GREAT GETAWAYS

Over the top

Salish Lodge offers spectacular views and world-class relaxing
BY SARAH EDEN WALLACE

t seems apropos that a recent visit to Salish Lodge & Spa began with following a Maserati into town and ended with tagging behind a loaded logging truck on the way out. After all, the renowned Snoqualmie resort combines a heady mix of close-tonature comfort and a full range of outdoor pursuits with utterly urbane polish as in magnificent food, bend-over-backward service (including a staff horticulturalist) and an award-winning spa. It makes for a glorious getaway within a three-hour drive from Whatcom County. Even better, an off-season visit from October to April means reasonable rates for its rare pleasures.

step in the entrys French doors and relax into a rustic-luxe ambiance of hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, regional art and cushy upholstered chairs. Even though a glance at a lobby sign shows many high-powered corporate retreats are held here, most people wear jeans to dinner and youll invariably spot a few folks who are clearly fresh from dismounting mountain bikes or snowshoes. Surely no Ritz-Carlton features a large gauge in the dining room foyer that measures the nearby Snoqualmie Rivers flow, up to a mighty 10,000 cubic feet per second. But its most fitting here, as the defining feature of the resort is its setting hovering over the stupendous Snoqualmie Falls.

Subtle luxury is the hallmark of the 89-room resort. It started in the late 19th century as a way stop for travelers making the then-treacherous crossing to Seattle through Snoqualmie Pass. (The lodges four-course country breakfast harkens back to those adventurers need to stoke up for the arduous trek.) Today, visitors

The tallest waterfall

As soon as you arrive its tempting to toss your suitcases in the room and rush to see the falls in full bore. After all, its the states second most visited site, after Mount Rainier. Its the tallest waterfall I ever saw in

Salish Lodges Executive Chef Roy Brieman crafts seasonal menus that draw on local abundance. Opposite: Salish Lodge perches just above the Snoqualmie Rivers massive falls. Photos courtesy Salish Lodge

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They take peace and quiet seriously here: Instructions are whispered and visitors are asked to refrain from conversing.

Above: Spa treatment options include Ginkgo biloba facials, earth cocoon body wraps and heated river-rock massages. Right: The spas massive two-tiered hydrotherapy pool with cascading water mimics the natural waterfalls outside. Photos courtesy Salish Lodge

IF YOU GO
Salish Lodge & Spa 6501 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, (800) 2-SALISH, (425) 888-2556, www.salishlodge.com.

Rates: Depending on season, view and whether its a holiday, daily rates range from $309 to $459 for rooms and from $699 to $999 for suites.

Hesselgrave International Tours Offers day trips to Salish Lodge Info: 734-3570, www.HesselgraveTours.com

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my whole life, pronounced a small boy walking down the stairs with his family on a spring visit. Indeed, at 268 feet tall, the falls are 100 feet higher than Niagara Falls. Even from the covered observation deck, their power is dizzying. Blasting out of the overflow chutes of the 1898 dam, they slam into the river, sending up clouds of mist. Theres an easy hike to another observation point at the bottom of the falls, which passes by another power plant, built in 1910. Generating 40,000 kilowatts of energy, the two power stations provide power for 16,000 homes in the Seattle area. Not to mention mighty nice views for 1.5 million visitors annually.

dening details...

Seasonal abundance
It may be hard to tear yourself away from the water, but the lodges cuisine is well worth it. Besides, thanks to banks of huge windows in the three dining areas, you seem to be seated right next to the falls. At breakfast or lunch, swallows flit about, heedless of the long plunge to the river below. Its literally a birds eye view of ospreys, hawks and the occasional peregrine falcon flying close by. The food (and the 62-page wine list) is fabulous. Breakfast options range from pancakes, fruit and pastries to shrimpand crab-stuffed omelets and inventive brioche and salmon combinations. Chocolate service ($15 per pot) features Schauffenberger chocolate, whole milk and cream infused with vanilla bean, heated tableside in a copper pan, then poured into a special coffee pot and stirred with a perforated wooden stick that aerates and adds volume. If eating like royalty isnt enough, a mischievous mini-rainbow often flashes in the shifting spray as the sun breaks through. It only gets better. Sales Manager Kim Carlson notes that many a proposal is popped in two private dining alcoves that seem to hover over the falls, with long views to the Cascade Mountains unfolding beyond. The seasonal menus draw heavily on local abundance. For example, a lunch sampler of oysters includes Dabobs from

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Youll invariably spot a few folks who are clearly fresh from dismounting mountain bikes or snowshoes.

The rustic setting at Salish Lodge, above, belies the luxe treatment that awaits guests inside. Photos courtesy Salish Lodge

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Whatcom Countys Taylor Shellfish Farms. This can be followed with soups, sandwiches or entrees such as venison or scallops with lentils and celery root. Seemingly no detail is too small. For a spectacular hot-rocks dinner appetizer ($24), cooked tableside, Executive Chef Roy Breiman goes to the rock beds at the base of the falls and hand-selects stones, which are sliced and polished. The slabs are heated to sizzling on a bed of salt, then small amuse bouche-size tastes of seasonal fish such as scallop, turbot and ahi tuna are seared on the rocks, then served with a selection of three dipping sauces. Entree options include butterflied breast of pheasant stuffed with Fuji apples and brioche in a Calvados reduction, or intensely flavored Kobe beef cheeks marinated for 48 hours in burgundy. Its simply sublime.

Pleasurable pursuits
As tempting as it is to linger over lunch, heading to the on-site spa is definitely in order. They take peace and quiet seriously

here: Instructions are whispered and visitors are asked to refrain from conversing. The monasterial mood extends to the interior design. Low lighting, wood walls and shoji-like frosted windows impart an Asian atmosphere. Though small, its well arranged with huge windows that maximize the view of nearby nature. Theres plenty of space for the soul to expand. Free from chatty salon static, treatments range from a Ginkgo biloba facial ($109) and earth cocoon body wrap ($119) to heated river-rock massage ($99) and treatments for two such as the Rekindle Ritual ($199 per person). Afterward, you can mosey from steam room to sauna to lounge chairs, but most people gravitate to a massive two-tiered hydrotherapy pool with cascading water that mimics the falls outside. But as sumptuous as the spa is, if your idea of heaven is a pile of books to read, the Asahel Curtis Library, named for the Seattle photographer, offers its own temptations. With deep leather chairs, slightly worn red velvet chairs and herringbone tweedupholstered sofas, it echoes the hunting

Salish Lodge offers couple-size Sanijet pipeless whirlpool spa baths in every room. Photo courtesy Salish Lodge

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You know youre relaxed when you start telling time by whether you need to throw another log on the fire.

Each room at Salish Lodge has its own wood-burning fireplace. Several feature private balconies. Photo courtesy Salish Lodge

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lodge feel. While the huge stone fireplace and copper chandelier are striking, the fun is in the browsing. Its a working library (complete with Wi-Fi) whose ceiling-high bookshelves were obviously filled by a bibliophile: topics include Boeing, Seattle, antiques, mountains (Everest), basketry, a complete Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Age of Napoleon by Will and Ariel Durant, travel, Thomas Aquinas, Ansel Adams, art, wine. You half expect Hemingway to stomp in, drop his fishing creel by the travertine hearth and grab a book on casting. It would be tempting to settle in front of the immense flagstone fireplace with a book, but there are other delights to taste at Salish.

Fanning the fires

The resort takes full advantage of its site near rivers, lakes and mountains. Hiking, biking, float trips, fly fishing, kayaking, golf and whitewater rafting are just some of the options for outdoor enthusiasts. Or you could be perfectly content
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relaxing in your room. About half the rooms overlook the river and the waters roar makes a most pleasant backdrop. After all, theres nothing like lounging by a wood-burning fireplace. Salish features 99 of them, one in every guest room, the five meeting rooms, the couples treatment rooms and the dining areas. That you have to tend the fire only enhances the experience. Maybe its awakening your inner Boy Scout or an irresistible opportunity to play with fire, but it redefines luxury as a near-camping experience. You know youre relaxed when you start telling time by whether you need to throw another log on the fire. Carlson notes even in the height of summer, people beeline for the matches. People start a fire even in the summer because its so romantic, says Carlson. Ive seen where they have the doors and windows wide open and a fire going. Large frosted windows between the bedroom and bathroom open so you can loll in the tub and enjoy the fire or watch TV. While its the only hotel in the world with couple-sized Sanijet pipeless

whirlpool spa baths in every room, according to Carlson, understatement is the order of the day here. Crown molding, a matelass bedspread and textured wallpaper add subtle elegance while a large rag rug in front of the fireplace and its massive wood mantel add a homey touch. Decorated with a few wood and leather artifacts and black-andwhite photos of the falls and mountains, each room has large windows or its own tiny balcony. In the unlikely event youre not relaxed enough, you can pile on the pillows, choosing from a menu of seven options, from a buckwheat-filled silk eye mask to a down body pillow. Thanks to the whirlpools snooze button, you may be astounded to find youve spent two hours in the tub. But then, time seems to slow down here. If any place will teach you to go with the flow, its Salish Lodge.
Sarah Eden Wallace is the editor of Whatcom Magazine. She has written about travel for America West magazine, Arizona Highways, Newsday and Phoenix Magazine.

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