The Native American (Chinook) word Illahee has been variously translated to mean "earth", "land" or "home". All are appropriate to our six-acre estate by the water. In caring for the land and waterfront as well as the wildlife and domestic animals that dwell upon them, we take care and thought to be environmentally friendly. We have tried to conserve much of the natural vegetation to enrich the soil, to improve filtration and nutrients, to create swales to allow evaporation and drainage that will maintain and restore the natural water cycle.

Our lovely gardens, peaceful ponds and abundant fruit trees have charmed visitors for almost 100 years. Deer thrive on the apples from the orchards where two of the original apple trees as well as one plum still remain. We continue to plant new trees as needed to replace those that have reached the end of their cycle. We have a variety of apples, plums, peaches, cherries and pears. You will find native berries, such as huckleberry, blueberry and wild blackberry. We have supplemented the native berries with several new species of blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and loganberry. When ripened you will find many of these fruits and berries contributing to our gourmet breakfast served in the conservatory.

In addition to the edible fruits we have a few small vegetable gardens as well as an herb garden. It seems the wildlife and resident llamas, domestic fallow deer, chickens and domestic pheasants benefit more from the vegetable gardens than we do.

A vast array of flowers and plants such as tulips, daffodils, ocean spray and roses grace our many rockeries. A grassy roadway leads you to the private beach where clams, mussels and sea shells abound.

A variety of birds frequent our grounds, including wild ring neck pheasants, various gulls, great blue herons, hummingbirds, bald eagles, downy woodpeckers and many other species. Several pairs of mallard ducks enjoy our ponds each spring and occasionally you can find a group of little ones swimming behind the hen.

The idea and tradition of a friendly welcome for guests and friends, as old as the native word Illahee, is alive and well at Illahee Manor. We hope that you will treasure your visit to our inn and cottages, the gardens and the beach, all in the atmosphere of old world tranquility that we try to preserve.