new & noteworthy

Labyrinths are an ancient form of walkable art, designed for meditation and reflection. No two labyrinths are the same. When people work to co-create labyrinths, the collaboration can be more meaningful than the walk, observes Michelle Duarte, co-owner of WildSpring Guest Habitat in Port Orford. Labyrinths are among the guest amenities at award-winning destinations such as WildSpring and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. At WildSpring, Michelle and Dean Duarte offer guests a unique experience of luxurious lodging within an eco- sensitive wooded hillside retreat overlooking the Pacific. Together with walking trails and open air sitting rooms, the labyrinth encourages guests to take time for reflection in the out-of-doors. “We love walking labyrinths,” said Duarte. “It’s just one of the many features that we want guests to enjoy if so moved.” The eco-friendly retreat in earned two recent travel industry nods: 2014 national Top 10 Eco Hotel list from the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders Program, and the Oregon Travel Commission’s 2013 Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award. The eco-awards followed a string of travel industry plugs in publications such as Sunset Magazine in 2012 and USA Today Travel in 2011. WildSpring Guest Habitat, Visits by appointment 92978 Cemetery Loop Road, Port Orford, Oregon Bandon Dunes Golf Resort 57744 Round Lake Drive, Bandon, Oregon Photo courtesy of WildSpring Guest Habitat.