Meet Rik, creator and proprietor of the Itty Bitty Inn in North Bend, Oregon. Although the motel was built in 1950, you can bet it didn’t look like this in the early days. Rik took over about 1980 and began the transformation into the whacky place you see today.
There are five rooms, each with a different theme: the Tiki Cha Cha room, the Oregon Trail room, the Star Trek Enterprise room, the Tiki Lounge room and That 70s room. Each is equipped with appropriate decor, toys and amenities.
Speaking of toys, Rik has loaner bikes, games, and tons of good advice about what to see and do in the area. He can also arrange charters, tours and other group activities. At his suggestion, we dined at Restaurant O, which was much, much better than one might expect in a town of this size.
The motel shop. I bought a couple of bars of artisanal soap. Rik supports local businesses and uses their products in the rooms.
A bit of the art decorating the outside of the building. The wookie is pretty good, Princess Leia a bit more problematic.
We stayed in the Tiki Lounge room, which came complete with a record player and a stock of Fifties jazz and crooner records. We relaxed by listening to Frank Sinatra while sipping a glass of Rik’s homemade cider.
If you’re traveling along Highway 101 in Oregon and fancy a fun, friendly and sort-of crazy place to lay your head, Rik is waiting for you in North Bend.
