As featured in Country's Best Log Homes - July 2001. When Jack and Betty Bonzey honeymooned in British Columbia 35 years ago, they drove through the Idaho panhandle on their way back to their California ranch house. What a great place to live, they thought. Stop. Fast forward. It's January 1989, and the Bonzeys are retracing their honeymoon steps through a snowy Idaho winter. They stop in Athol. What a wonderful place to retire, they think. They spend 10 days looking for the right property in the area on which to spend their leisure years. There was nothing out here then, recalls Betty, just a working farm with bales of hay. But farmland is just what they envisioned, because it offers peace and tranquility. So they buy it. For five years, they spend every summer working their 10 acres of land. What remained were lovely Ponderosa pines, all volunteers, that is, naturally seeded and not planted by man. When Jack retires in 1994, the Bonzeys are ready to build. For years, the Bonzeys have been collecting log home magazines and books. The idea of building a log home is the next logical option to investigate, so they begin working with a handcrafted log homebuilder. The Bonzeys design the 7,200 Square-foot, two-story house with basement themselves, knowing that they want this bucolic setting to feature a home suitable for visitors. They christen it The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast and live in the barn in their travel trailer during the nine-month building process. Betty stains all the wood, with the exception of the white pine ceiling and the Arkansas red oak floors. Jack cleans up the work site each night to expedite the contractors work the following day. The Bonzeys choose natural gas, forced-air heating for the house and design the bedrooms with electric baseboard heat that features individual thermostats. The great room has a Vermont Casting top-of-the-line gas log fireplace. We designed the guest rooms with the closets and bathrooms in between each other and then double insulated. They use of a high-density soundproof carpet pad prevents and noise from coming through the floor, which makes the rooms soundproof. The log beds, built by the contractor in the garage, are brought upstairs piece by piece and assembled in the rooms. Each bed weighs a thousand pounds, says Jack, who adds that when one bed was place too close to the closet, they had to call the contractor back in to take apart the bed before they could move it a mere six inches. We both sat on the floor and tried to slide it by pushing with our feet, but we couldnt even budge it, says Betty. In fact, four construction workers couldnt move it either! When it comes to the design of the entryway, Betty steps in. I'd been carrying around this photograph from a magazine of an entry-way of a conventional home for years. We liked it, but we redesigned the stair-case for the center instead of the side and used lodge pole pine logs and red fir to build it. Betty still gets a thrill when she ushers guests into their home and they say, Wow! When she takes them into the living area, she explains that its called the Great Room because Weve had so many wonderful guests here and shared so many great times in it. Today, Betty and Jack have opened their doors to over 2,100 guests in just six years, but they never grow tired of talking about the joy they have living the their new log home. I love it, says Betts. Its warm in winter and cool in summer, and we dont even need air conditioning. The Ponderosa BB P.O. Box 5022 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814

Welcome to THE PONDEROSA BB. A Bed Breakfast Experience Unmatched in the Area! Just minutes north of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, you can experience the luxury and frontier setting of a 7,200 square-foot log home with spectacular mountain views and surrounded by beautiful lakes. The is nestled on a 10-acre wooded estate with nature trails that abound to observe local wildlife and seasonal wildflowers. is 11 miles north of the Coeur d'Alene area and 2 miles west of Silverwood Theme Park and other area activities. Three rooms have queen size log beds. The fourth room has a king size bed. All have local and satellite TV, private baths and robes for the walk to the covered spa. In the early evening enjoy wine tasting in our 2,000 bottle will be served by Jack and Betty Bonzey, your Innkeepers. The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast is the perfect destination to celebrate weddings, receptions, reunions, retreats, special occasions, or just to escape for a getaway. Please Call For Reservations and Rates. The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast. Jack Betty Bonzey P.O. Box 5022 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814. Local: (208) 683-2251 Toll Free: (888) 683-2251 Fax: (208) 683-5112 stay@theponderosa.net. Member of the North Idaho Bed and Breakfast Association. For the comfort of our guests we do not allow smoking or pets. We are unable to accommodate children under thirteen. Location Activities. Copyright 1996 - 2002 ~ The Ponderosa ~ All Rights Reserved

The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast Location Area Activities. The Coeur d'Alene area offers you a choice of many activities to enjoy during your stay at The Ponderosa. Near-by activities include: Silverwood Theme Park, (May through October). Farragut State Park and Museum. Cross-Country Skiing. World-class ski facilities are located nearby at Schweitzer Ski Resort, north of The Ponderosa; and Silver Mountain, east of Coeur d'Alene.

The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast Gourmet Breakfast. You will enjoy delicious piping hot coffee (brewed from freshly ground beans) or an assortment of special teas. A variety of chilled juices will precede your entree. This will be accompanied with freshly baked muffins and breads, local jams and fresh fruit. All prepared in a modern day kitchen...and served in this beautiful Dining Room!

The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast Wine Cellar Spa. Enjoy complimentary wine tasting in our 2,000 bottle wine cellar. For a romantic evening, relax in our enclosed whirlpool spa.

The Ponderosa Bed Breakfast Rooms. The bedrooms are named after the four northernmost counties of Idaho. Each room has a sitting area to read about the history of the county in which the room has been named.

 Luggage storage
 Credit cards accepted
 Facsimile services
 Games room
 Heating
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Parking lot
 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Phone at reception
 TV sets in rooms
 Patio, summer terrace
 Common room with a TV set