Pleasant Ridge Bed & Breakfast

The Pleasant Ridge Bed & Breakfast is a special place and just a stone’s throw away from friendly La Conner, Washington. Truly delightful in every way, Pleasant Ridge Bed & Breakfast is locally owned and “quaint” in the truest definition of the word. Those in search of a unique bed-and-breakfast with all the genuine comforts of home need look no further. The Pleasant Ridge Bed & Breakfast boasts an extensive library and a variety of cozy nooks where rest, relaxation as well as peace and quiet are the order of the day.

A Sense of Beauty

On top of the beauty on the inside, virtually every day of the year, the grounds of The Pleasant Ridge Bed & Breakfast portray a sense of beauty, wonderment, joy, and peace. The fertile Skagit Valley is known for its many small locally owned farms where conventional and organic produce is widely grown and harvested year-round. The Pleasant Ridge Bed & Breakfast serves farm fresh eggs!  Those visiting this delightful bed-and-breakfast can enjoy water activities, hiking, and access to local wineries and breweries. 

The Story

mike-theresa-pleasant-ridge-bed-breakfastWhen it comes to the best marriages, opposites do attract. This is an old wives tale that Florence Difolco Sanders used to tell her sons as she and her old-school Italian husband raised them in a small bungalow styled home. This was in a humble suburb called Eagle Rock, located in Los Angeles, CA.

After 38 years of marriage, 4 children, and 7 grandchildren, there must have been some truth to that old wives tale. In 1978 Florence’s youngest son Michael, an outspoken, dark complexion, third generation, married a sweet, quiet, blond-haired, blue-eyed, second-generation Dutch girl named Theresa de Klerk. After spending a few years in the Ozarks of Northeast Arkansas raising cattle and hogs on their 40-acre farm, they eventually settled back near their roots and lived in Altadena, California for the next 35 years. Mike and Theresa owned and operated a successful roofing company in Pasadena, CA for over 30 years, but they always had the desire to move back to the country and live a simpler life. In 2014, they turned the company over to their son and moved to the Skagit Valley to be closer to their youngest daughter’s family.

Rather than getting back into construction, they came up with the idea of opening a bed and breakfast, although it wasn’t a new idea. Mike’s Aunt Mary had operated a bed and breakfast in Klamath Falls, Oregon for over two decades before retiring. Theresa has a sister in North Dakota who has been operating an Inn for over 10 years. She also has two other sisters in Vida, Oregon who have been operating an Inn and bed and breakfast for over 15 years. Being surrounded by so much family experience in the profession, it just seemed like a natural transition into the business.

Theresa really enjoys cooking and is never happy unless her home is spotless and perfect. This makes being a bed and breakfast hostess a perfect fit for her. Mike loves fixing things and is an expert in administrative tasks so running the business and taking care of the maintenance fits him like a glove. Combine that with the fact that they truly love meeting people and sharing life experiences with them and voila, you have the ideal innkeepers. Mike and Theresa are perfectly content giving their guests privacy and space if that is what they want. On the other hand, if you want to spend an evening sipping wine, playing chess, or just talking about current events, you will find their company enjoyable. They are down-home people of faith that love life and are grateful for what they have.