Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Salish Lodge & Spa, Snoqualmie Falls


Last week, my parents and I drove up to Snoqualmie Falls for a little staycation and it was so beautiful! I hadn't been since I was small and had forgotten how dramatic the Falls were - after all, they served as the setting for David Lynch's Twin Peaks and the luxury hotel Salish Lodge & Spa (where we stayed) doubled as the exterior of the fictional The Great Northern Hotel.

In the summer, Snoqualmie is beautiful, and you can hike right down to the bottom of the Falls on a steep, but gentle trail. But even on a cloudy, overcast day like the one we experienced, it's a stunning sight to take in and a popular place to visit.


Our room at Salish Lodge had a balcony overlooking the river and a jacuzzi tub that I was tempted to jump right into, but my attention was quickly stolen by the fireplace,  which made the room instantly cozy - especially on the grey and slightly chilly day we had.


However, it was the exquisite food that won me over at Salish Lodge. Perched high above the falls and with window views overlooking the river, The Dining Room is the Lodge's most notable restaurant and its menu boasts a showcase of Pacific Northwest cuisine, featuring local and homegrown produce.

Our bread basket arrived warm, with honey butter (which I'm now obsessed with!) made with honey from Salish's own hives. I loved the honey so much, I brought two jars back to the UK. The flavor is delicate, light, and subtly sweet - not cloying, like so many other honeys I've tried before.

We were lucky enough to score a table by the window at dinner and it felt like such a treat to be sipping wine and enjoying the view over our delicious meals!

My dad's prime bone-in rib eye steak was utterly decadent: topped with Dungeness crabmeat and served with a side of Hollandaise sauce, it was no surprise that he couldn't actually finish it.



My filet mignon was delicious, although disappointingly overcooked, despite having asked for it to be prepared "medium". Having only recently returned from the-land-of-practically-raw-steak (AKA France), I was ready to enjoy my steak a little pinker than my usual order of "medium well" ... next time, I'll be sure to ask for "medium rare"!

Needless to say, we had absolutely no room for dessert (although they all sounded tempting: I would have easily opted for the carrot cake or chocolate souffle with Salish honey Creme Anglaise) and needed to save ourselves for the epic breakfast the next morning.

So, we waddled back to our room where I promptly proceeded to fall into a deep sleep on the super soft bed, with the sound of the falls serenading me in the background. Idyllic, no?

The next morning, I was super excited to try Salish Lodge's renowned "Country Breakfast". Consisting of four courses, Washingtonians and tourists alike travel to the Lodge just for this incredible spread plus the "Honey From Heaven" service, where honey is drizzled onto your plate from high above.
We started with a selection of Snoqualmie scones, muffins, and cakes, followed by a stack of buttermilk pancakes with syrup and fresh fruit, before digging into a bowl of steel-cut oats (which I barely touched!) and a finale of three fresh farm eggs, smoked bacon, apple-pork sausage, ham steak, hashed potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit.

Whew.

Like many other diners that day, we sampled a bit of everything and took the rest home with us in takeaway bags! It was so, so good.

Before we left, I picked up a few more souvenirs from the hotel gift shop (including those jars of honey) and reluctantly headed home. I'd love to go back with John sometime and indulge in a spa treatment or two as well! It's the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary or birthday (though I love how we rocked up because ... well, "just because").

I'm sure on previous trips to the Falls, I'd busied myself in the car with a book or whatever game/activity my parents had offered to keep us children occupied, but this time, I made sure to take stock of the gorgeous, sweeping views in front of me: evergreen forests that just don't exist in the UK and a peaceful stillness that I relished before returning to the hectic pace of London.

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25 comments

  1. That waterfall looks amazing: very relaxing! I got really curious reading that you are obsessed with honey butter: I have never heard of it! What´s that?? It sounds sooo yummy!!

    Aria

    https://pandaonavespa.wordpress.com/welcome/

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    1. It's butter made with honey, so it's slightly sweet and tastes lovely smothered on a thick piece of bread/baguette!

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  2. Your food pics are great Jaime! The falls look very 'Twilight!'

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    1. Thank you, Annmaree! It was so, so delicious. The Falls were spectacular.

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  3. Ooo this looks gorgeous!

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    1. It was really stunning! I never appreciated it as a child - I just thought it was pain to trek through, haha! But I can *definitely* see the appeal as an adult.

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  4. These photos are amazing, I love waterfalls! The last waterfall I went to was one in Australia 6 years ago.
    Blue Jazzmin

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    1. Thank you, Farrah! I would LOVE to see a waterfall in AUS or NZ. I bet the one you saw was stunning! They're so captivating; I'm always mesmerized by their power!

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  5. Washington my home;
    Where ever I may roam;

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  6. Such epic photos, and that food alone has secured that lodge a place on my Must Travel To List! What a spectacular place for a staycation!

    Sophie :-)

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    1. Thank you, Sophie!!! You should definitely visit the Pacific Northwest sometime - there's so much to see and do! Gorgeous islands, lots of beautiful trails, and Seattle + Tacoma are such fun cities to explore.

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  7. What a stunning view, and falling asleep to the sound of the waterfall sounds so relaxing. And the breakfast, oh-that-breakfast!!! xoxo, nano

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  8. Just wow! Stunning views and what looks like amazing food. You would have to pry my hands off the door frames- I wouldn't want to leave!

    It all sounds like a wonderful trip.

    K.

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    1. Haha! It's a pretty magical place, Kelsey - one that I didn't appreciate until our most recent visit. I'm excited to take my husband back there as I think he'd love it.

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  9. I want that steak SO badly right now! :O And oh my gosh those views!!!

    C x | Lux Life

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    1. It was one of the best steaks I've had in a long while, Catherine! I was sad that mine was a little overdone, but it was still delicious. My dad's crabmeat topping though - so OTT and in true American style, haha!

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  10. This is the first time I have heard of Snoqualmie Falls, but your photos really sell it. I wish I could click my heels and transport myself there right now.

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    1. Glad I sold it to you, Katharina! Definitely worth a visit soon.

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  11. why end bruising yourself instead of getting that clean and hair free face. Also this can be messy with all the waxing liquid dripping all over your place. Wax center in Manhattan

    ReplyDelete

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