 |
| Source |
So how did the experience measure up to our expectations? Read on, friend, read on.
We arrived early to the Lodge, so we could make full use of all of its amenities. In typical Seattle fashion in November, it was raining. We were greeted by the complimentary valet service, and I was spared raindrops by the courteous valet's handy use of an umbrella. Nice touch! We entered the lobby with its double-sided fireplace and friendly receptionists, and were given an itinerary for our stay. Fancy. Then we dropped off our bags and took in our new digs for the next sixteen hours.
 |
| A view of the Snoqualmie River that leads to the Falls. |
 |
| Tell me the girl in the middle isn't texting. |
Andy planned on us having three-and-a-half hours to swim and soak in the spa's hot tub before our scheduled massage later that evening. Well, it turns out that a soaking pool is just a fancy term for hot tub. No swimming, then. Darn! To ease our sorrows, we watched the conclusion of the Seahawks game. Fortunately, the team managed to pull off a win, just barely, for a final score of 13-12.
 |
| Will we win?!? |
 |
| Cutting it reaaaallly close. |
 |
| Phew! Now we can get this vacation started. |
The Spa
Included with our package was two hours to use the mineral soaking pools located in the Spa. We donned our swimsuits and the provided robes and one-size-fits-all slippers and prepared to soak all our cares away. After a brief mix-up, in which I wore the larger-sized robe, and Andy wore the smaller one, we were on our way.
Andy had never had a massage before, and my only experience was a massage at the Gene Juarez Salon for Mother's Day, so Andy's standards were average and mine were really high. Turns out the mineral soaking pools were two salt-water hot tubs with no jacuzzi jets. Oh, and did I mention that the Spa was co-ed? Andy and I were the only ones in the pool area for about five minutes. Then we were joined by two men. Then several sets of couples. I'm sure we all felt pretty awkward about sharing the space.
Not content to just sit in a pool of essentially still, hot water, we explored the other parts of the Spa: a steam room (Too much like a Missouri summer, I decided), a sauna (It burns when I breathe through my nose!), two showers, a unisex bathroom, and a lounge area with nuts and water/tea. I felt like we were playing a game with the other guests...Okay, we're going to hide, and you're not going to seek us, okay???
Finally it was our turn to get our individual massages. My massage was relaxing, and well-done. My massage therapist and I discussed her failed marriage, the joys and challenges of raising children, her theories about what causes infertility and PCOS, and how she decided at the age of 40 to go back to school and become a massage therapist. 18 years later and she still loves her job. Not everyone can say that.
The Attic
After our massages, we headed upstairs to The Attic, for a late dinner and drinks. The Attic has a trendy, loft vibe, and they make a killer wood-fired Bacon and Onion pizza. I had to try a Twin Peaks' themed cocktail, The Dale Cooper: cloves and honey mingled with gin. We were seated by the Falls, and marveled at their power. I had a funny thought of someone going out at night to turn off the Falls. Nope, it doesn't sleep. We ended up seeing the Royals beat the Mets in the final game of the World Series. Very impressed with relaxed atmosphere of The Attic, the excellent pizza and drinks, and the great view of the Falls. I would definitely come back again.
 |
| A Dale Cooper and a damn fine cup of coffee, naturally. |
 |
| No, that's not Santa's beard. It's a fuzzy picture of the Falls at night. |
The Sleep
As we were settling down for a night of unbroken sleep, we heard some strange noises coming from upstairs. And then some more noises. What was going on up there? Obviously, we didn't really want to know. Let's just say we were really thankful that we packed earplugs.
The Dining Room
The next morning we awoke late (for parents, anyway), so we could make our 9 am reservation for breakfast at the Dining Room. We reluctantly removed ourselves from the comfortable and warm bed with visions of eggs, bacon, and biscuits dancing in our heads. The Dining Room is charming, but the main attraction is the stunning view of Snoqualmie Falls. Originally we were seated away from the window, but I boldly asked if we could move to a window table when it opened up about ten minutes into our meal. I never used to do things like that, but after having a baby, I'm a lot more fearless. I figured the worst thing that could happen was that the waitress would say no.
Once we moved to our new table by the window, we settled into our gourmet breakfasts: Andy ordered the Country Breakfast, a multi-course tour-de-breakfast, with scones, fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gourmet coffee. I opted for the Crab Eggs Benedict with fried potatoes. We split a Mimosa, because, you only have a third anniversary once. It was oh-so-delicious, and way more than we could eat. So we requested to-go boxes, and headed down to the Falls.
 |
| All that's missing from the Country Breakfast is a tweed coat. |
 |
| Crab Eggs Benedict |
The Falls
The Falls were at near flood conditions, so it felt almost intimidating to stand near the railing. I was so nervous about accidentally dropping my phone camera to the surging water below that I took part of a video through the railing bars.
 |
| Twin Peaks used exterior shots of the Salish Lodge and the Snoqualmie Falls for its opening credits. |
 |
| Fun fact: Snoqualmie Falls is 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls. |
 |
| This was the only shot we managed to get before the downpour. |
Just as we tried to get our picture taken by the Falls, it started to pour. And I mean, pour. Even with our rain jackets, we were not prepared for such a deluge, and so we headed back to the car, soaked and chilled. We had already checked out of the Lodge, and still had a few hours before we were expected back, so what should we do now?
The Chatty Docent
We decided to head to the quaint, sleepy town of Snoqualmie, in an effort to warm up a bit before the half hour drive back to Andy's parents' house. We were greeted by a very knowledgeable and chatty docent at the Northwest Railway Museum. She was more than happy to finally have visitors on a slow and rainy Monday morning. She regaled us with the local history, and suggested we come back for their yearly Santa Train.
 |
| Downtown Snoqualmie |
The Brew
We finished our getaway with a stop at the Snoqualmie Brewing Company for their porter and stout (we be dark beer kind of people). Then we meandered our way back to reality, where a very well looked after Mr. D awaited us.
 |
| Andy wasn't sure what I was trying to do...a peace sign? No, three years, silly! |
Will we return to Salish Lodge?
Probably not. We will definitely return to see the Falls, which is such a short drive from us anyway, and never fails to impress. We will probably also eat at the Dining Room again for their amazing breakfast and views. But, honestly, our experience staying there overnight was pretty average. The room was nice and all, but we've stayed at nicer places (here, for example, last year in Leavenworth) for a fraction of the price (even with the Costco deal!).
Now we know that Salish Lodge is like a lot of things here in the Northwest--way overpriced. So while the location is incredible, you can get the same experience by eating at the restaurant. And you definitely can find comfortable beds and jacuzzi tubs elsewhere for less.
The mystery is gone, Salish Lodge.
Fortunately, we still had a great time. Good food, good views, and best of all, the love of my life.
For all those married readers, how did you celebrate your last anniversary? And for those who have stayed at Salish Lodge, how was your experience?
No comments:
Post a Comment