These off-the-beaten-track bed and breakfasts reflect the best in eco-conscious building.

LAS MANOS BED & BREAKFAST
Buena Vista, Colorado

THE PLACE: This relaxing, earthy retreat in “Fourteener Country,” named for its many 14,000-foot or higher peaks, is a glorious Southwest-style straw bale home. Guests can request a massage from owners Colleen Finley and William McQueen, both certified massage therapists, in their rooms or on a private balcony with breathtaking views of Mt. Princeton.

GREEN FACTOR: Completely off the grid, Las Manos runs on solar and wind power. The adobe walls are made from mud collected on the property; wood for flooring and cabinets is locally harvested blue-stain pine killed by beetle infestation. To save energy, laundry dries in the mountain air.

WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST? Try the cinnamony, fruity Baked Oatmeal or dig into the Huevos Benedictos—eggs, black beans and fresh salsa verde over homemade cornbread.

TRAVELER’S TIPS: Monarch Ski Resort and Ski Cooper are each about an hour’s drive away. In summer, rafters and kayakers shoot the Arkansas River rapids. Climbing mountains and dipping in hot springs are also tempting.

CONTACT: (719) 395-4567; LasManosBandB.com

—Laurel Kallenbach

EVE’S GARDEN ORGANIC B&B Marathon, Texas

THE PLACE: This artsy, quirky oasis is built from adobe and papercrete (light, superb insulation made partially from old newspapers). The arched, domed architecture is influenced by Spanish, Middle-Eastern and nouveau-California styles.

GREEN FACTOR: Owner Kate Thayer tends an organic garden and sells pesticide-free bouquets; her partner Clyde Curry makes papercrete bricks from old newspapers and junk mail.