summer and fall worked 100 days without a break.
And on this long weekend, Colette’s is fully booked, which means they’re cooking and serving breakfast for 10 guests each morning.
Happily, the innkeepers complement each other: Chip is the mellow, methodical one while Cindy is all energy and speed.
Married three years
You wouldn’t suspect that they’ve been married only three years.
Then you find out they’ve known each other since childhood, having grown up on the same street in Hyde Park, N.Y.
They went their separate ways as adults, then found each other again when Cindy hired Chip to help her renovate a bed and breakfast in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
When she sold that inn, they decided to take a break on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
That turned into three years, managing another bed and breakfast and then an estate before they found Colette’s.
Working side by side, “We’ve learned we have to be kind to each other,” Cindy said.
When she and Chip do take time off, they want to explore the Peninsula since they’re still fairly new here.
“We have a tendency to want to be together,” when work is done, Cindy said.
Colette’s is also, of course, one of many sweet spots for locals looking for a “staycation.”
During the low season right now, rates start at $149 per night, Cindy noted. Regular rates start at $195, and go to $395 for the largest suites, which at 550 square feet are more like luxury apartments.
All five guest rooms have fireplaces, tall sea-facing windows and binoculars for bird- and whale-watching.
Cindy and Chip also take care to be conscious of their environmental impact. They compost the kitchen scraps, place baskets for recyclables in each guest room, use organic cleaners and whenever possible for breakfast ingredients, they choose local produce.
Green practices “are an important thing to be part of,” Cindy said.
Approaching their first anniversary at Colette’s, she and Chip share a path, and continue along it toward a balance among love and work, creature comforts and wild nature.
Colette’s Bed and Breakfast, 379 Finn Hall Road, Port Angeles, can be reached by phoning 360-457-9197 or 877-457-9777, or by e-mailing colettes@colettes.com.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
