New bed and breakfast touts comfort, quiet and some smuggling stories

By Rebecca Schwarz Kopf

It’s comfortable and quiet, and offers a unique glimpse into cross-border smuggling. Welcome to Smuggler’s Inn, the newest bed and breakfast in Blaine.

Complete with night vision glasses, telescopes and plenty of tales to be told of smuggling activity in the area, the inn offers a distinct, different appeal reflective of the land it sits on and near.

The Inn, which just opened to the public earlier this month, currently has five complete rooms. However, with work on the building still under way, the inn will eventually be able to provide accommodations in eight rooms.

Owner Bob Boulé said this inn means a lot to him, and he hopes all who stay here enjoy it. “I’ve enjoyed entertaining for years,” Boulé said, adding this was the first bed and breakfast he has run. “If you want to relax and just be comfortable, you come here.”

The building the inn now calls home was completed in 1993, however, Boulé said, the site needed a lot of work. “We had to do a lot of work here. When I first saw it, I saw something unique and special. It had special written all over it.”

The inn, he said, is unique because of its location, and the stories it has to tell. Located right across from Zero Avenue in Canada, the inn sits in a known smuggling area.

The rooms are each named after a smuggler, including the likes of Joseph Kennedy (who was fond of smuggling alcohol from Canada), as well as the infamous Al Capone and historic Fairhaven’s Dirty Dan Harris. The captain’s room is the large suite that not only offers a jacuzzi with a view, but also a beautiful deck with views of Fraser Valley.

“It’s really unique here. You come here for that reason,” Boulé said. “There’s been a tremendous amount of smuggling stories here. There’s more going on than I have ever imagined.”

“The recent smuggling attempt involving several men coming across with cash, diamonds and guns, was foiled right near here,” Boulé said, pointing across the lawn. “We’ve got night vision goggles and telescopes if anyone staying wants to look around.”

His dogs, Boulé said, have often been on television and in the news and have been brought home by Border Patrol, and even reprimanded by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). “They showed Motley (his dog) where the border was, and told him not to cross it,” he said, laughing.

In addition to the dogs on the premises, there are also birds. One room on the first floor is home to several exotic birds. “It’s like a refuge,” he said about the birds. “People don’t realize that most birds live a long life. So I take them in.”

The birds are entertaining, as well as the dogs, and are also a good form of security as they react to anyone who comes within the inn area. “They know when you’re in the driveway,” Boulé said. “They’re ready to welcome you.”

The inn as a whole offers a comfortable, quiet stay and is snuggled away from downtown Blaine. A stained glass Smuggler’s Inn sign sits in one of the many windows on the front porch, which is complete with beautiful, colorful hanging baskets and benches.

The inn, Boulé said, can accommodate reunions, weddings, and other large parties, as well as business meetings.

For visitors that often conduct business in Vancouver, or use the travel facilities, the inn is a comfortable place to stay, Boule said. Visitors can still remain in the states, but can visit Canada during the day.

“And a lot of the times, people stay in Bellingham or Skagit or Snohomish counties. But, by staying here, you’re not too far from Bellingham, Ferndale, or Vancouver.”

On the first floor, Boulé and his staff are completing the family suite, which is complete with bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and entertainment area which includes a large television, electronic darts, pool, table and wood stove.

Children are invited, as well as pets, however, folks interested in staying at the in, should call in advance for reservations. For reservations, rates and directions, call 332-1749 or email smugglers@verizon.net.

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