Lodging

Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a treehouse? If you feel like reliving the fun of youth, here are a few lodging choices in the US where you can combine a love of the outdoors with a bird’s eye view of your surroundings:

Cedar Creek Treehouse Has Amazing Views

1] Out’n'About Treehouse Treesort – Oregon

This bed & breakfast resort offers several treehouse accommodations to choose from, with prices ranging from $120 for the 2 person “Serendipitree” to $250 for the 4 person “Schoolhouse” treehouse. All prices include breakfast.

[300 Page Creek Rd, Cave Junction, OR 97523; 541-592-2208]

2] Alaska’s Treehouse B&B – Alaska

This bed & breakfast resort offers several rooms in the treehouse, which is located two hours south of Anchorage. Off-season (Oct 1-April 30) rates are $80 to $125. In-season (May 1-September 30), rates range from $125 to $145. All prices include breakfast.

[14593 Rain Forest Cir, Seward, AK; 907-224-3867]

3] Cedar Creek Treehouse – Washington

This treehouse lodging is located about ten miles from Mt Rainier National Park, on the border of Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It sits about 50 feet above ground in a 200-year old red cedar tree. Rates are $300 per night, with a two-night minimum stay.

[PO Box 204, Ashford, WA 98304; 360-569-2991]

4] Hana Lani – Hawaii

These treehouses are bare bones. No electricity, no running water, partially open roof areas. So why would anyone want to rent them? Because they sit in the middle of a Hawaiian jungle on the island of Maui, with views of the ocean, that’s why. Rates run $250 to $400, depending on the size of the treehouse.

[PO Box 389, Hana, Maui HI 96713; 808-248-7241]

5] Lothlorien Woods Treehouse – Washington

Located about an hour from Portland, OR, just across the border, this treehouse lodging sits in the middle of the Lothlorien Woods at the base of Mt. Adams. This sounds like it would make a great romantic getaway – it even has a hot tub on the deck. Rent it for $149 per night.

[222 Staats Rd, Snowden, WA‎; 509-281-9888]

Keep in mind that while some of these may have electricity and indoor plumbing, it’s still a very rustic form of lodging. However, for seclusion and incredible views, these should appeal to most nature lovers as they all have amazing views and locations.

[Photo: Cedar Creek Treehouse]

Post by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Historic Crater Lake Lodge

Photographer’s will love the endless photo opportunities at Crater Lake. The lake looks beautiful captured in black and white, but the many shades of blue found in the water are beautiful, as well. What surprised us most about a recent road trip to Crater Lake, Oregon was the amount of snow on the ground in mid-June!

High Touch, Not High Tech

Nature-lovers will appreciate that Crater Lake Lodge has resisted the urge to go high-tech. You won’t find multiple cell phone towers in Crater Lake National Park. Save your battery and turn your cell phone off while you visit the historic Crater Lake Lodge. The 71 room lodge, originally opened in 1915, went through a major renovation in 1995.

Deluxe Lakeside Room #401

The fireplace in the Great Hall welcomes visitors to sit down and relax. In warm weather grab a chair on the balcony and enjoy the breath taking views from the edge of the caldera. If you are planning a trip to southern Oregon, be aware that advance reservations are a good idea if you’d like to snag a Deluxe Lakeside room. On our particular visit, there were four rooms available on a walk-in basis. By the time we showed up for our early dinner reservation, the lodge was sold out.

If you didn’t book your room reservation on-line, up to 13 months in advance, you might want to try the other Xanterra Parks and Resorts property, the Cabins at Mazama Village. Keep in mind that neither the Lodge or Mazama Motor Inn are pet-friendly.

Clawfoot Tub with Lake View

There are rooms to fit ever price range, from ground floor pricing, starting at $151, to Deluxe Lakeside rooms, listed for $206, to the four loft rooms, complete with mini fridge and views of the Klamath Valley.

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

Crater Lake Lodge
565 Rim Drive
Crater Lake National Park, OR  97604

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Best Western New Oregon Motel

If you have a student attending the University of Oregon in Eugene, you’ve probably stayed at the Best Western New Oregon Motel. Situated directly across the street from the college campus, the Best Western is my pick for pet-friendly, clean, family-friendly lodging.

I’m dating myself to admit that I stayed at the Best Western New Oregon with my parents when I was a wannabe Duck. We did the college campus tour and I fell in love with the University of Oregon. Now, a gazillion years later, my husband and I returned to our alma mater with two teenage offspring in tow, both potential ducklings.

My husband selected the New Oregon Motel because he stays here every other year to watch the Ducks play football against the Cal Bears. There is nothing like watching a football game at Autzen Stadium. The New Oregon is within walking, jogging and biking distance to the beautiful Willamette River trails that lead to the stadium.

One of the beds in the family suite

This particular trip we had our dog along with us. Our entire family appreciated staying in room #328, one of eight family suites. The kids liked it because they each got a queen bed. I liked it because I could retreat to my own bedroom and close the door to the kid’s room. My husband liked it because he could play raquet ball with our son and the dog liked it because she could watch the ducks swim by from our second story balcony.

There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. If you happen to be in Eugene on a weekend, make sure to check out the Saturday Market.

The Best Western New Oregon offers AAA discounts. Coffe and tea are availble in the lobby and a so-so continental breakfast is offered complimentary from 6:30-9:30 a.m. across from the lobby. There is a computer and printer available to guests in the lobby, as well as high speed internet access available at no additional charge in all rooms.

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

Best Western New Oregon 1 (541) 683-3669

1655 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon 97403

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Classic Neon Sign at Weasku Inn

If this place is good enough for Clark Gable, it’s good enough for me. In fact, the Weasku Inn is now a personal favorite of mine. And asking a lodging editor to name their favorite resort is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. Yet, the Weasku Inn truly is special. It’s rustic, yet upscale and it’s charming without being over-the-top cute.

Back to the Clark Gable connection. The Weasku Inn has had several owners in its 84 years of existence. It was under the Gibson family ownership during the “Golden Years” of 1937 that Hollywood Movie Legend Clark Gable discovered the Rogue River fishing lodge. Gable returned to the Weasku Inn over the years, but it was in 1942 after his wife, Carole Lombard, died in an airplane crash, that Gable holed up in room #4 at the top of the stairs. He didn’t emerge in public for three weeks.

Over the years, the Weasku Inn feel on hard times and was left in poor condition. Current owner Carl Johnson fell in love with the Rogue River Valley and took it upon himself to restore the Inn to its current glory.   After five years of extensive restoration, the Weasku Inn opened with little fanfare in 1996. There are 18 rooms on the property, including the house across the street, five rooms in the main lodge and 12 river front cabins. All the cabins have wifi, but better reception is in the main lodge.

Jacuzzi Suite Cabin #41

We drove to the Weasku in Grants Pass from Eugene, Oregon and had to drop our Labrador Retriever at R & R Pet Resort in nearby Phoenix, Oregon. The Weasku Inn is not pet-friendly, but our dog, Stella, had a wonderful time at the brand new kennel.

Our two teenagers stayed in cabin #22 with a queen bed and fold out couch. I don’t know which kid slept on the couch, but neither of them wanted to leave the next day. While we missed the 4:30-7:30 p.m. wine and cheese reception, we all loved the fresh chocolate chip cookies that were offered in the great room at the lodge. The next morning we returned to the lodge for a deluxe continental breakfast served from 7:30 – 11 a.m. My kids liked the mini cinnamon rolls, I liked the noon check out time.

Weasku Inn Lodge

The Weasku Inn is a member of Country House Inns and a Select Registry member. The Jacuzzi Suites rent for $329 from May – September and $255 off season.

Weasku Inn 1 (800) 493-2758 or 1 (541) 471-8000

5560 Rogue River Highway, Grants Pass, Oregon 97527

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Feeding Llamas at Ponderosa Lodge

If you find yourself in Sisters, Oregon for the June Rodeo, the annual Quilt Show in July, a day of fishing,  golfing or snowboarding, make a reservation at the Best Western Ponderosa. It’s dog-friendly, budget-friendly and certainly kid-friendly.

Families with teenagers to tots will love feeding the llamas on the 14 acre property that backs up to the Deschutes National Forest. Everyone who stays here mentions the deer, but we had our Labrador Retriever with us, so the deer were wise to stay away. The llamas, standing safely behind the fence, were not afraid of our bird dog!

Heck, even if you aren’t staying at the Ponderosa, the folks are so friendly that they’ll let you feed their llamas anytime. The llamas, including Outlaw, Danny Boy and Apollo, have donated their wool, available only at the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge, to be spun into yarn. A friend of the Reed family, owners of the lodge, volunteered to spin the Reed llama wool and sell it to raise money for the Bill and Jan Reed Memorial Scholarship fund. But that’s another story…

Best Western Ponderosa Suite

The Ponderosa has 36 standard double queen rooms, and 12 kings, all pet-friendly for a $15 fee, but it’s the six unique themed suites that caught my attention. The Adirondack Suite, has a buffalo theme, while the Ponderosa Suite, #233, is wonderfully western. The Ponderosa Suite rents for $239.99 plus tax in the summer and $189.99 in the winter. Adults will enjoy the beautiful rock fireplaces that turn on with a flick of a switch, while the kids will like the pool and jacuzzi.

The property offers AAA rates and has wifi throughout.  Restaurants and shops are conveniently located across the street, but there are plenty of dining options from steaks at the Tumalo Feed Company to upscale dining in downtown Sisters.

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

Best Western Ponderosa 1 (541) 549-1234

505 Highway 20 West, Sisters, Oregon 97759

Five Pine Lodge, Sisters, Oregon

Most people drive through Sisters, Oregon on their way to Bend for skiing and snow boarding at Mt. Bachelor. Our family has often driven by Sisters; sometimes stopping at the Sisters Bakery for killer doughnuts or to pick up smooth tasting java from Sisters Coffee Company.  This trip, we stayed in Sisters as guests of the Five Pine Lodge while we attended the rodeo in June.

Initially, our teenagers were not thrilled to be vacationing in Sisters, but once we gave them keys to their own pet-friendly cabin, they were happy, as was our dog.  My husband and I were doing the happy dance because we had our own adult-only romantic cabin and it was beautiful. The cabin, #22, looked like it was from a Sunset Magazine photo shoot. The room had Amish-crafted hardwood furnishings and the Kohler tub, with a waterfall, looked out to the fireplace. We also liked the nightly happy hour with local wines and beers on tap from the Three Creeks Brewing Company next door.

Five Pine Cabin 22

There are 32 rooms at Five Pine Lodge and several, including cabin 21, are pet-friendly and teenager friendly. To qualify that last comment, the rooms come equipped with 42 inch plasma screen TV’s and guests have access to the on-campus Sisters Athletic Club, as well as the swimming pool and complimentary cruiser bikes for the nearby paths. It was a very easy walk into Sisters from the lodge.

Oregonians tend to be green-aware and Five Pine Lodge was no exception. The owner developed the entire campus using a minimal impact approach. The water feature that meandered through the property maintained its water level based on rain and snowfall.

Creeks and Cabins at Five Pine Lodge

Make an advance reservation for the Shibui Spa if you want to feel totally pampered. I loved the Thai Bandle massage, heated Maja Bandles, filled with lemon grass and other herbs are steamed and used as heated compresses during the massage. My daughter enjoyed the Swedish massage, $95 for a sixty minute massage and use of the sauna and jacuzzi. We had the entire place to ourselves on our visit.

For such a small town, there were plenty of dining options around. One night we drove to the Kokanee Cafe in nearby Camp Sherman for a gourmet dinner, Jen’s Garden was another high-end contender. Martolli’s Pizza was a great choice for quick and easy slices, calzone and salads.

Five Pine Lodge and Conference Center 1 (541) 549-5900

1021 Desperado Trail, Sisters, Oregon 97759

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Mazama Motor Inn

Our family of two adults, two teenagers, and a yellow Labrador Retriever with really bad breath, was trapped in a beige mini van for nearly six hours. We were taking a road trip to Oregon and our first night was spent at the Mazama Motor Inn. Unfortunately for us, we were shut out of Crater Lake Lodge. It seems you need to be one of those advance planner types to get a reservation at the Lodge. If I’d known we were planning on visiting this national park, I could have made reservations on-line up to 13 months in advance.

We’ve been road tripping to Oregon for at least 20 years, yet we’ve never taken the kids to Crater Lake. The National Park is located in Southern Oregon on the crest of the Cascade Mountain range. It’s 100 miles east of the Pacific Ocean and 110 miles from the California border on 1-5, if you’re into random statistics.  My kids wanted to know how long we’d be in the car and if there was cell service and a TV at Crater Lake. I wanted to know if there was internet access and were pets allowed.

For those wanting to get away from it all, there is no reliable cell service, no telephone or television and no air conditioners at Mazama Motor Inn. For those wanting to take the dog, Crater Lake doesn’t offer pet-friendly lodging. The cabins at Mazama Village are located seven miles from the rim of Crater Lake in a grove of Ponderosa pines, fifteen minutes by car to the lodge. Each of the 40 guest rooms has one or two queen beds and a private bath, but I gotta tell you, this is a no-frills type of facility. On my comment card, I noted that the shower control knob was very difficult to operate. The gentleman next to our room said his shower didn’t work at all.

Mazama Cabin I

Our room #3, one of four rental rooms in building “I,” had two queen beds and cost $126. Check in was at 4:00 p.m. and I haven’t made our dinner reservations were at 6:15 at the Lodge. FYI, I asked about dress code and it was casual. I also asked if there was a kid-friendly, hamburger, pizza, type of option, menu and there was a long pause.  The hostess mentioned Annie Creek’s buffet, but it was not within walking distance of the lodge. We decided to dine together at the Lodge and that was a great decision. The restaurant was family-friendly and the food was very good.

Mazama Motor Inn  1 (888) 774-2728

569 Mazama Village Drive

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon 97604

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Oregon Garden Resort Lobby

Unfortunately for me, I do not have a green thumb. I’ve killed more orchids and house plants than I care to admit.  Yet that’s not to say that I don’t enjoy beautiful gardens and exotic plants. If you enjoy gardening or simply like walking through beautiful gardens, add Oregon Garden Resort to your travel plans. The latest addition to the list of Moonstone Hotel properties, Oregon Garden Resort boasts a main lodge, the Garden View Restaurant (I enjoyed the local Buffalo Burger with turkey and wild rice soup for $9.00),  a lounge (with live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights) and a full-service Moonstone Day Spa.

Oregon Garden

I didn’t stay overnight at the pet-friendly property, but I did take a tour of the Oregon Garden, which is included in the lodging rate and open to the public for a small fee. The Children’s Garden is charming. A display of a couple, made entirely of pots, sitting on a bench, gives the term “pot head” new meaning.

Oregon Garden Resort Room 208

I did get a chance to peek into several of the resort rooms. There are 17 buildings on the property with six guest rooms in each garden-themed building. A standard king, such as room 207, rents for $99-$249 and includes a hot American Breakfast Buffet and entrance into the Oregon Garden. All rooms have a private deck or patio and fireplace. The Dogwood building is pet-friendly and charges a mere $15 per dog.

Oregon Garden Resort 1 (503) 874-2500

895 West Main Street, Silverton, Oregon 97381

Photos by Nancy D. Brown

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Phoenix Grand Hotel Lobby

It was almost eighty degrees in Salem, Oregon on a Tuesday afternoon in April. What’s that about? I was actually grateful that the Phoenix Grand Hotel offered air conditioning during my recent stay. I was speaking on the “Meet the Bloggers” panel at the Oregon Governors Conference on Tourism, taking place at the adjoining Salem Conference Center. By the way, the quality of the food served during our conference was quite good; especially for a large conference venue.

Phoenix Grand Suite photo by Nancy D. Brown

As a guest of Travel Oregon, I stayed in room 433, a spacious suite located next to the elevators. This was an excellent location, considering I was constantly using the elevator to go from my room to the Salem Conference Center. Sadly, I never made it to the indoor swimming pool, but I did take advantage of the complimentary wi-fi and the business center to print my airline boarding pass. While pets are not allowed at the hotel, families traveling with small children will appreciate the use of hotel-supplied pack-n-plays. The hotel also scores points for offering shuttle service from the Amtrak train station, located less than a mile from the hotel. FYI, the hotel also offers a Willamette University friends and family discount.

Budget-minded travelers will appreciate the free expanded-continental breakfast included in the price and free underground hotel parking. I also liked the fact that the hotel held my luggage after the 11 a.m. check-out time so that I could wrap up the conference.

Phoenix Grand Hotel 1 (503) 540-7800

201 Liberty Street, Salem, Oregon 97301

AAA Discounts offered. No pets allowed.

Posted by Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Entourage Suite

I hadn’t even landed in Eugene, yet I was already excited for my trip. You know you’re ready for a vacation when you book the airfare, reserve the lodging and you start reading all the blogs you can find about your destination. The pre-trip planning stage; some hate it, others thrive on it.

I was looking forward to my stay at the Augusta House. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have a lot of college students attending the University of Oregon. As a former UofO Duck myself, I’m often asked for lodging recommendations in the Emerald City.  I thought it was about time that I re-visit the area so that I could offer dependable advice on the best places to eat, where to go on a rainy Saturday in Eugene or the best places to fly fish.

Now that I’ve experienced the Entourage Suite, I can say first-hand that the Augusta House is lovely. The 720 square foot suite sleeps four comfortably and priced at $119 mid-week, $30 each additional person, the price is dirt cheap. The downstairs suite is pet-friendly, $25 extra for the dog, and has direct access to the fenced backyard. For folks traveling with multiple members of the family the Augusta House offers all the amenities of  home with much better electronic toys than you’ll find at my house. The Entourage Suite includes three 37″ flat screen TV’s, an iHome clock radio system for iPods and use of the complimentary Dell laptop computer.

Augusta Doggie House

At 4,300 square feet, The Augusta House can be used for a girl-friend getaway or corporate retreat.  And did I mention that there’s a resident chef in the house? Owner Marilyn Augusta’s son, Colin Rhoads, is on property to help with any special needs and is the culinary talent in the kitchen. Upon check-in, guests are given a clip board with morning breakfast choices and beverage selections. Ask and you shall receive.  There’s also a gourmet kitchen available to guests should you want to fix yourself a snack.  With all the nearby dining options in Eugene, I don’t think this is necessary, but it’s a nice feature.  There’s also a hot tub in the side yard and the backyard offers a downstairs patio and upstairs deck to relax and watch the sunset. Sweet, indeed.

August House 1 (541) 342-8615

2585 Bowmont Drive, Eugene, Oregon 97405