I am Honored to Share the Dungeness Barn House With You

My Story

Hi, I am Clare Monnin, owner of The Dungeness Barn House Bed and Breakfast, and how, you ask, did I land here? Well here’s my story: I searched for about 10 years for the perfect vacation rental spot. I spanned a wide area from the Hood Canal Bridge to Forks Washington and everything in between. I saw some beautiful locations.

I looked at the Barn House during the early days of my search, although it wasn’t a Bed and Breakfast then, I could see the potential. Berta, the previous owner, was looking to sell the Barn House because she recently lost her husband. I was crazy about the place then, but I was scared I was too young to retire and leave a good job with benefits. I couldn’t afford it and even if I could, I needed to sell my property.

I always felt like the Barn House was the perfect place for my Bed and Breakfast. I found out later that Berta decided not to sell it and she took it off the market. I removed the Barn House as an option in my search for the perfect Bed and Breakfast.

However, several years had passed, and I heard from a mutual friend that Berta was looking to sell her Barn House again! I contacted Berta to discuss options. During the previous five years, Berta converted the Barn House into a Bed and Breakfast. Yet, after losing another wonderful partner, she felt it was too much to handle on her own and decided it was time to move on.

Berta showed her place and received an offer from some folks in Seattle before she had her for sale sign installed on the property. However, Berta called me a couple of days later to say she would wait for me to sell my properties. She felt strongly that I was meant to be at the Barn House.

Opportunities like this don’t happen often in life, so I knew the time was right. I quit my job and immediately put my property on the market and hoped that it wouldn’t take long to sell. But the market was slow and it took 18 months for it to sell.

Berta never wavered, she hung in there with me knowing I was serious. I used this time to learn the ropes of running a Bed and Breakfast by working directly with Berta and helping out around the Barn House.

When my property finally sold, I had only nine days to move into the Barn House and be “showtime ready.” Thankfully I have the most amazing friends, who all pitched in, painting, cleaning, landscaping, and helping me get organized before my first guest arrived. I don’t know how we met the timeline but we did!

I am honored to be the steward of this property and share it with those who choose to visit.

—Clare